A huge no-go zone demarcated by a wooden barrier has been completed around William and Kate’s new home in Windsor Great Park.
The boundary, with black ‘keep out’ signs attached, is part of a security cordon that stretches around Frogmore Cottage and Forest Lodge, the eight-bedroom house where they are settling in.
The reclaimed wooden fencing runs for almost a mile alongside Prince Consort Drive, an access road which leads into the heart of a royal enclave on private Crown Estate land in Berkshire.
Although innocuous-looking, it’s understood that electronic surveillance and intruder countermeasures have been installed around and underneath the newly-installed perimeter.
Police using an unmarked car were on present by a gate on Friday, as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor received an order to quit Royal Lodge, located around a mile away.
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A source said: ‘The great wall of Wills and Kate is the latest in a series of security measures aimed at protecting the privacy and security of the Prince and Princess of Wales around their new home.
‘It looks like an ordinary countryside fence, but anyone who tries to cross it will have a hard time getting through the gates, and if they do manage to clamber over, they’ll be discovered in fairly short order.
‘There is a considerable police presence at a discreet distance.’
CCTV cameras and landscaping are also part of the security upgrade around the Prince and Princess of Wales’s new home, where they moved in last week with children Prince George, 12, and Louis, seven, and Princess Charlotte, 10. The family had previously been at four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage, around four miles away.
The no-go zone covers around 150 acres and has a 2.3-mile perimeter which was completed over the last fortnight.
Fields and woodland sloping down from the rear of Frogmore Cottage — previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle — are protected by the barrier. Workers with leaf-blowers were tidying up around the finished perimeter at the end of last week.
Trespass in the restricted area is now a criminal offense under the Serious organized Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCPA).
The Prince and Princess, both 43, are thought to have instructed a series of works in the park as part of their move from Adelaide Cottage to the Grade II-listed Georgian mansion.
They are reportedly making Forest Lodge their family’s ‘forever home’, with the intention of staying after William becomes King.
The move follows the closure of part of the park to the public, with access being shut off via Cranbourne Gate.
Residents who spoke to Metro reacted with frustration but also an acceptance that the couple want to prioritise security.
Previously, locals living within half a mile had been able to pay an annual £110 fee for keys to the gate, one of several access points which have been closed to protect the Waleses.
Sandpit and Wooden Gates and South Forest have also been closed.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said: ‘When the future King and Queen Consort and their three children move into a new home, security must obviously be pivotal. It must be watertight and there is plenty of opportunity to plan for this move.
Kate and Wills’ ‘forever home’
Forest Lodge, formerly named Holly Grove, was built in the 1770s as the residence for Windsor Great Park’s deputy ranger.
It was acquired by the Crown Estate in 1829 and later became the home of Edward VIII’s equerry, Sir John Aird.
The residence, nestled in the heart of the 4,800-acre park, is a considerable upgrade on Adelaide Cottage, with a chandelier-lit ballroom, tennis court, Venetian windows and extensive grounds.
The house was once reportedly tipped as a home for the Princess Royal and later Sarah Ferguson, formerly the Duchess of York, but neither ended up living there.
‘There have been worrying lapses of royal security over the years and our Royal Family has a high profile worldwide which can also attract undesirable elements, as we have occasionally seen. A loss of access to dog walkers and the erection of fencing may cause irritation to local residents, but the security issue must override all other concerns.’
Land belonging to the King or an immediate heir is protected under SOCPA, giving the new restricted zone legal weight.
Forest Lodge is listed as a ‘new residence’ on private Crown Estate land, according to plans prepared by the Home Office.
The Royal Household and Thames Valley Police have agreed on the new zone ‘in close liaison’ with the department, the memorandum shows.
The order made in parliament to enact the area reads: ‘The reason for the designation is that the site was previously in use by non-protected tenants, so the designation of land and property was not needed.
‘By the relocation of a protected principal residing at the Forest Lodge site, it reflects its use as part of the wider Crown Land within Windsor and therefore is appropriate to afford this site the same protection as other Crown properties designated under section 128 of the SOCPA 2005.’
Windsor Great Park has reassured the public that efforts have been made to reduce the impact of the security zone.
A spokesperson said: ‘A security boundary is being introduced by the Home Office and Thames Valley police in a small area of Windsor Great Park to support enhanced protective measures. This does not affect the vast majority of public access to the park and efforts have been made to reduce the impact on users of the park as far as possible.’
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