Prince William must park his electric scooter after a move to a new home where motorised transport is banned.
At a Glance
- Windsor Great Park rules prohibit e-scooters and hoverboards inside the grounds
- Prince William previously used the scooter to zip to meetings at Windsor Castle
- The family relocated from Adelaide Cottage to Forest Lodge in the fall
- Why it matters: The future king now faces a longer, slower commute on foot or by car
Prince William’s signature shortcut to royal engagements is off-limits at his new address. The Prince of Wales, 43, has traded the battery-powered convenience of an e-scooter for a longer walk after Stephanie Petit reported that Windsor Great Park forbids motorised transport.
The scooter ban
The park’s website spells it out plainly: “For reasons of safety and traffic management, we do not allow motorised transport within the Park. Aside from cyclists, the roads are reserved for residents and Estate workers.”
The rule ends a habit that turned heads around the world. While living at Adelaide Cottage, William regularly hopped on the scooter to reach Windsor Castle for meetings and filming commitments. The practice became public knowledge during the October broadcast of Apple TV’s The Reluctant Traveler.
“This is not what I was expecting,” guest host Eugene Levy laughed as the prince rolled up on two wheels.
“This is your mode of transportation?”
“It is ’round here,” William replied. “It gets around quite nicely around here.”
He added, “We live just outside the castle, but my father spends a lot of time here. We use the castle for work and meetings. And I’m always late, so I thought this was the way to keep my meetings on time.”
A fresh start at Forest Lodge
The family’s autumn move to Forest Lodge inside Windsor Great Park is meant to be permanent. William, Kate Middleton and their three children-Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7-left Adelaide Cottage after three years of testing life outside London.
The previous home carried painful memories. Queen Elizabeth II died there in 2022. The cottage also served as backdrop to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix series and Harry’s memoir Spare.
In 2024 the couple faced fresh turmoil: King Charles announced his cancer diagnosis in February; Princess Kate revealed her own diagnosis in March.
“Adelaide Cottage was a place of pain, suffering and sadness. After such rough times, it’s perfectly understandable they would want a new place,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told News Of Los Angeles.
Forest Lodge offers more green space and remains close enough to London for royal duties. The couple plan to stay even when William becomes king.
Daily routine shake-up
Without the scooter, William will either walk the longer route or drive estate roads reserved for residents and staff. Cyclists remain the only exception to the motorised ban.
The change underscores a simple truth: even a future monarch must obey park regulations.
Key takeaways
- Windsor Great Park’s rules bar e-scooters, hoverboards and similar vehicles
- Prince William previously relied on the scooter to avoid being late
- The family’s new forever home, Forest Lodge, sits squarely inside the restricted zone
- The prince now faces a slower, more conventional commute
