The family have settled into Grade-II listed Forest Lodge
Prince William has shared a sneak peek into his and Princess Kate’s “forever home” as he reveals his wife’s interior design work on their newly renovated property.
The Prince and Princess of Wales upgraded from Adelaide Cottage with their three children, as the family settles into the Grade-II listed Forest Lodge in Berkshire.
The eight-bedroom mansion in Windsor Great Park is around double the size of their former home, giving Kate free rein to embark on a new project.
William shared a small glimpse of his wife’s designs in a video telling young people about the importance of reflecting on Armistice Day.
Prince William shared a small glimpse inside Forest Lodge | GETTY / INSTAGRAM / PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES
The father-of-three had a backdrop of two large paintings, a tall door with gold outlining and crimson curtains.
Interior design expert Benji Lewis said the couple have made a “tastefully discreet vibe”, handy for their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Mr Lewis told the Daily Mail: “We’re definitely going English, elegant grand country house in the interior style here, the rooms are likely breezy and spacious, and the ceilings lofty and high with beautiful tall windows, which afford an abundance of natural light to flood into the spaces.
“The Perspex plates on the doors serve the brilliant purpose of preventing grubby fingers from marking the immaculate paintwork.”
The expert described the designs as ‘elegant’ and ‘grand’| INSTAGRAM / PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES
He continued: “They’ve cleverly struck a tasteful balance between calm and slightly contemporary by blending neutral tones like ivory and taupe.”
It is understood that Kate has dressed up her new eight-bedroom home with opulent decor from Marina Mill, a company specialising in hand-designed and screen-printed fabrics, which cost north of £100 a metre.
The Princess of Wales visited the mill in September, with it previously supplying dozens of royal homes, including Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.
Kate has been seen picking out a 24-seater dining table from a warehouse renowned for its antiques.
A hallway inside Forest Lodge in 2001, Kate and William’s new home| PA
Her purchases follow her signature “contemporary classic” look, which has been seen at previous residences, being described as “lovely”.
Mr Lewis noted: “I think she does a lot of the scheming of things herself.
“That’s not to say that she might not seek advice for eventually pulling things together, but I should imagine she enjoys doing as much of the legwork insofar as researching fabrics is concerned herself, likely as a distraction from her busy life.”
Prince Harry’s book, Spare, commented on the couple’s apartment in Kensington Palace, describing it as “magnificent” and said it made him and Meghan Markle feel “embarrassed” about their property.
A major £1.5million restoration took place in 2001 in Forest Lodge| PA
It read: “The wallpaper, the ceiling trim, the walnut bookshelves filled with volumes of peaceful colours, priceless works of art. Magnificent. Like a museum.
“We congratulated them on the renovation without holding back the compliments while feeling embarrassed of our Ikea lamps and the second-hand sofa we’d recently bought on sale with Meg’s credit card on sofa.com.”
Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace was the Waleses’ main London home up until the summer of 2022, which boasts 20 rooms.
The property was refurbished with £4.5million of taxpayers’ money in 2016, although the couple ended up paying the bill.
