As a 14-year-old, Kate withdrew from independent girls' school Downe House in Cold Ash, Berkshire, after just two terms when she was reportedly bullied. The schools: This fall, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis will enroll at Lambrook School in Berkshire, a 15-minute drive from their new home of Adelaide Cottage. But for the most part, Adelaide Cottage had sunk back into its backdrop under the shadow of Windsor Castles grey walls. It proved so popular that the young Queen, who died in 1901, buried her beloved King Charles spaniel, Dash, on the grounds. Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend. The cottage had major renovations in 2015, which means the Cambridges would not face a big bill to remodel it. Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine, said: 'Relocating to Adelaide Cottage in the ultra-private Home Park at Windsor takes away the 'goldfish-bowl' aspect of the Cambridge family's life. There is a verandah with bargeboard eaves on the east side. Adelaide Cottage is owned by the Queen, but has been a "grace and favour" property since 1941 - that means, fellow royals or staff members are offered residence there rent-free (not a bad perk,. Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Great Park was once the home of Peter Townsend, Princess Margaret's great love. As a toddler, George went to Westacre Montessori School near the Cambridges' Norfolk home, Anmer Hall, while a young Charlotte went to Willcocks Nursery School, near Kensington Palace, in 2018, followed by Louis in 2021. 'It also means that the cost of security, always a contentious topic, is much lower than if Louis was at a different school to his siblings.'. According to Historic England, the public body which cares for Englands historic buildings and places, Adelaide Cottage is a picturesque two-storey stucco-faced dwelling with casement windows, and elaborate pierced bargeboards edging the roof. A commentator in the 1950s described it as 'pokey and unattractive'. WATCH: Prince William reveals why he didn't like living with Prince Harry. It has been described as chastely elegant and has a delightful shade at all hours of the day that will be enjoyed by the Cambridges children. Despite its somewhat understated charm, the Adelaide Cottage was witness to a riotous Royal scandal back in the 1940s-50s, when it was home to Peter and Rosemary Townsend. Princess Margaret played with the children on the lawn and Peter Townsend, off duty, sat back in a deckchair, a 1950 newspaper report explained. There is a verandah with bargeboard eaves on the east side. The affair, however, would be doomed by the Royal Marriages Act which stated no member of the Royal Family was permitted to marry a divorcee while the ex-partner was still living. The move is in keeping of with the desires of Prince William's late mother, Princess Diana, who is said to have strived for a 'normal life' for him and his brother, despite their royal status. Yet in the summer, he recalls, it was delightful. He lived there until 1952. All the Details An Adelaide Cottage, Prince William and Kate - Yahoo Adelaide Cottage was modernised in 2015 but retained a golden dolphin and ceiling rope decorations that were recycled from a 19th Century royal yacht. Adelaide Cottage became the first proper marital home for Townsend and his wife after three years of wartime marriage though back then it was far from a glamorous proposition. Since then the cottage has been home to a host of well-connected dignitaries and courtiers, including most recently Simon Rhodes, son of the Queens cousin and best friend Margaret Rhodes, who died in 2016. Adelaide Cottage was built in 1831 for Queen Adelaide near to Windsor Castle. A royal spokesman said at the time: 'This is the duke and duchess's one and only official residence. One of the first occupants of Adelaide? And by that I mean. When Townsends second son was born, King George VI was named the boys godfather and the christening tea, with two princesses in attendance, was held at Adelaide. Prince William and Kate will move with their three children George, Charlotte and Louis to AdelaideCottage in Windsor and send them to the prestigious 21,000-a-year Lambrook School nearby, it was confirmed today. In 1941, Adelaide Cottage became known as a grace-and-favor homea term used to describe houses owned by the queen that she lends out to royal family members or staff. A year later, Margaret and Townsends romance became common knowledge after a small slip-up during the Queens Coronation. View our online Press Pack. Kensington Palace confirmed today that the royal couple and their three children are relocating to Windsor, England. The renovations, said to come to 1.5 million, were paid for mostly from the royal family's private funds. Years later the princess, who was 13 at the time of his appointment, would admit: When he first appeared, I had a terrific crush on him.. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The Queen's sister considered marrying a divorced man. Was this request spurred on by an intimacy already established at Adelaide Cottage? The scandalous history of Adelaide Cottage on Windsor Castle Estate The comments below have not been moderated. A royal source said the duke and duchess were very conscious of how their move stands in contrast to the cost-of-living crisis impacting the nation. 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It was a three-month State tour of South Africa, from February 1947 on which the two princesses accompanied the King and Queen that pitched Townsend, 32, and Margaret, then nearly 17, into near-constant company. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. It means William and Kate will be spending in excess of 50,000 a year on their children's private education. Adelaide Cottage was most recently home to Simon Rhodes, the son of the Queen's cousin and friend Margaret Rhodes. It was a generous gesture for which I felt deeply grateful, despite the limited amenities of the House.. A spokesman for the couple said today: 'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have today announced that Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis will attend Lambrook School in Berkshire from September 2022. Prince William and Kate . Thats when I really fell in love with him.. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. The property was rebuilt more than 190 years ago as a cottage orne, or decorated cottage, for Queen Adelaide, the wife of William IV, to be used as a summer retreat. Adelaide Cottage sits in Windsor's Home Park, the private 655-acre royal park administered by the Crown Estate. The bill amounts to 53,508's worth of fees in 2021-2022, not factoring in any potential sibling discount if available, fee increases or the cost of uniform or trips. The Cambridges will use the pretty 19th century Adelaide Cottage as their base after the Queen gave them permission to lease the four-bedroom Grade II listed cottage, which belongs to the Crown Estate. Battle of Britain pilot Townsend had a toddler son, Giles, and another on the way when he was made the King's equerry in February 1944. The bolt-hole, which had a swimming pool and a tennis court, was given a 500,000 new roof, as well as a garden room, re-landscaped front driveway and new nursery for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. (Wikimedia Commons) During Queen Victoria's reign, it became an idyllic, upscale guesthouse, holding a similar reputation to Frogmore Cottage. Other benefits include neighbouring Windsor Great Park, which spans more than 5,000 acres, with its Long Walk leading up to Windsor Castle, deer park and woodland trails in the Valley Gardens. The Daily Mail covered news of Princess Margaret's affair with Townsend in detail and also mentioned how they became close during the 1947 tour of South Africa. Although it seemingly fell out of favour with the queen after the death of her husband in 1837, it remained a popular destination for breakfast or tea with his successor, the young Queen Victoria. Jonathan Perry, headmaster at Lambrook School, said he looked forward to the Cambridge children starting. Princess Margaret never came to Adelaide Cottage unless she was accompanied by Princess Elizabeth or the Queen. Royal commentator and former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt added: 'A fourth home for the Cambridges is a reminder the royals don't suffer from the cost-of-living crisis and a looming recession in the same way as the rest of us. Quite when the spark was lit is unknown. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Games clothes are handed in at the start of term and remain there to be laundered by staff, before being sent home at the end of term. The dark side of Adelaide Cottage, the estate where Prince William and The south entrance is flanked by paired diagonally set chimneys with stepped bases, and the house has a porte-cochere, a canopied entrance to provide shelter. The principal bedroom has a coved ceiling decorated with gilded dolphins and rope ornament reused from the 19th century royal yacht Royal George, and a good marble Graeco-Egyptian fireplace. Adelaide Cottage - the Cambridges' new home The Crown Chronicles He went on to have a difficult time at secondary school as a teenager. In the Channel 5 documentary Scandals At The Palace, former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter said: An eagle-eyed reporter saw Margaret brush a bit of fluff off Group Captain Peter Townsends RAF tunic and royals dont brush fluff off the hired helps tunic.. Back when it was built in 1831 by King William IV for his wife Queen Adelaide, the cottage was a day retreat for the royal couple. It was built for Queen Adelaide in 1831 and is nestled a ten-minute walk from Windsor Castle in the private Home Park. Dr Gailey's role earned him an invite to the royal wedding in 2011 and the title of Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO), an honour in the Queen's gift. Other benefits include neighbouring Windsor Great Park, which spans more than 5,000 acres, with its Long Walk leading up to Windsor Castle, deer park and woodland trails in the Valley Gardens. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will have drawn on their own experiences of education when choosing Lambrook as the next school for their three children. The secluded red brick Georgian mansion sits on the monarch's vast, private Sandringham estate in Norfolk and is a short drive from Sandringham House. According to a source, the Queen offered the Grade-II listed property to Harry and Meghan as a gift shortly after they married. Charles did admit, however, that the school instilled him with self-discipline and a sense of responsibility. The telephone rang and it was someone saying Would Peter go riding with Princess Margaret? He was not on duty and he went, they claimed. All rights reserved. Princess Elizabeth liked to chat with Rosemary, while Princess Margaret played with the children on the lawn and Peter Townsend, off duty, sat back in a deckchair. Peter Townsendthe one-time great love of Princess Margaret, who caused a scandal when his relationship with the princess was revealed. One royal source said Prince Andrew "had been trying to secure Adelaide Cottage for a while for when she moves out of Frogmore" and "before Andrew's most recent scandal, it was definitely . Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. It is the first time a future king and spares to the heir have been signed up for the private day and weekly boarding school near Ascot in Berkshire, which prides itself on its academic success teamed with an outdoor lifestyle. But it is now widely believed it began years earlier, during that time when the two sisters were occasional visitors to Adelaide Cottage a time when, significantly, Townsend was never far from the Royal Family in his work for the King.