Just In! Prince William, Kate choice reflects major fears for monarchy: ‘abdication’
Just In! Prince William, Kate choice reflects major fears for monarchy: ‘abdication’
Prince William and Kate Middleton, the King and Queen in waiting, had been eyeing a much bigger property for their ‘forever home’ but they had to cross it out of their list due to an unfortunate coincidence.
Kensington Palace announced last week that the Wales family will officially be getting an upgrade moving out of Adelaide Cottage after weeks of avoiding the story.
There was major restoration activity taking place at Forest Lodge, located at Windsor Great Park, as builders surrounded the property. New shrubs were being planted and a black mesh privacy screen was installed around the house.
When asked for comments, aides deliberately shared that the move was “not imminent” even though the plan was quite advanced at that stage. Palace aides even dubbed it as a “silly season” story.
Even though the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge as been chosen by the Waleses, it was not really their first choice as they were looking at Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson’s beloved home, Fort Belvedere.
An 18th Century Gothic mansion, which is owned by the Crown Estate, was taken up by royal couple. It was also the place where King Edward signed his abdication papers in 1936.
However, it was “off-limits” for the Waleses, not only because it was once inhabited by controversial royals, but also because of a contract renewal.
The family of late Canadian retail billionaire Galen Weston had been leasing the property since the early 1980s. The Mail on Sunday revealed that the family decided to renew their contract, which is why William and Kate had to look at other options.
Even though the property boasts eight bedrooms a tennis court and gardens, it may not have served the purpose for the Wales family. William and Kate had been planning to move out of Adelaide Cottage for a “fresh start” after experiencing a difficult time – Queen Elizabeth’s death, Kate’s cancer diagnosis.
Knowing that William is next in line to the throne and the fact that abdication papers were signed in that home, it could have served as a bad omen for the family looking forward to making happier memories.
