Prince William and Kate Middleton have settled into their new Windsor home, Forest Lodge, but the move has sparked controversy with locals upset over losing access to 150 acres of public parkland
Emma Mackenzie Features Writer
21:57, 31 Jan 2026Updated 22:31, 31 Jan 2026
Prince William(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Prince William and Princess Kate have been spending recent months adjusting to life in their “forever home”, though not all residents are delighted about their new Royal neighbours. Forest Lodge sits close to the Wales family’s previous residence, Adelaide Cottage, but represents a considerable upgrade in terms of property.
The grand estate provides the young family with significantly more room than their “modest” four-bedroom previous dwelling, however its position beyond the established security boundary of Windsor Great Park’s protected Royal residences has necessitated cordoning off extensive sections of surrounding countryside. This has affected certain spots popular with dog walkers, who haven’t been particularly pleased with the dramatic alterations to their usual routes.
Less-than-enthusiastic neighbours aren’t the sole complication that has accompanied the substantial relocation for William, Kate and their three offspring: Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven. The future monarch has also allegedly been prohibited from pursuing one of his cherished pastimes following the transition.
Windsor Great Park prohibits e-scooters or other motorised vehicles within its boundaries, which is sure to disappoint William, who has been spotted scooting enthusiastically around Windsor Castle itself. “For reasons of safety and traffic management, we do not allow motorised transport within the Park. Aside from cyclists, the roads are reserved for residents and Estate workers,” the Park’s website states, “Examples include: E-scooters, Hoverboards, One-wheels.”
William’s previous residence within the Windsor Castle estate itself did allow e-scooter use, so it appears that for the time being the Prince of Wales will need to depend on his own two feet to get around the area directly surrounding Forest Lodge. The public first became aware of William’s favoured method of getting about the Royal estate in 2024, when he was seen zipping over to the castle, reports the Mirror.
Last year, during his appearance on Apple TV’s ‘The Reluctant Traveller’, he revealed his passion for scootering. The presenter, Schitt’s Creek star Eugene Levy, was quite taken aback when the future King arrived to meet him on an e-scooter.
Kate and William recently made the move to Forest Lodge(Image: Getty Images)
Prince William, Prince of Wales, rides on a lighweight mobility scooter(Image: Getty Images)
“This is not what I was expecting,” the Canadian actor remarked. “This is your mode of transportation?” To which William responded, “It is round here. It gets around quite nicely around here.”
The heir to the throne went on, “We live just outside the castle, but my father spends a lot of time here. We use the castle for work and meetings. And I’m always late, so I thought this was the way to keep my meetings on time.”
Palace insiders revealed to the Sun that whilst William has enjoyed using his electric scooter, he’s prepared to follow the regulations of the 4800-acre estate he now calls home. William “used to love his e-scooter” the insider revealed, but he’s willing to abandon it “to adhere to the rules”.
Whilst William may be sacrificing his e-scooter to blend in at his new residence, some locals remain displeased that the Wales family have relocated to the neighbourhood. Last September, before the family settled into the €18.4m (£16 million) property, residents were stunned when 150 acres surrounding the Lodge were sealed off.
Even before the couple’s relocation to Forest Lodge was officially confirmed, local dog walkers witnessed miles of barriers suddenly appearing. This was coupled with an immediate police deployment, fresh CCTV installations, new hedgerows, and “no public entry signs”.
Combined with excavated ditches, locals felt the character of the historic parkland featuring open meadows and ancient oak trees had transformed virtually overnight. Within 2.3 miles surrounding the residence, an exclusion zone has been established, meaning anybody who ventures inside will be treated as a trespasser under the “Serious Organised Crime and Police Act exclusion area” and face arrest.
Such precautions are naturally implemented due to numerous security concerns facing the Royal Family, and have been judged essential to protect the Wales family and maintain their privacy. Whilst some residents may appreciate why such restrictions must be enforced, this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re pleased about them.
Eugene Levy travels to London to meet William, The Prince of Wales, for a personal tour of Windsor Castle.
Forest Lodge, formerly known as Holly Grove, Windsor Great Park.
Tina, who lives across from Kate and William’s permanent residence, explained to the Mirror: “Anyone can buy a pass to the Windsor Great Park car parks and walk in the public areas.
“So, by closing Cranbourne Gate car park and an area of land behind the Forest Lodge about three times the size of St James’ Park, thousands of people from miles around have been affected,” she stated.
Tina explained that moving forward, it will prove considerably more difficult to let her cherished pet – a Golden Cocker Retriever – run freely, now that her dog walking routes have been severely restricted. “More than half of Windsor Great Park is private. The public areas for walking are extremely precious.
“By closing Cranbourne Gate and the surrounding land, people are being increasingly forced to walk on the other side of the park, which is ridiculously over crowded at the weekends. At Cranbourne, there’s hundreds of acres of open fields studded with oak trees so I could train my dog very easily, whereas the side of the park where I live, It’s all forest.”
Tina went on: “It’s clearly a selfish act, allowing a huge amount of public land to be closed, expecting other families to be evicted and increasing public costs so they have sufficient security living in an area which didn’t have police protection before, I doubt they gave a second thought to the implications for others. Enclosing public land for the benefit of one couple is outrageous.”
“It’s like closing Regents Park in London and saying it doesn’t matter because you can still go to Hyde Park.” Tina is far from the only resident who feels “upset” by the significant change, revealing that “When I realised we only had a couple of days left of access, I did go over there, and everyone I met was upset.
“I ran into a woman there that I recognised, and she said to me that when she got the email, she cried. For people who have walked there for years, it’s so sad.”
Additionally, two families have been removed from neighbouring cottages to facilitate Kate and William’s relocation and ensure their privacy remains protected, but the disruption doesn’t end there. A children’s environmental education centre situated within the newly restricted area has also shut its doors.
The closure is likely to disappoint William, who champions environmental causes. Addressing the centre’s closure, The Crown Estate stated, “While we are working together to minimise the impact on users of the park as far as possible, we will be pausing our onsite activities while we work closely with the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) to identify potential alternative sites.
“William and Kate are reportedly paying market rent for the prestigious property, whilst personally funding all refurbishment expenses rather than relying on the Sovereign Grant. Despite this, numerous locals remain dissatisfied, viewing the situation as a “huge loss” the Canadian actor said.
“It’s not the royals’ garden back garden,” Tina explains. “This is not a decision in the national interest for tens of thousands of people to lose access to public land.
“Kate and William’s actual back garden has been fenced off from this land. It’s just a view from their bedroom window, so they likely won’t even use it.
“I don’t understand why they would have thought it was a good idea to annex all that land for themselves. “However, opinion remains divided amongst locals, with another resident commenting, “We love the royals and William and Kate and it’s so exciting they are moving to Forest Lodge.
“It’s clear this car park closure has not come from them, but is down to security concerns.”
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