Inside Fort Belvedere, Prince William and Kate Middleton's Rumored—and Very Grand—New Home

Vogue

a day ago

Rumor has it that Prince William and Kate Middleton are on the move.
According to the British tabloids, the Wales family may relocate from Adelaide Cottage, their four-bedroom home in Windsor Great Park to the nearby Fort Belvedere, which is located at the southern end of the vast 4,800-acre Crown Estate.
While the speculation about the Wales family moving house should be taken with a grain of salt (Kensington Palace has not confirmed or commented on the news), it has put the 125-year-old property back on the public's radar.
Fort Belvedere circa 1936.
Fort Belvedere has a fascinating history: it was built in 1750 after the Scottish Rebellion of 1745 as a military lookout; in the 1820s, King George IV decided to turn it into a country home instead. (Although some things couldn't be converted: to this day, Fort Belvedere still has antique cannons positioned on its grounds.) Its strategic location on a pine tree-covered hill also makes for an idyllic setting: it boasts vast views of the bucolic English countryside. During Queen Victoria's reign, the royal family often rode out to Fort Belvedere from Windsor Castle to enjoy tea service.
Over a century later in 1930, news broke that Fort Belvedere was about to receive a very famous—and now infamous—tenant: Edward, the Prince of Wales.
Not yet married to Wallis Simpson, Edward took great care in cultivating his country seat. 'In laying out his estate at Fort Belvedere, the Prince of Wales has made the most beautiful situation. He has taken he great personal interest in the color scheme of the gardens, designed by Mrs. Harry Lindsay,' read a 1933 story in The Illustrated London News. They also (excitedly) noted that the property had a swimming pool and a tennis court. The Times of London, meanwhile, described a dining room painted a pale green and with landscape murals inspired by Turner's watercolor of Harewood.