The BBC’s Nicholas Witchell had some thoughts about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s confirmation (on Monday) that they would be “moving” to Adelaide Cottage, their fourth home. While the Cambridges have been laying the groundwork for the move and leaking to the Mail and other outlets about the move, the confirmation still sent the British media spinning for a way to make the move sound good. The only way? Um, the Sussexes live in a mansion!
The move underlines the strength and importance of the relationship between William and his grandmother. It is a relationship which grows in significance as the Queen relies more and more on Princes Charles and William for their advice on the issues facing the monarchy and the family.
And the choice of Adelaide Cottage sends another message – that the Cambridges are content to live in what, by royal standards, is a modest home.
There will inevitably be comparisons between the four-bedroom cottage chosen by the Cambridges and the very much more expansive, multi-roomed accommodation selected by the Sussexes in California.
The “much more expansive, multi-roomed accommodation selected by the Sussexes in California” is a home Harry and Meghan are paying for themselves. Harry took out a mortgage, and he and Meghan are both working to support themselves and their needs. William and Kate live high on the hog at taxpayers’ expense and they just picked out their fourth home, which is only modest compared to the 10-bedroomed Anmer Hall and the literal PALACE in London. What’s even funnier is that if William had his way, they would have “gotten” a much bigger property anyway. They were looking at Fort Belvedere and Frogmore House (which is a palace) but they were told “no.” Speaking of, the anti-monarchy group Republic has some thoughts:
Campaign group Republic has branded the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s relocation to Adelaide Cottage “disgraceful” amid the cost of living crisis.
William and Kate are moving to the Grade II-listed four-bedroom house on Windsor’s private Home Park to allow their children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – more freedom when they start at Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire next month. The Duke and Duchess will retain their 20-room Kensington Palace apartment as their official working residence, and also have the 10-bedroom Anmer Hall country mansion near Sandringham.
Graham Smith, chief executive of the pressure group that campaigns for an elected head of state, said: “While ordinary households are struggling with their energy bills and facing crippling inflation, why are we giving yet another home to William and Kate? This is disgraceful.”
He added: “All these palatial homes require round-the-clock protection, heating and staffing.”
He said the Crown Estate was “a state-owned property empire that is supposed to make money for the Treasury”.
Use of the property will be a gift from the Queen, who has given permission for William and Kate to lease it from the Crown Estate, with the couple paying market value rent using their own private funds.
“…A gift from the Queen, who has given permission for William and Kate to lease it from the Crown Estate, with the couple paying market value rent using their own private funds.” William is paying for this rental out of the trust his mother left him? They’re paying “market value” to lease it? How long is the “lease”? Because when the Sussexes leased Frogmore Cottage, they were given one of the shortest leases I’ve ever seen. But yes, it’s all disgraceful.
Of course, if we believe that William and Kate are both “moving into Adelaide Cottage,” then the calculation they’re openly making is that they won’t have to stay there for very long. They’ve been greedily eyeing all of the Duchy of Cornwall money and real estate and counting down the days for the Queen’s passing and William’s investiture as the Prince of Wales.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar.
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So now the logic is that William needs a fifth home in sunny California to serve the queen. Makes sense to me!
The reason is makes ZERO sense and the press can’t explain it is because the truth is being withheld. If the truth of the separation was the focus, Kate moving to Adelaide would make sense and Charles’s refusal of other properties also makes sense. I think Kate had a choice KP or Adeliade. She chose Adelaide because it’s closer to her mother and out of London. Kate’s probably POed about what she had to settle for……she wanted something grander.
I am not so sure Kate ever had the option for KP.
I think the BRF learned a lot from Diana and probably thought it best that Kate is far away in the country away from prying eyes and long lenses. They will never allow a RF divorcee to entertain their love interests in such a high profile property, especially in the age of smart phones and endless social media.
Why do they need round the clock heating? That’s incredibly wasteful. Is that what most people with multiple homes /vacation homes do? By staffing do they mean stuff like security and window cleaning and dusting? I’m hoping the only round the cloak staffing is the security. I guess there are also gardeners though
The only thing I can think of is to keep the pipes from freezing in a house that’s fixed up for residency. Normal people shut down plumbing instead of running heat. I wonder if the royal residences have to be kept ready for them at a moment’s notice.
It’s always seemed odd to me that the Sussexes had such a short lease on a property that they were taxed with fixing up — albeit with the opportunity to reflect their own needs and tastes, and paid back the money that the renovations cost. If at some point, they choose not to renew their lease, their investment in the property will have been of little benefit to themselves, and enormous benefit to the property’s actual owner(s).
I was thinking about that the other day. Whose job is it to turn on the taps to trickle overnight when you know it’s going to be below freezing. That’s what this normal person does. Heat or no heat, water lines are under the house & don’t get heated by whatever is heating the house. I had to have a friend come over & do that for me when I worked elsewhere for four months one year. But shut the plumbing down? Didn’t even think of that! Good to know!
Pipes freeze if there is no heating. Things happen in a completely empty home, like a cracked window or pipe burst, that can cause huge damage if not caught. I don’t know if they lay off the staff when they leave for a few months but I doubt it.
The staff issues are not a small thing. At one point it was reported that William “inherited” Philip’s personal staff after he died, so the Cambridges had staff like Williams valet, a footman (to serve them drinks, carry luggage, etc), and at least one driver in addition to existing personal staff (multiple housekeepers who do not work alone but in teams, one person is not keeping KP or Anmer clean on a daily basis, give me a break), gardeners, chefs, nannies, Kate’s stylist, Kate’s hairdresser (who is most likely not full time) in addition to their “professional” staff of private secretaries (junior and senior), press people (junior and senior), security….There is a reason why the Cambridges’ annual staff party at Christmas at London restaurants was covered in the Daily Mail, because it’s huge and they have to rent out entire restaurants.
Now I imagine Kate can borrow the cooking, cleaning and gardening staff from Windsor Castle, and keep her nannies, “personal assistant/stylist” and her “professional” staff as long as she “works.” William will keep his personal staff – there’s no way he’s slimming down, particularly as he’ll be Prince of Wales soon – and they will likely travel around with him, although that’s less ideal from a privacy perspective; it’s what Charles does. Anmer and KP will have to be kept fully staffed in terms of housekeepers, cooks, gardeners and other personal servants (William won’t host shooting parties himself people!). They’ll not be spreading sheets over furniture and turning off the heat anytime soon.
Overall it’s unlikely there will be much “slimming down” for either of them…
Old buildings take a long time to heat up from cold, so you’re better off to not let them get completely cold. Plus, if there are full time staff in residence, they would need heating & hot water?
But mostly it’s mentioned because between last winter and this winter UK energy prices will have at least doubled.
I’d think some of the staff are retained year round, even if the home is only in her a small fraction of the year. You do need a facility manager, security, groundskeeper and a housekeeper, and I am not sure of other roles for all year, regardless of how often you use your home. And If you like some of the staff you probably pay them all year so you don’t lose them to another opportunity.
My house goes damp when there’s no heating on in winter. That damages wooden floors, wooden furniture and staircases, as well as wall paper and curtains, paintings etc.
Mould starts to grow in the air which is a health hazard.
I’m always surprised at how some people switch off the heating and plumbing and leave a house empty over winter. I could never do that in this house. (Northern England).
The Cambridges are the ones who selected which homes were gifted to them. The Sussexes bought their home with their own money.
Private funds are a funny way of saying their allowance from taxpayers.
This. Omg that this gets ignored is just disgusting.
Sickening.
these two inept dumbledorks running around England, claiming all loose ends and leases belong to them. They are in charge of raising three new grifters, piggy backing off tax payers dollars and not giving a shit, only looking like they are smelling it. I am waiting for the hammer to drop. If tax payers can’t afford to heat and eat, the rebellion will be fast and furious.
I said before this a ghoulish move to be settled in Windsor (especially with the kids’ school) so they can move right into the palace when the Queen dies.
Naw, the castle is for the king (Charles). William has to cool his jets for a while still.
I am shocked that BBC stoops so low and played the tabloid game as to compare Adelaide cottage within the protected and secured Windsor Castle grounds to Prince Harry standalone Californian home which he paid himself.
Sadly I am no longer shocked to see it.
Nicholas Witchell is a special breed of sycophant. And his weasel words comparing this new taxpayer funded home to a home paid for by Harry and Meghan directly is just disgusting.
William and Kate have never held any job that would earn them money outside of the taxpayer scam. Anything privately paid for is coming from Charles or possibly the queen. And the inheritance from Diana is likely to have been spent on the Middleton manor upgrades, especially as William will eventually inherit all the private funds currently held by the Queen.
Right? That’s not an inevitable comparison. The more obvious comparison, for these people who do nothing but compare, is Adelaide Cottage with Frogmore Cottage–both cottages on the Windsor Estate.
What astounds me is that every. single. article. about any member of the RF had got to mention Harry, Meghan and their mansion. They simply cannot, willnot, let them go, but allow them to live in their heads 24/7. Poor desperate buggers.
Beating up on Harry is a coping mechanism. Talk about “fragile” egos.
How dare they have “multi-rooms.” I guess Adelaide Cottage is one room!
Great analysis: “they won’t have to stay there for very long.” I think this is what really made Kate all the sudden look happier and relaxed in public after so many months of tension. The deal they made for Adelaide is only a stopgap. They wanted some cheap public goodwill after Kate was told she wasn’t getting a grand Windsor property yet. Once Granny dies, they’ll move into the castle. “That way, the kids don’t have to change schools!”
Shawna, I’ve seen numerous people state on this site that PC has said he is living in Windsor Castle. If so, I doubt POP’nShop will be living there, too. Although, that might be amusing!
I’m not sure where they think they’re going to move once they get Duchy of Cornwall money. Are they going to try to buy out Andrew’s Royal Lodge at that point? I find that less likely to happen then bc Andrew isn’t going to have his mother’s protection anymore so he’s going to cling to all his royal…..assets….as much as possible. Windsor Castle itself? Maybe, but not if Charles is going to be spending significant time there. I mean as Prince of Wales Charles lived in KP, why is it considered so unacceptable for William to do the same?
Just spitballing here, but given the fact that they do whatever they want, could they buy a place closer to Carole and make it their own? A la Highgrove?
I doubt they would but I’d almost enjoy seeing the ridiculous excuses the media and their PR team would invent to justify a FIFTH residence after the nonsense around this move.
@Blujfly, I always figured that Carole and Michael’s home is either the Cambridges future country home or Kate’s divorce pad because William helped facilitate the purchase of the property. For all we know the Cambridges could own that property as well.
@mary, it makes sense that when Wm plunked down the cash for the Buckleberry house he did so only if put in his or Kate’s name. I think they do own it on paper.
Rent money for Adelaide Cottage is probably not even coming out of William’s pocket but being paid by Charles via the Duchy of Cornwall.