Prince William has recalled waking up at Highgrove House and having to hurriedly close his curtains because he was "not fully dressed" and tourists could see into his bedroom window.
The future King guest-edited the November 2026 issue of Country Life magazine, in which he described what it is like living in a home that doubles as a tourist attraction. Highgrove House, his father King Charles' private family sanctuary in Gloucestershire, attracts around 40,000 visitors annually.
Living in a public garden
"Living in a private house that was surrounded by a working public garden, which was constantly being developed and nurtured by my father — as well as being open to members of the public and therefore pretty busy — could be quite difficult," Prince William recalled to Country Life.
"I remember several times when I would wake up, open the curtains and have to hit the floor and hurriedly close them, because I was not fully dressed and there were people outside who could see straight into my bedroom window!" he said.
The nine-bedroom residence served as a weekend and holiday retreat for Prince William and his brother Prince Harry, who spent time there with their parents, King Charles and the late Princess Diana.
Club H and family reunions
In his 2023 memoir, Harry said that he and William transformed an underground bomb shelter beneath Highgrove into a secret teenage hideaway, which they named Club H.
"When I wanted solitude, what better than a bomb shelter in the middle of the British countryside? Willy felt the same. I often thought he seemed more at peace down there than anywhere else on earth," the Duke of Sussex wrote.
Over the summer, Highgrove House, which boasts four main reception rooms, was the setting for King Charles' reunion with Meghan Markle and his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. It was his first time seeing the trio in person in four years.
Guest-edited issue
Prince William's guest-edited issue of Country Life, released on November 11, includes insights into his love of the countryside, which he called "a place of escape for children, a place of peace and tranquillity."
The issue also includes a stunning image of a kingfisher by 13-year-old Prince George as well as an interview with Kate Middleton, in which she talks about nature and its role in her cancer journey and recovery, PEOPLE reports.
