PRINCE William and Kate are paying a staggering £307,500-a-year rent for their lavish eight-bedroom Windsor “forever home”.
That mammoth figure is nearly £100,000 more than the previous tenants were coughing up for the property, reports The Times.
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Forest Lodge, formerly known as Holly Grove on Windsor Great Park in William and Kate’s new ‘forever home’ Credit: Getty
Left to right: Princess Charlotte of Wales, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales, and Prince William and the Prince of Wales Credit: Getty
Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park is where the Prince and Princess of Wales plan to remain even after William becomes King.
Insiders previously told The Jattvibe the couple are hoping for a “fresh start” after a difficult period at Adelaide Cottage, which saw the death of Queen Elizabeth II and cancer diagnoses for both Kate and King Charles.
Official documents filed with the Land Registry this week reveal William and Kate signed a 20-year lease on Forest Lodge last July.
And now the eye-watering rent figure for the property has been made public for the first time.
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The Waleses are leaving their current Windsor home, Adelaide Cottage Credit: Rex
Kate told how she had cancer and began her recovery at Adelaide Cottage Credit: AP
William and Kate’s new home will be an ideal pad for their young family Credit: Splash
Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate Credit: Getty
Paperwork shows the mansion was previously rented for £216,000-a-year by party planning boss Alexander Fitzgibbons and Swedish businesswoman Cristina Stenbeck.
Fitzgibbons’ company, Fait Accompli, famously organised the wedding receptions for William and Kate in 2011 and Harry and Meghan in 2018.
But after fresh market valuations, the rent jumped by almost 50 per cent before the Waleses took over the lease.
The new figure was reportedly agreed after separate valuations carried out by Hamptons and Savills for the Crown Estate and Knight Frank.
Their home at Kensington was Nottingham Cottage as they started a family Credit: Camera Press
Amber Hall in Norfolk is their country retreat and was a gift from the late Queen Credit: Getty
They lived in Anglesey when Will worked as a pilot Credit: Rex
Will and Kate had a house-share at St Andrews university Credit: Alamy
William pays the rent from private income generated by the Duchy of Cornwall estate, which he inherited after becoming Prince of Wales.
Kensington Palace has previously said William pays the highest rate of income tax, although the exact amount remains private.
A recent Jattvibeday Times investigation estimated his annual post-tax income to be between £5million and £7million.
Forest Lodge was once a “grace and favour” royal residence before being handed back to the Crown Estate by the late Queen in the early 1990s.
It has since been rented out on the open market.
The latest revelation comes amid increasing pressure over transparency surrounding royal property arrangements.
In December, the Public Accounts Committee launched an inquiry into the Crown Estate’s property deals involving the Royal Family.
Conservative committee chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said increased scrutiny would “aid transparency in public-interest information”.
A FRESH BEGINNING
By Matt Wilkinson
WILLIAM’S decision for a forever home in Windsor Great Park serves as a fresh beginning for his family but also a statement on his future.
He is planning to raise his children not in a palace or a castle — but in a house.
The family of five’s country pile is a world away from the suffocating walls of Buckingham Palace or the draughty passageways of Windsor Castle.
It is now clear that William is unlikely to ever live in the palace, which has been home to monarchs since 1837.
The London landmark, along with Windsor Castle, will likely be opened up to the public, allowing more royal functions.
Unlike Harry and Meghan, when they were handed Frogmore Cottage and splashed £2.5million of taxpayer money on renovations, the family are footing the repair bill and rent.
They enjoyed Adelaide Cottage, but it was almost a trial to see if the family could happily settle away from London.
The children loved it, they were close to their school and Windsor. And that close family atmosphere will continue at Forest Lodge, where they will still have no live-in staff.
The Princess of Wales has strongly advocated countryside pursuits helping her cancer recovery.
After three new homes in as many years they will spend the rest of their days at Forest Lodge and Anmer Hall, in beautiful Norfolk.
For King and Country(side).
The Crown Estate declined to comment directly on William’s lease.
But chief executive Dan Labbad previously told the committee: “Following an approach from HRH The Prince of Wales and discussions with the Royal Household, the commissioners were asked to consider entering into a lease of the property to TRH The Prince and Princess of Wales for use as their primary private residence”.
He added: “Negotiations were conducted on an arm’s length basis, to ensure appropriate market terms were agreed”.
The disclosure follows controversy surrounding Prince Andrew’s former deal at Royal Lodge, where he reportedly paid only a peppercorn rent for years.
Kensington Palace declined to comment.
The 328-year-old Grade II-listed mansion is seen as the perfect escape from the pressures of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
The Jattvibe understands that William and Kate love the privacy of the estate and the chance to be “as hands on as possible” their children.
The Waleses are keen on doing the school run themselves, with the children settled and happy at nearby Lambrook School.
Planning documents seen by The Jattvibe reveal renovation work has already begun on the historic lodge, with minor internal and external changes.
