When Princess Kate and Prince William made a crucial, life-changing decision for their three children they ‘surprised everyone’ with the move, a royal expert has claimed

There is nothing that Princess Kate and Prince William put before their three children, Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.

Despite the obligations that come with their royal roles as the future King and Queen, the couple are hands-on parents, who are reported to do the school run themselves, rather than relying on staff to complete these daily activities with their kids. Despite how well-known their commitment to their children is, when the couple made a key move to Windsor, they “surprised everyone” a royal expert has claimed.

Back in 2022, the Wales family packed their bags and left their London home of Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace and moved to the much more modest – at least by royal terms – home of Adelaide Cottage. It was reported at the time that the family was keen to be closer to the late Queen Elizabeth, and that was an important factor in the move.

But Adelaide Cottage also afforded them and their three children far more privacy and more space to be normal children. The four-bedroom property doesn’t have any room for live-in members of staff, so the Wales family have the whole place to themselves, with some staff reportedly coming in the day to help the family out.

“I think they surprised a lot of people when they moved there,” royal expert Duncan Larcombe told OK magazine, “There are plenty of other places they could have moved to, but Adelaide Cottage fits with their desire as parents to be a normal family, where there aren’t servants and they don’t have 30 rooms. William would much rather have his kids around him, in the rooms next door to where he’s sleeping.”

Royal expert Katie Nicholl also said, OK reports, that “They are very, very happy there. Being able to live in the middle of Windsor Home Park, where they’re not overlooked and can come and go in complete privacy, makes the downsize from Kensington Palace worth it on every level,” she explained. “There’s not a huge amount of space, but Adelaide Cottage ticks all the right boxes.”

The property was originally built for Queen Adelaide back in 1831 and was a favoured spot for Queen Victoria to visit and she would regularly go there to enjoy some tea. Whilst the Wales family no longer reside in London permanently, they have kept hold of their apartment in Kensington Palace, and they regularly spend time at their Norfolk residence of Anmer Hall during the school holidays.