Prince William and Kate Middleton are reportedly drawing up plans to renovate their family home to get a bit more space for when their children grow up as it currently only ‘just about fits the entire family,’ an insider has claimed.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are reportedly wishing for a little more room to move around their Windsor home of Adelaide Cottage and are drawing up plans to renovate their space.
A source close to the family revealed to OK! Magazine that the couple are currently considering extending their home, using an existing redbrick annexe that sits just next to their cottage, giving Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, some more space to grow into.
The couple want to renovate rather than move, the source says, because the home offers them close proximity to Lambrook School, where all three children are currently enrolled, as well as to Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton who have become indispensable to the family during Kate's cancer recovery, with Carole going the golden mile with her grandparenting duties.
"They absolutely adore Adelaide Cottage, but it just about fits the entire family, whereas Anmer Hall [their Norfolk holiday home] is much larger with extensive grounds,” the source said of the family's plans. “Adelaide Cottage is being used as a term time property while the children are at school nearby and Anmer Hall is for long weekends and holidays."
Still, it's going to take a long time. While you may think that any royal property would be in tiptop shape, the source says this annex needs quite a lot of work done to it before it can even resemble a home.
“Nobody knows that there is quite a spacious red-brick annexe building that’s not being used next door to Adelaide Cottage. It’s currently inhabitable and needs extensive renovation works if it were to be used," they said. "Discussions have been ongoing for a while about using the property as part of the overall cottage grounds, but it’s just about finding the right time to kick the project off.”
Prince William especially has some reservations about the project, the source adds, because of the possible costs involved. They said he is "conscious of public scrutiny" about royal spending habits and is keen to make sure that all costs are reasonable and come out of his own pocket, not the tax payers.
The couple aren't the only royals preparing to make some serious changes to their living space. King Charles III has just submitted a planning proposal to build a solar farm on the Sandringham estate, made up of 2,000 solar panels that will supply energy to both Sandringham House, the visitor centre, and the Sawmill. The energy plan comes as no surprise as the king has long been an advocate for sustainability as well as being frugal - though there are some more attainable family-friendly tips to cut your gas and electric use if you don't have a spare 2,000 acres to build your own solar farm at home.
In other royal news, Prince William treated Prince George to the ultimate father/son bonding night - and everyone is saying the same thing about the youngster, while an expert has revealed that while Prince George, Charlotte and Louis may be royal, their favourite meals prove they’re just like any other kids. And the unexpected way King Charles made sure his son Prince William met Kate Middleton - and he could never have guessed how important the ‘fatherly’ advice would be.
