Kate Middleton and Prince William’s Next Move Is Already Annoying Dog Walkers

Kate Middleton and Prince William are moving, and they are already causing a bit of a stir in their new neighborhood—or at least their security arrangements are. The couple is hoping to settle into Forest Lodge, their new home nestled in the heart of Windsor Great Park, before Christmas. But as the work piles up—from installing CCTV cameras to landscaping—their new neighbors are voicing their discontent as they are forced to find new stratagems just to walk their pets.

The disruption comes on top of a previous decision by the royals’ Home Office to ban access to the parking lot and grounds of Windsor Great Park via the Cranbourne Gate—even though current residents already pay £110 (around $148) a year for access. This restriction came into force on September 28 for residents of the English village, who were warned by an order issued by Dan Jarvis, Minister for Security. “Due to the pending designation of part of the Great Park as an exclusion area, access via Cranbourne Gate will permanently cease,” the order read, according to The Sun.

Although local residents are upset, some say they can understand the decision, given Kate and William’s royal status. “Obviously it’s disappointing as my dog loves it here, ” Tom Bunn, a 32-year-old mechanical engineer who regularly walks his four-legged friend near Forest Lodge, told the tabloid. “We come here every couple of weeks and we’re going to have to find somewhere else now for him to get the miles in. But I completely understand the safety of William, Kate and their family is paramount so we should make sure they can live happily here.”

Another local resident, from Winkfield—less than 20 minutes’ drive from Windsor Great Park—also spoke to the Sun. “Many of us have been walking our dogs here for 20 years so to be told we can’t anymore is a kick in the teeth,” she said. “We pay annually towards the upkeep of a park but we are no longer going to be allowed to use part of it. They’ve only given us a few days’ notice to say this section of forest is closing for ever. Now I’ll need to get in my car to drive further afield to take my dog for a walk.”

In addition to CCTV cameras, a huge wooden fence has been erected to close off access to the woods and green spaces surrounding Kate and William’s future home. When the site officially becomes the couple’s property, public access will be blocked once and for all under the Serious Organized Crime and Police Act (SOCPA), which protects Crown land—the private property belonging to the king or his direct heir, the Prince of Wales.

Plans prepared by the Home Office explain the decision was agreed upon by Thames Valley Police and the Royal Household. “The reason for the designation is that the site was previously in use by non-protected tenants, so the designation of land and property was not needed,” the plans read. “By the relocation of a protected principal residing at the Forest Lodge site, it reflects its use as part of the wider Crown Land within Windsor and therefore is appropriate to afford this site the same protection as other Crown properties designated under section 128 of the SOCPA 2005.” Consequently, anyone entering the demarcated area will be liable for arrest as directed by the Home Office.

Original story from Vanity Fair France.