As summer draws to a close, the Prince and Princess of Wales are savoring the last days of their children’s holiday near their charming pink house at Adelaide Cottage. Recently, Princess Catherine was seen with Prince George and Princess Charlotte enjoying a fun outing at a park, where they treated themselves to large Flake 99 ice creams. The princess looked effortlessly elegant in a blue patterned dress from Zara, while Prince George wore a football kit and Charlotte donned a white polo with black shorts. This serene family moment took place just a short 25-minute drive from their Windsor home, Adelaide Cottage.
With the new school year approaching, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are gearing up to return to school. Previously, George and Charlotte attended Thomas’s Battersea, an exclusive $23,000-a-year school near their former residence at Kensington Palace, while Louis followed in his siblings’ footsteps at Wilcox Nursery School. However, in September 2022, Prince William and Princess Catherine made the significant decision to enroll all three children at Lambrook School in Berkshire, coinciding with their move from London to their new Windsor home.
A royal source at the time emphasized that the move was driven by a desire to provide the children with a more normal family life. Now settled in Adelaide Cottage, a four-bedroom house within the grounds of Windsor Castle, the family remains close to both London and the countryside. The move to Adelaide Cottage, nestled within the Crown Estate’s exclusive 655-acre Windsor Great Park, placed the Wales family just a short 10-minute drive from Windsor Castle, where the late Queen spent her final months. This proximity allowed them to be near Her Majesty as she faced a difficult battle with bone marrow cancer, a condition that caused her significant pain and left her increasingly frail. Despite her declining health, the Queen displayed remarkable courage, even making a brave appearance on the balcony during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022. However, as time passed, her strength waned, and she reportedly struggled with simple tasks like lifting a teapot.
During these challenging times, Princess Catherine is believed to have deepened her bond with the Queen, especially after becoming a mother. Their relationship blossomed as the Queen delighted in the arrival of each new grandchild. Reflecting on this in the 2016 documentary "The Queen at 90," Catherine shared a touching memory: “It’s very special having a new little girl in the family. We’re very lucky that George has a little sister. The Queen was really thrilled that it was a little girl, and I think as soon as we came back to Kensington Palace, she was one of our first visitors.”
This poignant connection between Catherine and the late Queen, rooted in family and motherhood, adds a deeply personal layer to the Royal Family’s life at Adelaide Cottage, highlighting the close-knit ties that defined the Queen’s later years. While Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A continues to serve as their London base, Anmer Hall in Norfolk remains their beloved weekend and holiday retreat. Prince William and Catherine’s decision to relocate has been guided by their commitment to what they believe is best for their children. Moving away from the bustling city of London and the tourist-heavy Kensington Palace will likely afford George, Charlotte, and Louis more freedom as they grow. Additionally, the proximity to the Middleton family in Berkshire mirrors the rural upbringing that shaped Princess Catherine, further anchoring the family’s desire for a grounded and nurturing environment.
