The Gist
Prince William and Kate Middleton were given the opportunity to live at Fort Belvedere, a sprawling castle that belonged to Queen Elizabeth.
They ultimately passed on the property, which experts previously described as having some unfavorable qualities.
The couple currently reside at Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom mansion in Windsor Great Park.
Before Prince William and Kate Middleton settled at Forest Lodge, they had the opportunity to live in a sprawling castle.
As it turns out, the couple could have resided at Fort Belvedere—a historic estate that sits on 59 acres and is located in Windsor Great Park, according to The Mirror. The property, which was constructed in the 1750s for Prince William Augustus, belonged to various monarchs and royal family members, including Queen Victoria, Prince Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, and later Queen Elizabeth. The queen, who died in September 2022, never occupied the home but was believed to have reserved it for Kate and William.
Prince William and Kate Middleton at the DMMI Royal Charity Polo Cup 2026 on July 10.
Credit: Getty
Kate and William ultimately decided against moving into the castle. While their reasoning isn’t immediately clear, Suzanne Roynon, the founder of Interiors Therapy— a holistic process that combines physical decluttering, lifestyle coaching, and Feng Shui to transform a living space—pointed to some potential drawbacks of the property.
An aerial view of Fort Belvedere in Windsor Great Park.
Credit: Getty
“In terms of Feng Shui and Interiors Therapy, the place William and Kate are suggested to be moving to, Fort Belvedere, is a nightmare in terms of negative energy,” Roynon told Express in 2022. They will need a lot of careful Feng Shui to prevent the risky move overwhelming the family.”
Kate and William instead moved into Forest Lodge with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, in the fall of 2025 after calling Adelaide Cottage their home for about three years. While their current residence isn’t considered a castle, it’s still quite lavish. The Georgian mansion features eight bedrooms and is worth $21 million.
Prince William and Kate Middleton with their children Prince Louis, Prince George, and Princess Charlotte during Trooping The Colour 2025.
Credit: Getty
The relocation marked a fresh start for the family following a challenging period, which included Queen Elizabeth’s death, both Kate and King Charles’s cancer diagnoses, and William and Harry’s public rift.
“Adelaide Cottage was a place of pain, suffering, and sadness,” Sally Bedell Smith, a royal biographer behind the Royals Extra Substack, told People last year. “After such rough times, it’s perfectly understandable they would want a new place.”
King Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Harry.
Credit: Getty
Kate announced that her cancer is in remission in January 2025 while Charles is still treating his illness. As for Harry and William, the brothers may be on a path of reconciliation following Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s return to the U.K. in August.
Read the original article on InStyle