‘Grim actuality’ of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s transfer with neighbours ‘in tears’
The Wales family recently relocated to Forest Lodge in Windsor but their move has caused outrage as two families were evicted and a ring of steel erected around a nearby park
When the Prince and Princess of Wales moved into their “forever home,” the only neighbour they were probably wary of is William’s disgraced uncle Andrew. But that wasn’t their only headache as the couple’s move to Forest Lodge caused a stir locally in Windsor.
William and Kate brought their big move forward to last month, even hosting a thank you party for staff who worked around the clock to get the £16 million mansion ready in time.
But for some locals who have enjoyed the vast grounds of Great Windsor Park for years, the new ‘ring of steel’ around the couple’s lavish abode has made them feel unwelcome on their own turf.
Neighbouring homeowners say they were shocked when they woke up to the upsetting news that they could no longer access vast swathes of oak-studded open fields near the Royal couple’s new home.
They say that around 150 acres of previously publicly accessible land has been closed off to accommodate the couple and their three children, whose safety is of priority concern.
The Home Office has also imposed a 2.3 mile personal exclusion area around the eight-bedroom property. And it’s understood that anyone who is caught trespassing in the protected area will be arrested.
Tina, who lives on the opposite side of Forest Lodge, says local dog walkers like herself have been left bereft over the new ban zone, which affects the Cranbourne Gate entrance of the park.
She has walked that same route for 15 years and says those who were initially more optimistic about Kate and Wills’ big move didn’t realise that the park – and Forest Lodge – are not actually owned by the Royal Family.
She told the Mirror: “After it had been announced that William was moving there, I spoke to various people I bumped into and we speculated about the closure of the fields and footpaths and the general view was ‘I really hope not’. But some were sanguine about it because they wrongly assumed that the Royal Family own the park.”
Tina received an email from the Crown Estate to notify her of the controversial closure, just three days before it was imposed. “
The park management announced: “Due to the pending designation of part of the Great Park as a SOCPA Serious Organised Crime and Police Act exclusion area, access via Cranbourne Gate will permanently cease on Monday 29 September 2025. As a result, Cranbourne car park will be permanently closed from 7pm on Sunday 28 September 2025.”
She said: “There were months of works around Forest Lodge [before the move], big trenches were dug so clearly a lot of infrastructure went in. They planted a new hedge and installed a new fence behind the back garden of the house.
“And then the new stock fence went up around the fields between Cranbourne and Rangers Gate. The drive was resurfaced. Finally, the cameras appeared.”
Tina also warns that while the exclusion zone has been widely portrayed as only being the small two-mile radius, the reality is that thousands of acres have been lost to the public.
She said: “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.
“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.
“I also met a couple of people who had keys to the forest, which is the other side of Forest Lodge. And they were desperately upset, it’s like their back garden. You got a key to the forest you lived within walking distance, around half a mile.
“So it’s not as many people who have been affected there, but the affect on them, of course, is absolutely massive. You’ve got a dog and you’ve got hundreds of acres of woods that you’ve been allowed to use for years, and now you can’t.”
And it’s not just walking routes that have been affected by the new security measures. A children’s environmental educational centre within the new exclusion zone has also closed down, and it’s been reported that two families who lived in cottages nearby the Waleses’ new home have been evicted.
A spokesperson for The Crown Estate said: “A security boundary has been introduced by the Home Office and Thames Valley Police in a small area of Windsor Great Park to support enhanced protective measures.
“This does not affect the vast majority of public access to the Park and efforts have been made to reduce the impact on users of the park as far as possible. We are working closely with the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust BBOWT to identify potential alternative sites for the Environmental Centre.”
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