Kate and William’s new home forces Christmas tree shoppers into MILE detour

Christmas tree shoppers say they are being forced to take a mile-long detour as Prince William and Princess Kate move into their new home, the Forest Lodge at Windsor

Festive shoppers picking up a Christmas tree have complained that a detour put in place around Prince William and Princess Kate’s new home is forcing them to make a mile-long detour.

Local access routes have been limited to prevent people from driving directly in front of the royal eight-bedroom home at Forest Lodge in Windsor, where the Prince and Princess of Wales began moving in with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis last month.

It means drivers heading to the yearly Christmas Tree Shop at Windsor Great Park now face being sent around a new circular route – making them travel more than an extra mile in total.

One local told the Daily Mail: “A car was parked and running both days with what looked like two plain-clothes officers inside to prevent anyone going into the lodge’s grounds. The shop is right next door, so it is not surprising the Waleses are keeping an extra eye out in case anyone is tempted to take a peek.”

Another claimed it had resulted in some tricky situations on the road, telling the newspaper: “I have already seen a few near misses where people have driven the wrong side of the cones.”

Kensington Palace has been approached for comment.

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The Prince and Princess of Wales began moving in to the Forest Lodge in Windsor last month(Image: Getty Images)

Prince William and Kate’s new residence was described as their “forever home” when they moved to Forest Lodge.

The pair previously lived in Adelaide Cottage in Windsor’s Home Park before switching to the Grade II-listed eight bedroom mansion. The move happened over Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis’ half term with the family previously setting themselves the goal of moving in by Bonfire Night.

The move means the Wales family are temporarily closer to William’s disgraced uncle, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, who is still in his Windsor Great Park property Royal Lodge – albeit about 1.4 miles away as the crow flies from William and Kate.

However Andrew has agreed to quit Royal Lodge for a new home on the King’s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk in the New Year, after being stripped by Charles of his prince and Duke of York titles amid the long-running Epstein scandal. The prince and princess were said to have fully supported the King’s leadership on the matter.

William is always understood to have wanted to take decisive action over his uncle. Andrew was accused by the late Virginia Giuffre of sexually assaulting her as a teenager, after she was