Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle – located 43 km off the English capital London – is the most splendid Castle in the UK. It is a Royal Family country house known to the world for its architectural magnificence, full of the country's cultural significance.

The Windsor Castle History

It is evident from history that the Windsor Castle stands at the top of the hill on the banks of the river Thames. Built in 1066 by William the Conqueror for his hunting grounds, he built a wooden structure from where one of the entrances to London could be watched. Over the century, many more constructions and reconstructions were taken at the place of this royal residence, so it was under Henry II Plantagenet that some of the most significant changes occurred when he laid the first stone walls around it.

Every successive ruler who ascended the throne ensured that the facade of this building was changed to enable them to erect features suitable to the relevant era, and these could perhaps have been the paintings of the times, the frescoes, or even tapestries.

In 1386, a momentous event occurred within the precincts of Windsor Castle. Philippa Lancaster, the son of John of Gaunt, married King João I of Avis from Portugal to form the long-lasting Anglo-Portuguese alliance that would hold historical sway until the middle of the 20th century.

Fire at Windsor Castle

A colossal fire broke out at Windsor Castle on 20th November 1992. The fire wreaked havoc at the residence, setting various places ablaze. The fire began in the chapel and rapidly spread to a manageable point. It was 15 hours before the firefighters stopped it. It was the royal couple's wedding day—it was their 45th anniversary on the very day. The area involved was as extensive as 9,000 square meters—the aggregate damage cost more than £37 million.

The idea to open Buckingham Palace to the public was put to raise funds to renovate the Windsor Castle, which had burnt in 1992. All the money raised through the sale of tickets was spent on restoration works. All the improvements took five years, and meanwhile, half of the ruined rooms were repaired. Some were reconstructed to how they were, while others were redesigned to fit the whole design of the palace.

Guided tours of the Castle

Windsor Castle offers a public tour led by castle officials for an entrance fee. Daily, public use is allowed in the building except during a few rare private royal functions held inside its walls. The entrance through the Henry VII gate into the Castle is truly magnificent, and any tourist would love to view this part first upon arrival.

There are The Halls, The Throne Room, and The Royal Apartments, among many others, where you find work of art by significant artists: Antonis van Dyck, Rubens, and George Stubbs. This goes a long way to mean that the visit to the Castle is quite enriching from a cultural point of view.

St. George's Chapel

One cannot fail to mention the chapel inside Windsor Castle, St. George's. This church was built chiefly in 1348 at the order of King Edward III. It is the principal church of the Knights of the Garter. It is the finest piece of Gothic medieval architecture in England, it comes under the Church of England. Also, it serves as a tomb to thirty-five members from different periods under the British Royalty, including Charles I, George VI, Queen Mother Elizabeth, etc.

Queen Mary's Doll House

One among many interesting things found at Windsor Castle that should be kept away from the attention of anybody during their visit is the Queen Mary's Dolls' House. Her cousin, Princess Mary Louise, presented this set of jewels as a gift to the current Queen Mother.

Sir Edwin Lachenes, one of the greatest architects of all time, conceptualized this piece. The design and creation of it took place between 1921 and 1924. The best English miniature masters and artists participated in the design, and more than 1500 people were involved in the project.

The doll's house can boast of mini-library contents; all stories in small print are written into the frame of the miniature world by such eminent writers as Arthur Conan Doyle and Alan Milne. Queen Mary's Doll House is a masterpiece of applied art not only from an architectural perspective but also because of its capacity as a natural museum submitted in miniature.

Its interiors are full of details that demonstrate luxury and scrupulosity of hand. Besides the mini library, the house offers an overview of the wine cellar with exact copies of the wine bottles, champagne, and other drinks and copies of famous paintings, remembering the great grand piano.

Of course, on the territory, there is also "underground" parking decorated with motorcycles and limousine models, the chapel decorated with icons and knightly armor, and even the street garden in front of the entrance designed by Gertrude Jekyll. The British Imperial Exhibition specially created this project to advertise local crafts and trade. More than 1.5 million people have visited the Royal Doll's House, which underlines how important this building is from the viewpoint of culture and history.

The Round Tower

A visit to Windsor Castle allows the possibility to climb up the Round Tower—so famous and so viewed from the outside. The breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside can be seen from the top. Please note that the only items allowed to be taken up the Tower are a water bottle and a camera. All bags and backpacks must be stored in unique designated places on the lower level. Allow at least 3 hours for a visit to Windsor Castle.

The use of Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is a historic site and a working Royal residence where many state functions take place. Queen is here every year at the beginning of May for a month after Easter to entertain guests, including public and political luminaries. She is also there for a few days in June every year at the time of the Royal Ascot races and The Order of the Garter service, showing the place to be very important as far as venues for royal and national events are concerned.

The Garter Order is one of the oldest and most solemn ceremonies in the Royal Households, with the holding located at Windsor Castle. This event commences at St. George's Chapel, where the cream of the Order membership assembles for proceedings. They then move on to Order Hall, which is also inside the Castle, and there the Queen receives the new knights, handing to every one of them a Garter with a star, which is a symbolic way of saying they have now become part of the elite brotherhood. The availability of a luncheon inside the Waterloo Hall, therefore, adds gravity and significance to the ceremonies.

How to get there
One can get to Windsor Castle from London using the following means:

Trains
Waterloo – Windsor & Eton Riverside station. Trains leave after every 30 minutes and take approximately 1 hour. From Windsor & Eton Riverside station, you must walk for about 10 minutes before reaching the Castle. Another option is to head towards Paddington station, traveling time being calculated to vary between 25 and 40 minutes to Windsor and Eton Central station. The advantage of this second line is that it lands the guests a lot closer to the entrance gates.

Bus
Victoria Station is a departure point for bus 702, which originates from a terminus operated by Green Line. The last stop is a few minutes from the final stop at the Castle.

Cost and working hours
There is a slight difference in ticket cost when booking in advance or buying a ticket on the day of the visit.

So the booking prices: 
Adult £30.00 
Young Person (18-24) £19.50 
Child (5-17) £15.00 
Disabled £15.00 
Access Companion Free 
Under 5 Free

Prices on the day of the visit: 
Adult £33.00 
Young Person (18-24) £21.50 
Child (5-17) £16.50 
Disabled £16.50 
Access Companion Free 
Under 5 Free

The Castle is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The usual work hours:
1st November - 29th February 10.00 – 16.15 
1st March – 31st October 10.00 – 17.15

On certain days of the year, the castle is closed to the public, so before planning a visit, check the official website for more details.