A National Audit Office report published today has disclosed that the Crown Estate invested close to £400,000 refurbishing Forest Lodge ahead of the Prince and Princess of Wales taking up residence last October.
The investigation into residential property arrangements with members of the Royal Family reveals the full extent of works undertaken at the eight-bedroom Georgian mansion in Windsor before Prince William and Princess Kate relocated from their previous home at Adelaide Cottage.
The couple signed a 20-year lease for the property in July 2025, with the Crown Estate covering refurbishment costs in accordance with its responsibilities as landlord.
The move represented a significant upgrade from their former four-bedroom residence, with the family settling into their new home earlier than initially anticipated.
The Wales family are paying £307,200 annually for the short-term lease, which encompasses the Grade II-listed main residence, a 7.4-acre paddock, a barn, and three stable cottages.
This arrangement sidesteps the controversy associated with peppercorn rent deals at other royal properties, such as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's Royal Lodge.
The bulk of the renovation expenditure went towards the principal dwelling and its grounds, with £213,353 allocated to heating, plumbing and structural repairs.
Two of the stable cottages required substantial work, costing £48,575 and £90,626 respectively. The barn also underwent refurbishment.
A National Audit Office report published today has disclosed that the Crown Estate invested close to £400,000 refurbishing Forest Lodge ahead of the Prince and Princess of Wales taking up residence last October
|PA
One cottage remained untouched as its previous occupant did not vacate until January 2026.
The couple funded internal improvements and their relocation costs privately, with rent reviews scheduled every five years.
The report has raised questions about whether the couple have shifted their position on live-in staff.
According to the audit, two of the three stable cottages are occupied by employees, with renovation costs for these properties totalling nearly £140,000.
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William and Catherine moved into Forest Lodge last year
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Beyond the Forest Lodge estate, William and Catherine also hold a separate lease on Staff Lodge 1 within the Windsor grounds.
This two-bedroom terraced property with garden costs £19,800 per year and houses a member of their staff.
The lease for this accommodation began in August 2022 and was most recently renewed in May 2025.
The property may be home to the family's longstanding nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, who has cared for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis since George was an infant.
Despite the apparent provision of staff accommodation, the couple have long maintained they wished to avoid round-the-clock domestic help.
Royal biographer and Majesty Magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Seward previously explained their reasoning: "William and Kate have never wanted live-in staff; I think that's the modern way. Since William was a little boy, he's seen all the staff at the late Queen's homes, and he never wanted that. It's not something Kate grew up with either."
She noted the couple had employed a housekeeper and nanny at Kensington Palace during daytime hours.
"At Windsor, they have all these little cottages around the big house, which is nicer for the staff, too," she observed.
Across the Royal Household's 255 residential properties, 145 are used by employees who contribute 16.7 per cent of their gross pensionable salary towards accommodation costs.