“Therefore, it would make sense for them to move to Windsor as they would be close to the Queen, who now lives there instead of Buckingham Palace. They could co-ordinate jobs and plans more easily and just be on hand to help her.
"William and Kate have played a blinder during the pandemic and have never been more popular. They are absolutely vital for the future of the monarchy and everything rests on their shoulders. They are stepping up their duties and supporting the Queen as much as possible. This is really just the start for them.”
Phil adds that while the move may be necessary, it will be bittersweet for the Cambridges who have lived happily between apartment 1A at Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall, which was a wedding gift from the Queen, for many years.
“They have loved it at Anmer Hall in particular because it has allowed them to give their children the closest thing they can to a normal life,” Phil adds.
“George, Charlotte and Louis have enjoyed long walks in the woods and days at the beach where they have been undisturbed by the paparazzi. Kate’s mum Carole often stays also and has a close bond with them all. She used to take George to nursery at a village a few miles away and everyone treated him as a normal pupil.”
Royals Monthly understands that William and Kate have already been “eyeing up options” in the area, and Belvedere in Windsor Great Park was one of them.
Rich in royal history, it is where King Edward VII signed his abdication papers in 1936. They have also discussed the matter with the Queen and Prince Charles and both are in full support of the move.
“While there are options at the castle, I think they will still want their own place and privacy, so it’s a matter of finding the right property now,” Phil says.
Windsor Castle remains a working palace, where the Queen usually hosts a program of events throughout the year.
It‘s home to Frogmore Cottage, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex lived prior to their resignation from the royal family, and where Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank are now believed to reside with their son August.
It’s also home to St George’s Chapel, where so many royal weddings have taken place, including that of Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.
“Living in Windsor would also mean the Cambridges would be closer to Kate’s family in Berkshire, which would be ideal – and it’d be convenient for when George goes to Eton, a stone’s throw from Windsor Castle.
"Indeed, when he was at Eton, William would walk over the bridge and go and have tea with the Queen and Prince Philip. Often he would spend time with his grandmother there alone, and she schooled him in preparing for his future destiny.”
Royal expert Angela Levin says the move only further cements just how important family is to William and Kate.
“I am quite sure that underlying it all is the fact that they care very much about their family,” Angela says.
“And even though the Queen looks absolutely stoic and heroic when we see her out and about in bright colours, seeming very positive, there must be very deep and dark patches when she is alone without her late husband. After 70 years together, it must be extraordinarily difficult.”
Angela also believes having George, Charlotte and Louis around for visits more often will surely do Her Majesty the world of good.
“I mean children are wonderful; small children are wonderful to take people’s mind off dark things. And I think it would be… it is a very, very positive move. I think also it is a practical one,” she says.
Meanwhile, fellow royal expert Penny Junor previously spoke of Prince William’s close bond with the Queen and his to his dedication to his duties.
“I think he absolutely gets what his destiny is and he is embracing it,” she said. “He is modelling himself on his grandmother, the Queen.”
A few years ago William also paid tribute to his grandmother’s role in his life for the ITV documentary The Queen at 90.
He said, “Growing up, having this figurehead, having this stability above me has been incredible. I have been able to explore, understand, slightly carve my own path. I greatly appreciate and value that protection.”
And now they’ll be even closer than ever.