Fort Belvedere, an 18th-century property in Windsor, is understood to be under consideration as a potential new home for Princess Kate and Prince William.
Amid speculation of a possible move, GB News has taken a closer look at the history of the royal residence.
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Fort Belvedere: Princess Kate and Prince William’s possible future home with George, Charlotte and Louis
Located in Windsor Great Park, Fort Belvedere is an 18th-century property with a rich royal history.
Originally known as Shrubs Hill Tower, it was constructed in the 1820s and designed by architect Jeffry Wyattville, who also oversaw the transformation of Windsor Castle.
During Queen Victoria’s reign, the property was used as a tea house, and by the 1860s, it had opened to the public.
In 1929, a young King Edward VIII moved in. His father, King George V, was thought to be surprised by his son’s interest in the house but ultimately permitted him to take it.
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Fort Belvedere pictured in 1929 ahead of King Edward VIII’s move
Edward later wrote in his memoirs that at Fort Belvedere, he “created a home at the fort just as my father and grandfather had created one at Sandringham… here I spent some of the happiest days of my life.”
Of the property, he added: “By the time I came upon it, it had become a pseudo-Gothic hodge-podge.
“A profusion of yew trees kept one side of the house in perpetual shadow, staining the wall with green acidulous mould. But the half-buried beauty of the place leaped to my eye.”
Fort Belvedere played a pivotal role in royal history. It was there that Edward began seeing Wallis Simpson, and in December 1936, he signed his abdication papers at the house after choosing to marry her.
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Fort Belvedere is located in Windsor Great Park
PA | Princess Kate and Prince William moved their family to Adelaide Cottage in 2022
Following his departure, the property stood empty for nearly 20 years. In 1955, Gerald Lascelles, grandson of George V and first cousin to Queen Elizabeth II, moved in.
He and his wife put the lease up for sale in 1976. In the early 1980s, the lease was acquired by Canadian billionaire Galen Weston, who moved in with his wife, Hilary.
Though Galen died in 2021, the Weston family still resides there and holds the lease.
Set on 59 acres, Fort Belvedere offers privacy and grandeur, with an outdoor swimming pool and tennis court nestled within its sprawling grounds.
