Prince William, Kate Middleton Leaving London And Moving Closer To Queen Elizabeth: Report

Prince William and Kate Middleton are planning to make a major move, according to reports.

The couple and their three children, Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4, are set to leave their London home at Kensington Palace and move into a new residence in Berkshire, England, the county where Queen Elizabeth's primary residence Windsor Castle is located, The Sunday Times reported.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte will transfer from their London prep school, Thomas's Battersea, to a new school in the Windsor area at the end of the current term, the report said.

The youngest Cambridge reportedly will join his older siblings in their new school in Berkshire in September.

"The reality is they are quite confined in what they can do in London," an unnamed friend of the Cambridges told The Sunday Times. "The kids can't go into the park and kick a football with friends. Their plan is to be there for the next 10 to 15 years and then move to Anmer, which is so special to them."

Reps for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had no comment, according to Page Six.

The future king and queen consort will continue to use Kensington Palace as their London base and will keep Anmer Hall, their estate in Norfolk, England.

"Central London won't be their HQ. They're looking at the best place for their young family in Windsor and around Berkshire," an unnamed source who knows the Cambridges told Page Six back in March.

The insider added, "Catherine's parents, Mike and Carole, are only a few miles away in the village of Bucklebury, while Catherine's sister, Pippa, and her husband, James, are looking for a new country home, too. The Middletons are all so close and William loves them … and of course, this move will allow William and Catherine to take on a far more senior role in the royal family."

On Sunday, royal commentator Robert Jobson, author of "Prince Philip's Century," tweeted about the Cambridges' reported future move.

"I was told personally and categorically by a senior aide to the Duke when millions of public money were spent on [Kensington Palace] and [Apartment 1A] for the Cambridges' that it/KP would be their base when William became heir to the throne. Is that now changing with the move to Berkshire?" Jobson wrote.

The comment raised some eyebrows among royal fans and social media users.

"The article clearly states that [Kensington Palace] will be their main base. They want to send the children to day school. With more engagements, Windsor seems a good choice. Close to the school and Catherine's parents for babysitting. Trying to keep the children's childhood as normal as possible," one Twitter user argued.

"Things change, Rob," another wrote. "Instead of being critical all the time, give some consideration for William and Catherine continuing their good work, as well as managing their children's school, sport and other needs."

A 2014 Sovereign Grant report revealed that renovations at Prince William and Duchess Kate's Apartment 1A home cost taxpayers $7.6 million (£4.5 million).

"I think they wanted to be careful about the publicity over the amount of money it cost to renovate," Page Six's source said. "But change is inevitable."