Reports from August indicated that two families living in cottages close to Forest Lodge were asked to relocate before the Wales family moved in. While no eviction notices were issued and both families were offered comparable or better homes within the Crown Estate, the move still raised eyebrows.
Combined with the new security rules, these changes have led to criticism that the royals’ presence is intruding on local life.
Republic CEO Accuses William of Overreach
Graham Smith, who leads the anti-monarchy group Republic, argued that the Prince of Wales is overstepping his authority.
“The Christmas trees issue might seem silly, but the point is this is all public property, and William should not have been able to close those roads and close access to that land. It’s not his to do what he wants with,” he told Newsweek.
Smith continued, “He’s also forced two people, two families to move out of their homes… this is just another example of William sticking two fingers up to local people and grabbing land that isn’t his just so that he can move from one house to another. So it’s just an abuse of power and privilege for me.”