Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is, along with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, one of the principal official residences of the British monarch. Queen Elizabeth II stays there on many weekends of the year, as well as during the prestigious Royal Meeting at the nearby Ascot Racecourse. It claims the distinction of being the largest occupied castle in the world, and among the oldest.

Location and architecture

The castle is located in the Berkshire town of Windsor, in the Thames Valley to the west of London. Eton College is located about a mile to its north. It was originally built by William the Conqueror to act as a line of defence for London and has since had many additions and improvements. King Edward III made its St George's Chapel the home of the Order of the Garter in 1348. Today the inhabited wing of the castle mostly dates to within the last two centuries, much of it built under George IV.

Related Topics:
Castle - Berkshire - Windsor - Thames Valley - London - Eton College - William the Conqueror - Edward III - St George's Chapel - Order of the Garter - George IV

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The castle's layout dates back to the mediaeval fortifications. The lower ward (at the bottom of the accompanying illustration) is home to St. George's Chapel, while the upper ward (at the top) contains the royal apartments and grand state rooms (such as St. George's Hall, whose ceiling is decorated with the coats of arms of all the knights of the garter). The two wards are separated by the Round Tower, a descendant of the original motte of William the Conqueror's castle. The immediate environs of the castle called "The Home Park" also contains the school (St.Georges, Windsor Castle) that provides choristers to the Chapel. The castle lies within the heart of the more extensive - though now sadly depleted - Windsor Great Park.

Related Topics:
State rooms - Windsor Great Park

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One of the most popular tourist attractions at Windsor Castle is Queen Mary's Dolls' House, a 1:12 model (designed by Edwin Lutyens) of a house suitable for a monarch in the early 20th century.

Related Topics:
Queen Mary's Dolls' House - Edwin Lutyens - 20th century

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