Prince William has recalled hiding from tourists at Highgrove when they could see him before he was fully dressed.
The Prince of Wales, 44, shared the memories in Country Life‘s November 2026 issue, which he guest-edited.
At Highgrove House, a private family home, the gardens attract around 40,000 visitors each year.
Prince William recalls Highgrove’s bedroom privacy problem
For William, opening the curtains could bring an awkward discovery. People visiting the gardens had a clear view into his bedroom.
He explained: “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.”
Still not fully dressed, he said he would “hit the floor and hurriedly close” the curtains.
William said: “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!”
This was no one-off mishap. William remembered having to make the same hurried retreat several times.
He explained that sharing the surroundings with garden visitors could make life at the house difficult. His father, King Charles, was continually working on and developing the gardens around the family’s home.
Prince William’s countryside issue features Prince George’s photograph
Elsewhere in the magazine, William explained why getting outdoors matters to his own family.
He described the countryside as “a place of escape for children, a place of peace and tranquillity”.
The family’s dogs help tempt the children outside for walks and exploring, he said. He also explained that they encourage the children to spend as much time outdoors as possible.
The issue, released on November 11, 2026, includes a kingfisher drawing by his son, Prince George.
William’s childhood visits to Highgrove included weekends and holidays with his brother Prince Harry and their parents, Charles and Princess Diana.
Harry’s recollections offer another glimpse of how the brothers found privacy there.
In his 2023 memoir, Harry described converting an underground bomb shelter beneath Highgrove into a teenage hideaway, dubbed Club H, with William.
Harry remembered seeking solitude below ground and described William as particularly at ease in their retreat.
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