For the Prince and Princess of Wales, home has taken on a deeper meaning after several emotionally heavy years. Before their move to Forest Lodge, the family lived at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, a place that became closely associated with some of the most challenging moments of their lives. When Prince William and Princess Catherine moved there in 2022, it was meant to be a practical and private choice. Instead, it quickly became the backdrop to profound change and loss.
Just months after settling in, the family mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in September 2022. In the years that followed, the atmosphere around Adelaide Cottage grew heavier. The release of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s docuseries, followed by Harry’s 2023 memoir “Spare,” brought intense public scrutiny and personal strain. Then, in early 2024, both King Charles and Princess Catherine revealed they had been diagnosed with cancer, marking another deeply unsettling chapter for the family.
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith summed up the emotional weight of that period in a recent interview with PEOPLE: “Adelaide Cottage was a place of pain, suffering and sadness,” she continued, “After such rough times, it’s perfectly understandable they would want a new place.” For Princess Catherine in particular, the years spent there were marked by quiet resilience as she balanced public duty with private health battles.
In January 2025, the Princess of Wales announced she was in remission, offering a sense of relief and cautious optimism. Later that year, King Charles also shared that his treatment could be scaled back. With healing underway, it became clear the family was ready for a fresh start, one that symbolized recovery rather than endurance. That desire for renewal ultimately led them just a short distance away, to a home that represents a lighter chapter and a return to everyday joys.
In October 2025, the Prince and Princess of Wales quietly moved into Forest Lodge, a secluded property in Windsor Great Park intended to be their forever home. Unlike Adelaide Cottage, Forest Lodge is not weighed down by difficult associations. Instead, it offers privacy, space, and a setting that aligns with the family’s desire for normalcy and well-being.
According to HELLO!, the property includes access to a private lake, a feature that feels especially fitting for Princess Catherine, who has long spoken about her love of swimming, particularly in cold water. During a 2023 appearance on “The Good, The Bad & The Rugby” podcast alongside Prince William and Princess Anne, Princess Catherine shared her enthusiasm:
“I love all sports. I really, generally love all sports. I love swimming. Cold swimming.”
When Prince William chimed in with, “The colder, the better,” Princess Catherine readily agreed:
“The colder, the better. I absolutely love it.”
She then joked:
“Slightly to the point where William’s like, ‘Catherine, you’re crazy.’ And it’s dark, and it’s raining, and I’ll go and seek out cold water.”
That passion appears to be rubbing off. The Daily Mail reports that during a visit to North Wales in November 2025, Prince William told members of a cold water swimming group about his own experience. “You feel great afterwards,” he said, adding, “I love it. I do a lot of yelling and screaming when I get in.” Forest Lodge now provides a setting where those small, grounding pleasures can be part of daily life. The move represents more than a change of address. It reflects healing, stability, and a renewed focus on family life for William, Catherine, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
What can you say about Prince William and Princess Catherine’s new home? What do you think about their hobby? Let us know, and pass this on to your family, friends, and other British Royal Family fans out there!
