Kate Middleton's brave reason for moving to Windsor before terrifying castle raid

The Prince and Princess of Wales upped sticks from London several years ago to move to Windsor where they reside at Adelaide Cottage - and the move was a big one in more ways than one...

The Prince and Princess of Wales raised eyebrows were it was revealed they were quitting London to move to Windsor.

The couple and their children had seemed settled within the luxrious Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace with both Prince George and Princess Charlotte settled into school life in the capital. But in the summer of 2022, it was announced that the family would be packing up to live in Windsor at the modest Adelaide Cottage.

The big move meant their children could attend their new school Lambrook - but it also meant they were a lot closer to the late Queen, who at the time, was spending much of her time at her other much-loved home, Windsor Castle. As heir to the throne, William spent a lot of time with the late Queen, who would have been able to pass on her wise advice thanks to her incredible 70-year reign.

And according to a book, William was able to spend time with his grandmother in the final months thanks to the house move, which was fully supported by wife Kate. In the book, Catherine, The Princess of Wales : The Biography, royal expert Robert Jobson writes: "[ Prince William ] knew his time with his grandmother was precious and he is delighted they, as a couple, made that decision."

He added: "Catherine understood that for William, as a future king, it was important for him to be geographically closer to the late Queen in her final months when he was required to support both her and his father. It made a real difference. They were in regular contact, seeing each other in person and speaking on the phone several times a week, bringing them even closer."

The Waleses' home is inside the strict security cordon on the 655-acre Windsor estate and is extremely close to Windsor Castle. However, it has emerged that the estate has been targeted by masked raiders in a terrifying security scare as William, Kate and their children slept in their nearby home.

Two men are said to have scaled a six foot fence during the night to steal farm vehicles. The men are said to have driven off in a pick-up truck and on a quad bike that had been stored in a barn. "They must have been watching Windsor Castle for a while," a source told the Sun. Adelaide Cottage is just five minutes from Windsor Castle, and the family is regularly seen using the wrecked gate, which is the nearest exit to their home.

The men targeted Shaw Farm, which is a working farm inside the Castle's secutity zone. The source said the men would have known the vehicles were stored in the barn before breaking in, and would have known the best time to get in and out in order to escape detection.

Adelaide Cottage underwent major renovations in 2015 - and it is said that is why William and Kate were keen on the property as it didn't require much work after they decided to leave London life behind. And despite being seemingly modest by royal standards, its interior is said to boast some seriously impressive features, including a marble Graeco-Egyptian fireplace.

Meanwhile, the master bedroom is thought to be a work of art as it has a coved ceiling that features gilded dolphins and special rope decoration made from material from the Royal Yacht Royal George. However, there are only four bedrooms in the cottage, one for the couple and one each for their three children.

This means the family have no live-in staff, which will have been a big change for George, Charlotte and Louis, whose nanny used to live with them at their other homes, Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall. In recent years, Adelaide Cottage has been used as a grace-and-favour home for royal staff and family friends. But it is also famous for facilitating one of the most scandalous royal love stories of all time.

One of the most famous former residents was Princess Margaret's love interest, Group Captain Peter Townsend. Townsend was a dashing RAF pilot and later an equerry to King George VI as well as a married father-of-two. His relationship with Margaret raised eyebrows due to their 16-year age gap and the fact he was a divorced man.

The news of their closeness came about when a journalist noticed her pick a piece of lint off of Townsend's jacket at the Queen's coronation in 1953. The pair became engaged in April 1953 but their romance was doomed by the Royal Marriage Act 1772. This is because, at the time, no member of the Royal Family was allowed to marry a divorced person while their former spouse was still living.