The Prince and Princess of Wales are paying a staggering £307,500 per year to rent their new home, Forest Lodge, in Windsor Great Park. Documents registered this week reveal the royal couple are forking out £100,000 more than the previous tenants, Alexander Fitzgibbons and Cristina Stenbeck, who paid £216,000 annually since 2019.
Forest Lodge: A Royal Residence
The eight-bedroom Grade II listed property, built in the 1770s, was originally known as Holly Grove. It became part of the Royal Estate in 1829 when George IV purchased it, and was renamed Forest Lodge in 1937. The couple moved from Adelaide Cottage in October 2025, just 16 minutes away, after signing the lease in July last year. The £307,500 rent covers the main mansion plus two staff cottages within the grounds.
William funds the six-figure rent from his private income after tax from the Duchy of Cornwall estate, a private estate established by Edward III in 1337 to provide income for the heir to the throne. The estate now encompasses 128,922 acres across 19 counties.
Renovations and Security Measures
The royal couple submitted planning permission in June for modest internal and external renovations, including new doors and windows, removal of internal walls, altered ceilings, and new floors. The property was last renovated in 2001 for £1.5 million and valued at £5.5 million, but is now estimated to be worth around £16 million.
Forest Lodge features a red brick cellar, original slate roof, six chimneys, and nine bay windows. It is half the size of the 31-bedroom Royal Lodge, formerly occupied by Prince Andrew until February 2, following the Jeffrey Epstein files fallout. The estate is also near Cumberland Lodge, now housing an educational charity.
Security measures have caused local stir, with parts of Windsor Great Park closed off. Cranbourne Gate and its car park are no longer accessible to the public. Residents within half a mile can apply for a gate key for £110 annually. A 150-acre exclusion zone has been fenced with reclaimed wooden fencing along Prince Consort Drive. Electronic surveillance and intruder countermeasures have been installed, and trespassing is now a criminal offence under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.
