Suspense + Personal Touch Catherine’s ‘Forever Home’ Transformation: The Surprising Room She Took Full Control Of — And Why Prince William Now Calls It Her “Design Signature”

Kate Middleton is likely putting her artistic knowledge and decorating experience to good use in her and Prince William‘s new family home.

The couple and their children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — moved into their “forever” home at Forest Lodge in Windsor last month, and they are getting settled amid royal engagements and the kids’ return to school from fall half-term.

The move happened ahead of schedule. The original plan was for the family to make the transition from nearby Adelaide Cottage to their new home before Christmas, but builders were able to accelerate the schedule and allow the family to move while the kids were off from school.

However, Kate, who has had a hand in decorating her and William’s past royal dwellings — prior to Adelaide, they lived at Nottingham Cottage, Anmer Hall and Apartment 1A at Kensington Palace — has likely been planning for the new space for months.

For one, the eight-bedroom Forest Lodge is much bigger than Adelaide Cottage, giving the princess more room to showcase her “contemporary classic,” noted a recent feature in the MailOnline.

Princess Kate paid a visit to Marina Mills in September, during a series of royal meetings with local craftsmen. The Cuxton-based, family-run business has previously furnished Buckingham Palace and Clarence House with their hand-printed furnishings, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the royal picked up some samples during her stop.

The MailOnline also reports that Forest Lodge will be outfitted with a massive antique dining room table that can seat 24 people. As the family intends to continue living in the home after William becomes king, this will likely see plenty of use during dinners with their extended family on both sides for years to come.

Princess Kate’s eye for interior design has been honed in her various royal residences over the years, and she likely owes some credit to her art history degree from the University of St. Andrews. Her decorating skills impressed Prince Harry so much that he wrote about them in his 2023 memoir, Spare.

Harry recalled Kate’s makeover of their Kensington Palace apartment as “magnificent.” William and Kate famously hosted Barack and Michelle Obama in the space in 2016, where they snapped cute photos with Prince George, then just a toddler.

“The wallpaper, the ceiling trim, the walnut bookshelves filled with volumes of peaceful colours, priceless works of art. Magnificent. Like a museum,” Harry said of the space.

At the time, Harry and his bride-to-be, Meghan Markle, were living in Nottingham Cottage. Harry admitted they were a bit overwhelmed by Kate’s posh decor.

“We congratulated them on the renovation without holding back the compliments while feeling embarrassed of our Ikea lamps and the second-hand sofa we’d recently bought on sale with Meg’s credit card on sofa.com,” he wrote.

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Following William and Kate’s move, the couple made sure to thank everyone who made it possible for them to get settled in their new home ahead of schedule.

On Nov. 2, the Daily Mail reported that the Prince and Princess of Wales threw a private party at The York Club, a local private pub, serving food and drinks to express their gratitude to all the staff and crew who helped with the quick transition.

“The couple very sweetly just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has worked tirelessly to help,” a source told the outlet.