Prince William and Kate Middleton's family home has a scandalous history
William and Kate moved in during 2022, but reports suggest the family will leave later this year for Forest Lodge
Adelaide Cottage, the current Windsor residence of Prince William, Kate Middleton, and their three children, carries a scandalous history that once rocked the royal family.
Nestled near Windsor Castle, the cottage was originally built in 1831 for Queen Adelaide, the wife of King William IV.
But its most infamous chapter came after World War II, when it became the home of RAF pilot Group Captain Peter Townsend, best known for his ill-fated romance with Princess Margaret.
Townsend, a divorced man 16 years Margaret’s senior, began a love affair with the Queen’s younger sister while living at Adelaide Cottage.
Their relationship caused a major royal scandal in the early 1950s. Although the couple secretly became engaged in 1953, the marriage was forbidden under the Royal Marriages Act 1772.
By 1955, Princess Margaret heartbreakingly ended the romance, citing her duty to the Crown and the Church’s stance against remarriage after divorce.
The cottage has remained a quiet but symbolic property ever since.
William and Kate moved in during 2022, but reports suggest the family will leave later this year for Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park, described by insiders as their “forever home.”
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