It was meant to be a joyous occasion. Prince William, wife Kate and their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis, were all packed and ready to secretly leave their long-term residence at Adelaide Cottage and move into their “forever home”, the sprawling eight-bedroom Forest Lodge, situated in the 2000-hectare Windsor Great Park.
However, the royals have had their high spirits dashed after their plans were leaked to the press prematurely – and the source of the leak may be someone close to them.
“This move wasn’t supposed to be announced yet and it’s got Kate and William both upset,” a well-placed royal insider tells Woman’s Day. “The fear is that this was leaked to try and deflect from Camilla’s disastrous boat trip and Kate and William are not going to be used like that.”
Earlier this month Camilla, 78, generated controversy after she was spotted in Greece onboard a superyacht owned by billionaire and Tory donor Wafic Said – without Charles, 76, by her side. Critics were quick to lambaste the queen, saying that accepting hospitality from a politically influential figure raises questions about the royal family’s commitment to neutrality.
PR DISASTER
Camilla’s eyebrow-raising vacation was quickly buried after news that the move to Forest Lodge by Wills and Kate, both 43, which should have been a positive announcement, was quickly overshadowed by reports that the Waleses’ had two families, who lived in the property prior, displaced for them to move in.
“Kate and William are devastated to be getting bad press over this,” says the source. “This hasn’t been a sudden decision. Kate and William have been planning this move for months now – they had some minor renovations that needed town-planning approval, which came through a month ago, so this is not overnight, no one’s been evicted, they’ve been rehoused within the estate, and it’s put a dampener on what was a very exciting fresh new start after going through nearly two years of hell.”
“They can’t win no matter where they live, but this should have been handled better and in a more timely manner. It’s also another example of why William was right to hire his own staffers and law firm. With the palace dealing with Camilla’s yacht controversy, someone dropped the ball on their house-moving story and it’s turned something they were so excited about into a PR nightmare.”
FORGING ON AT FOREST LODGE
Despite all the noise, Wills and Kate are still trying to not let it overshadow their move, which they’re calling their “happy ever after”.
“It’s their dream home and they’ve been so excited about it, talking through new decorations and planning the renovations has been fun for the whole family.”
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