All About Adelaide Cottage, Where Kate Middleton May Be Recovering After Her Shocking News
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The gossip came to a screeching halt when Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, shared a heartrending announcement that she has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. “William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” the 42-year-old said in a video two months after she underwent abdominal surgery. Just days before, she was reportedly spotted out and about with her children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, one mile from her Adelaide Cottage home in Windsor. The sightings came amid wild speculation that unleashed a wave of conspiracy theories as to her whereabouts.
King Charles III said he is “so proud of Catherine for her courage in speaking as she did,” according to a statement released by Buckingham Palace. The king, who received prostate treatment in the same hospital and at the same time Kate had her surgery, has remained in the “closest contact with his beloved daughter-in-law” in the past weeks. The king and Queen Camilla “will continue to offer their love and support to the whole family through this difficult time,” the palace said.
According to The New York Times, Kate will continue to recover from her cancer treatment at Windsor, presumably at her family home there, Adelaide Cottage. The historic property, which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge moved into just two years ago, will undoubtedly take on new significance as the princess recovers. Let’s take a closer look at this Grade II–listed property and its fascinating history as a royal abode.
Where Is Adelaide Cottage?
Adelaide Cottage is located on the east side of Windsor Castle grounds, in Windsor, a historic town located roughly 20 miles from London, with a population of 32,608 people, according to 2018 estimates. The cottage is just a 10-minute walk from Windsor Castle and about the same distance from St. George’s Chapel. The broader Windsor Estate is nearly 16,000 acres and is home to not only Windsor Castle, but also Frogmore Cottage (from which Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly booted) and the Royal Lodge (Prince Andrew’s residence).
The town of Windsor itself has a fascinating history. Originally the site of the Treaty of Windsor in the year 1175, following the Normans’ invasion of Ireland, Windsor continues to maintain streets that date back to the mid- to late-19th century. And yet—it remains relevant today as a popular tourist destination, boasting a theater and boat trip companies that operate on the River Thames.
What Is the History of Adelaide Cottage?
Adelaide Cottage—formerly known as Adelaide Lodge—is one of a handful of royal residences that dot the Windsor Estate. It was built in 1831 by architect Jeffrey Wyatville for Queen Adelaide, the wife of William IV. According to Historic England, the building was constructed, in part, from remnants of the original Royal Lodge, which William IV partially dismantled due to deterioration. Queen Adelaide wouldn’t have her cottage for long: Just six years later, William IV died of heart failure, and the queen would have to give up Windsor and relocate to a home in Bushy Park at Hampton Court.
Queen Victoria—William IV’s successor—took a shine to the place, however, and would take tea there and even buried her beloved dog, Dash, on Adelaide Cottage’s grounds. According to Royal Landscape: The Gardens and Parks of Windsor, it may have been used as playrooms for young royals.
It wasn’t until 1941 that the cottage became a so-called grace and favor full-time residence for members of the royal family and their close associates. One of those close associates was Peter Townsend, who took up residence with his wife at Adelaide when he was named King George VI’s equerry. Townsend would go on to have a love affair with Princess Margaret. And though their affair wasn’t made public in the press until 1953, there’s speculation that the affair began years earlier and that Adelaide cottage may have served as the ill-fated couple’s love nest. Townsend moved out of the cottage in 1952, when he divorced his wife.
Fast-forward half a century and today Adelaide Cottage is the Windsor residence of the Prince and Princess of Wales and their three children. The family planned their move for September 2022 in an effort, according to press accounts, to be closer to Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. The move was intentionally a fuss-free undertaking, according to royal watchers. A source told The Sun, “Kate and William were very keen for a modest home to start their new lives in Windsor.”
What Are the Interiors Like?
While the four-bedroom home may be “modest” by royal standards, it has grandeur aplenty, according to the Grade II–listed property’s citation from Historic England.
In 2015, the cottage underwent an extensive renovation that is said to make the house even more elaborate. Take the primary bedroom, which features “gilded dolphins and rope ornament” taken straight from HMS Royal George, the royal yacht between 1817 and 1842. There’s also a Greco-Egyptian marble fireplace, stucco facade, and elaborate bargeboards. The south entrance is flanked by a pair of diagonally set chimneys with stepped bases.
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