Flavia Schlittler assesses the situation Trouble with the royals - Kate and William chase neighbors away
What is supposed to be a new beginning for Prince William and Princess Kate is causing frustration among many residents: extensive parking areas around their new residence "Forest Lodge" near Windsor have been closed off. Royal expert Flavia Schlittler assesses the situation.
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- The move of Prince William and Princess Kate to "Forest Lodge" near Windsor is causing growing criticism from local residents due to extensive security zones in Great Windsor Park.
- Two families have had to leave their homes in the grounds and footpaths have been closed - which is seen as an unreasonable restriction despite the enormous park area.
- Royal expert Flavia Schlittler defends the move with the desire for privacy and a new start for the family, but also points to envy and resentment in the debate.
Prince William and Princess Kate's move to their new residence "Forest Lodge" near Windsor is causing a lot of trouble. According to sources, they have been living in the new Forest Lodge estate since November. What is considered the "Forever Home" of the Welsh family has become a symbol of royal recklessness for many neighbors.
The reason: extensive security measures that make large parts of the popular Great Windsor Park inaccessible to residents.
The criticism is now getting louder - and more personal. In the British newspaper "The Mirror", one of those affected spoke out in no uncertain terms. The woman, known only as Tina in the article, describes how she and other residents were literally locked out. She has been walking the same route with her dog every day for 15 years - but since the royals moved in, that is no longer the case.
"Some people thought the royals were allowed to do this because they own the park. But that's not true," says Tina. "They don't own the park - and yet our paths were closed off."
More space and more privacy was the aim
As the Royal expert at Blick, Flavia Schlittler, explains, the criticism is not entirely justified for various reasons. On the one hand, it must be clearly seen that the royals did not encroach so much on the privacy of the surrounding neighbors. And secondly, that the source complaining is perhaps now firing against the royals out of jealousy or other reasons.
Schlittler knows the reasons why the family moved. The aim: "Prince William wanted a larger property to give his family more space and privacy." He also said that he wanted a place where he could also reside as heir to the throne.
"However, it is believed that he would still move into a palace when he becomes king," says Schlittler. He continues: "The move is an important new beginning for the royals after Princess Kate's cancer diagnosis in March 2024."
Two families had to leave
The royal new start has consequences - two families had to leave. "Two families have been evicted. However, they have been offered a new home. They said anonymously that they would not have moved voluntarily. But they were allowed to stay in the park," says Schlittler.
The restriction on the huge site - as described in "The Mirror" - is also a source of criticism. The royal expert explains: "Kate and William had their property cordoned off over a wide area. This annoyed the dog owner because she now has to take a different route with her dog, but the park is so big that it shouldn't really restrict her."
The dimensions of the area are enormous. "The whole area is the size of about 3,000 football pitches. Kate and William have had an area of around 100 football pitches blocked off." Nevertheless, Schlittler understands certain criticisms. For example: "Anyone who gets too close to them in private runs the risk of being arrested".
"It's about the proximity to the palace"
The question of ownership is also controversial. "The Forest Lodge estate doesn't belong to the family at all, but to the Crown Estate. This is an independent organization. The criticism: it is not the property of the royals, yet they have cordoned off the area." The public perceives this as the family claiming privileges to which they are not entitled. What Schlittler draws from the accusations and criticism: "There is a lot of envy and resentment involved."
The expert herself takes a clear stance: "I'm totally team Kate and William." In her view, there are understandable reasons for the move. "It's about the proximity to the palace and also the children's journey to school." In addition, the family is extremely controlled and leaves nothing to chance. "They have certainly had everything clarified well in advance in terms of the restrictions for others," says Schlittler.
