But within days, the family had to endure the sadness of losing William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. And then, in early 2024, soon after they had settled into new roles as Prince and Princess of Wales, it emerged that first King Charles, 76, and then Kate were diagnosed with cancer.

But soon after the family started to unpack, things changed again. Queen Elizabeth died, just as Kate Middleton and Prince William landed in the dwelling. “It was not exactly the settling-in period they had hoped for,” a source said of that period in the Waleses’ lives.

Prince William and Kate Middleton's move to Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park reportedly prompted two nearby families to relocate from their cottages for security reasons.