Kate and William leave people ‘in tears’ with ‘selfish’ move at new home

Prince William and Princess Kate’s move to their “forever home” of Forest Lodge has sparked controversy after around 150 acres of Windsor Great Park was closed to the public, with upset locals losing access to beloved walking routes

View Image

The pair are thought to be hoping to stay in Forest Lodge even when William takes the throne(Image: Getty Images)

A Windsor resident has labelled Prince William and Princess Kate as ‘selfish’ for their move to Forest Lodge, arguing that the real impact on the public is far more damaging and extensive than most people comprehend.

Following several tumultuous years marked by two cancer diagnoses, the Queen’s passing, and family scandals, William and Kate embarked on a new chapter last month by settling into their “forever home” at Forest Lodge. This £16 million mansion, tucked away in the expansive grounds of Great Windsor Park, aligns with William’s commitment to safeguard his family’s privacy in the wake of his mother, Princess Diana’s death.

“If you let that creep in, the damage it can do to your family life is something that I vowed would never happen to my family,” he declared.

However, the significant relocation has already been marred by controversy, with disgruntled locals claiming they were abruptly informed in September that they could no longer access large portions of the oak-dotted open fields. They argue that approximately 150 acres of previously publicly accessible land have been cordoned off to accommodate the Waleses and their three children, citing their safety and security as the paramount concern.

Prior to the announcement, dog walkers observed miles of fencing being installed, “no public entry” signs being put up and a significant police presence. The addition of CCTV cameras, dug-out trenches and new hedging has greatly altered the atmosphere of the cherished park, reports the Mirror.

The Royal couple has also established a 2.3 mile personal exclusion zone around Forest Lodge, and it’s understood that anyone found trespassing in the “Serious Organised Crime and Police Act exclusion area” will be arrested.

For Tina, who resides on the opposite side of Forest Lodge, this is a massive setback. She cautions that while the exclusion zone has been largely portrayed as only being the small two-mile radius, the reality is that thousands of acres have been lost to the public.

Sadly, the enchantment of the park she has been frequenting for 15 years is slowly being extinguished.

“Anyone can buy a pass to the Windsor Great Park car parks and walk in the public areas. So, by closing Cranbourne Gate car park and an area of land behind the Forest Lodge about three times the size of St James’ Park, thousands of people from miles around have been affected,” she tells the Mirror.

Tina, who treasured the opportunity to let her lively Golden Cocker Retriever run free across stunning open countryside, is incensed. “More than half of Windsor Great Park is private. The public areas for walking are extremely precious. By closing Cranbourne Gate and the surrounding land, people are being increasingly forced to walk on the other side of the park, which is ridiculously over crowded at the weekends. At Cranbourne, there’s hundreds of acres of open fields studded with oak trees so I could train my dog very easily, whereas the side of the park where I live, It’s all forest.”

The impact extends beyond walking paths alone. A children’s environmental education facility within the newly restricted area has also shut its doors, whilst reports suggest two families residing in cottages near the Waleses’ new residence have been forced to leave.

Regarding the centre’s closure, the Crown Estate has said: “While we are working together to minimise the impact on users of the park as far as possible, we will be pausing our onsite activities while we work closely with the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) to identify potential alternative sites.”

Puzzled by Kate and William’s decision to exclude local residents, Tina remarks: “It’s clearly a selfish act, allowing a huge amount of public land to be closed, expecting other families to be evicted and increasing public costs so they have sufficient security living in an area which didn’t have police protection before, I doubt they gave a second thought to the implications for others.

“Enclosing public land for the benefit of one couple is outrageous. It’s like closing Regents Park in London and saying it doesn’t matter because you can still go to Hyde Park.”

The Prince and Princess of Wales are reportedly financing their relocation privately and will pay market rent on the property. Any renovations carried out on Forest Lodge will not be funded by the Sovereign Grant, which provides state funding for the monarchy.

Tina received an email from the Crown Estate notifying her of the contentious closure just three days before it took effect. “Due to the pending designation of part of the Great Park as a Socpa (Serious Organised Crime and Police Act exclusion area), access via Cranbourne Gate will permanently cease on Monday 29 September 2025. As a result, Cranbourne car park will be permanently closed from 7pm on Sunday 28 September 2025,” park management announced.

Windsor Great Park has stated that parking will still be available at Ranger’s Gate car park, which is “just down the road”. However, for dog walkers like Tina, it’s not quite the same.

This area is primarily designed for horse crossings and requires a lengthy walk to reach an area where dogs can roam freely off-lead. “When I realised we only had a couple of days left of access, I did go over there, and everyone I met was upset,” she shares.

“I ran into a woman there that I recognised, and she said to me that when she got the email, she cried. For people who have walked there for years, it’s so sad.

“I also encountered a few individuals who had keys to the forest, which is on the other side of Forest Lodge. They were absolutely devastated; it’s like their own back garden. If you lived within walking distance, around half a mile, you could get a key to the forest. So, while it’s not as many people affected there, the impact on them is absolutely massive. You’ve got a dog and hundreds of acres of woods that you’ve been allowed to use for years, and now you can’t.”

Tina hasn’t been able to bring herself to return to her beloved walking route since its closure. “Because I’m quite upset, I don’t like to go over there now and see it all fenced off and signed with police, it’ll stick in the core a bit,” she confesses.

The real kicker, she asserts, is the widespread misconception that the park is the property of the Royal Family. In reality, both the park and Forest Lodge are owned by the Crown Estate, a public entity whose profits are funnelled into the Treasury.

As Tina highlights, this means that “they’re supposed to manage the land in the national interest”.

“It’s not the royals’ back garden,” she cautions. “This isn’t a decision made in the national interest for tens of thousands of people to be denied access to public land. Kate and William’s actual back garden has been cordoned off from this land. It’s merely a view from their bedroom window, so they probably won’t even utilise it. I can’t fathom why they thought annexing all that land for themselves was a good idea.As a local with an intimate understanding of the area, Tina is baffled as to why the Waleses didn’t opt for a more private, secluded property. “I don’t see the security benefit for the family, because if they were in one of the private areas, the kids could hop on their bikes and cycle around.

Forest Lodge is right next to the village, where many park employees reside. It’s not at all private there; it’s the busiest part of the park.

So it just doesn’t add up,” she states. “It’s just so sad. I live here because of the park, that’s why I want to live here.

“It’s a huge loss to me and many others. The nature of the park is changing over time.

“They’ve very much commercialised it – over here at the moment, we’ve got the light trail and other things, and they’re just trying to squeeze us all into this one little area, which I don’t think is good for people, dogs or nature. “Just moments before setting off with her dog to search for an alternative walking spot, Tina shared: “I want Kate and William to open up their eyes and realise the consequences of this move, and I hope that when William becomes King and has multiple properties at his disposal, he vacates the house and allows the public to get their land back – It’s not some hard up family who have nowhere else to go.”

The Mirror has contacted Windsor Great Park for a response. Kensington Palace declined to comment, whilst a spokesperson for The Crown Estate explained: “A security boundary has been introduced by the Home Office and Thames Valley Police in a small area of Windsor Great Park to support enhanced protective measures. This does not affect the vast majority of public access to the Park and efforts have been made to reduce the impact on users of the park as far as possible.

“We are working closely with the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) to identify potential alternative sites for the Environmental Centre.”