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Daily Record
Daily Record
World
Jennifer Newton & Chloe Burrell

Queen's forgotten castle that she's never lived in which Kate and William may move into

The Queen has access to a number of properties up and down the country.

Recently, the royal has been spending the majority of her time in Windsor, spending the festive period at Windsor Castle.

However, there is one residence on the Windsor estate that she has never lived in, and it was once reportedly set aside for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

That residence is known as Fort Belvedere and was built between 1750 and 1755 for Prince William Augustus. It is located in Windsor Great Park, as reported by The Mirror.

It was built in the Gothic Revival style and the home was fondly referred to as 'The Fort' by many members of the Royal Family.

The Queen with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (AFP via Getty Images)

The home was hugely expanded by George IV who added an octagonal dining room, a three-storey annexe and a large flag pole.

The home was later used by Queen Victoria as a tea house and allowed it to be open to the public in the 1860s.

In 1929, it became the home of Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, who later became Edward VIII.

Edward VIII lived at Fort Belvedere with Wallis Simpson (Bettmann Archive)

He spent a vast amount of money on the property and it is where his romance with Wallis Simpson flourished and she moved in permanently in 1936.

Upon his abdication in 1936, Fort Belvedere is where he signed his written abdication notice.

Edward, who then became the Duke of Windsor, moved out and the vast property was empty until 1955.

It has since been occupied by the Queen's cousin Gerald Lascelles and is currently leased out by the Crown Estate.

Last year, it was reported that Prince William and Kate were "eyeing up" a move to Windsor, with Fort Belvedere being cited as a property they might like.

But it remains to be seen if any move to Windsor would go ahead.

Other royals to live in or close to Windsor are Prince Edward and his wife Sophie Wessex.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's UK home of Frogmore Cottage is also on the Windsor estate.

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