Princess Kate’s new home in Windsor will be just 10 minutes from the Duchess of Edinburgh, who has been dubbed her royal “best friend”. Prince William and Kate, both 43, will be moving into Forest Lodge with their three children by the end of the year.
The family-of-five currently lives at Adelaide Cottage, also located in Windsor, but the couple are hoping that their new property will be their “forever home”. With their children now aged 12, 10 and seven, the young trio will likely see in their teenage years and beyond at Forest Lodge.
Royal author Sean Smith, whose new book Sophie: Saving the Royal Family has just been released, has told the People’s Channel that Forest Lodge is within easy reach of Duchess Sophie’s residence at Bagshot Park – meaning the pair will be close by for support.
He said: “They remain the best of friends. They have always been two middle-class girls from the country battling their way through the etiquette and traditions of the Royal Family.
“They do not live in each other’s pockets. Kate has three young children to occupy her attention, but the Waleses’ new home, Forest Lodge, is little more than a 10-minute drive from Bagshot Park, so Sophie is near to help and support when she can.”
He then detailed moments through the years that have shown how close Sophie, 60, is to Princess Kate.
Mr Smith said: “We first became properly aware of their friendship when they travelled together down the course at Royal Ascot in June 2017 in an open-topped carriage.
“Sophie was attempting to change places when she fell on top of Kate, reducing both women to a shriek of giggles – it was a truly happy moment.”
He also shared Sophie’s support during the early months after Kate’s cancer diagnosis last year. He said: “She was there to support Kate on the balcony of the Foreign Office in Whitehall in November 2024, a couple of months after the Princess announced she had finished chemotherapy treatment.”
Describing Sophie as a “comforter”, he has said that Sophie was a support for Kate in front of the spotlight – as well as behind-closed-doors.