Adelaide Cottage, the current home of Prince William and his family, a peaceful refuge nestled in Berkshire, which was once the former home of Princess Margaret’s love interest. The cottage, which is incredibly close to Windsor Castle, was built in 1831 as a retreat for William IV’s wife Queen Adelaide, but a recent former resident was Group Captain Peter Townsend.
After World War II, Peter Townsend served as Equerry to King George VI, a position that required him to be close to the Royal Family. Around this time, Adelaide Cottage became his residence. The RAF pilot embarked on a famous love affair with Princess Margaret. Their relationship was particularly sordid as Townsend was a divorced man who was 16 years older than her.
Townsend’s time there was marked by his increasing closeness to Princess Margaret. Their relationship developed while he lived at the cottage, and it eventually became a major royal scandal when it became public knowledge in the early 1950s.
The home features Gothic Revival architecture, decorative chimneys, and a veranda with a thatched roof. It is quaint and understated compared to other royal properties.
Peter Townsend and the late Queen’s sister became engaged in April 1953, but the wedding never took place as the remarriage of a divorced person was not in line with the Royal Marriages Act 1772.
They dissolved their relationship in 1955, and Margaret released a statement which read: “I would like it to be known that I have decided not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend. I have been aware that, subject to my renouncing my rights of succession, it might have been possible for me to contract a civil marriage.
“But mindful of the Church’s teachings that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have resolved to put these considerations before others.”
The statement added: “I have reached this decision entirely alone, and in doing so I have been strengthened by the unfailing support and devotion of Group Captain Townsend.”
Following Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding in 2018, there were brief suggestions that the cottage would be their new Windsor home. But William and Kate have lived with their kids in Adelaide Cottage since 2022, when the family moved there from their residence at Kensington Palace, where they had lived since 2017.
But by this autumn, William, Kate and their three children are set to wave goodbye to Adelaide Cottage and move into a new royal residence, Forest Lodge in Windsor Great Park.
Forest Lodge Estate reportedly has three stables and two semi-detached guest houses that were converted out of old garages. It also features garages, a large pond, extensive gardens, and a tennis court.
A royal source told the BBC: “Moving gives them an opportunity for a fresh start and a new chapter; an opportunity to leave some of the more unhappy memories behind. This is a move for the long-term. They see it as their forever home.”