Since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles’ ascension to the throne, The Prince and Princess of Wales, along with their children, have experienced numerous changes. A major transition was their move from London life to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor Estate, taking Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis with them.
The family previously resided in Kensington Palace’s Apartment 1A but opted for the move to grant their children more space while they are growing up. The notion that the West London palace is confining for young royals isn’t novel; it was the very place where Queen Elizabeth famously faced severe limitations during the first 18 years of her life.
Now settled in Adelaide Cottage, tucked within the Crown Estate’s expansive 655-acre Royal park, the Wales family enjoys far more privacy than at Kensington Palace. Royal biographer and Majesty Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Ingrid Seward, highlighted another benefit of the move.
Ingrid remarked: “Kensington Palace is a glorious prison for kids – they want to be able to play football without being watched from behind the gates.
Speaking to The Sun before the relocation, the royal watcher added: “I think Windsor will be perfect for them, as they will have lots of freedom and they can all be at school together.”
Kensington Palace, once the residence of Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry, has been scrutinised in the past for not being an ideal home for children. Queen Victoria, one of the palace’s most renowned occupants, was subjected to a myriad of restrictions before her ascension to the throne in 1837, reports the Mirror.
These rules, known as ‘the Kensington System’, were enforced by her mother’s stern Comptroller, Sir John Conroy. The system prohibited the young princess from reading popular literature, spending time alone without her tutor or governesses, or descending stairs unaccompanied by an adult.
The aim of these constraints was to render Princess Victoria weak and reliant on her mother and Conroy, thereby reducing the likelihood of her siding with her European relatives and the House of Hanover.
However, their efforts proved futile as Victoria declined to sign a regency order and ascended to the throne just shy of her 18th birthday.
