Princess Kate and Prince William's Windsor cottage is unrecognisable in ultra-rare photo
Though the Prince and Princess of Walestravelled to Balmoral for their annual summer stay this weekend, it is Adelaide Cottage on the Windsor Home Park estate that they call home.
William and Kate, both 42, moved around the corner from Windsor Castle in 2022 having previously lived at Kensington Palace. But in unearthed photos, their candy-pink Windsorian bolthole looks so different - and far grander than modern snippets shared of the home.
Photos shared by the Royal Collection Trust show the beautiful rural residence from a never-before-seen angle, revealing its impressive exterior in black and white.
The building, which has fairytale-esque scalloped detailing along the edge of the roof, features climbing ivy and a stunning intricate pergola leading out to a grand circular entrance.
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The photo, captured by Benjamin Stone in 1899, also shows a second house neighbouring the Waleses' home with a turret and chimney with billowing smoke. It is the annex, the now-abandoned Adelaide Lodge, which shares a driveway with William and Kate's abode.
The Wales children's fairytale home
The beautiful cottage, which was first built for Queen Adelaide in 1831, is nestled in the heart of the 655-acre royal park estate. The original porch still stands and is surrounded by an expertly preened garden.
The modest porch provided the backdrop for the Princess' Mother's Day photo from earlier this year which she publicly apologised for after admitting she "occasionally experiments with editing".
The New York Post reported that a childhood friend of the late Queen recalled visiting the property in her diaries. "Daddy and I walked across the Home Park to tea at Adelaide Cottage, which the [the Queen Mother] has lent Jackie and Joan Philipps for the duration of the war," Alathea Fitzalan Howard wrote.
"I was charmed with it. It typically represents that idea of a little world within a world of its own, which is so characteristic of Windsor Castle and its surroundings." It is clear the residence has maintained its quaint charm.
Adelaide Cottage's royal legacy
The Waleses' residence is steeped in history. It was frequented by Queen Victoria who left the city to enjoy tea at Adelaide Cottage. The Royal Collection Trust also previously revealed that the late monarch's beloved pet dog Dash was buried on the grounds.
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Prior to the future king's relocation out of London, the grace-and-favour cottage was home to Princess Margaret's lover Peter Townsend, and his then-wife Rosemary Pratt to keep him near King George VI as his equerry.
