It’s just a matter of days before the Royal Family will have to face a difficult milestone – the second anniversary of the late Queen’s death.
Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96, after spending her final days at her beloved Balmoral home. In the aftermath of her death, her grandson Prince William paid a poignant tribute to his grandmother, saying: “While I will grieve her loss, I also feel incredibly grateful. I have had the benefit of The Queen’s wisdom and reassurance into my fifth decade.”
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 a move fully supported by wife Kate.
The Queen with her grandson and his wife at the Chelsea Flower Show ( Image: Getty)
In the weeks before her death, William, Kate and their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis left their London home of Kensington Palace and made the move to Windsor to 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.
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.”
William and Kate on the first anniversary of the late Queen’s death last year ( Image: PA)
Adelaide Cottage is nestled in the heart of the 655-acre Windsor estate and is extremely close to Windsor Castle. It 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.
