Just 20 miles outside of London is the Royal Residence, Windsor Palace. If you follow royal weddings, then you would also know that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Palace in May 2018. This castle has a great history of royal weddings, as well as being a royal residence and even today it is used by the Queen.
Windsor Castle was originally built by William the Conqueror in the 11th Century, and was one of many that were constructed by him during the Norman invasions. It was originally built as a motte-and-bailey castle, similar to Warwick Castle, which was another fortress built by William the Conqueror. Over the centuries, the walls were replaced by stone fortifications, and the castle withstood centuries of war and sieges.
King Henry III was very fond of Windsor Castle and built a lavish palace inside the castle walls during his rein. Then Edward III expanded the construction with more grander buildings, until it was considered “the most expensive secular building project of the entire Middle Ages in England”. The internal core design of the castle lasted the Tudor period when Henry VIII and Elizbeth I had primarily made the castle a royal court, and center for diplomatic entertainment.
Today the castle has several purposes as a Royal Residence to the Queen on weekends, or when undertaking certain formal duties. As well as a site for royal weddings, and being opened for tourism.
I had come to Windsor Castle from London as part of a day trip, and I enjoyed everything about it- Watching the Changing of the Guards, visiting St. George’s Chapel, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, and walking the royal grounds.
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St. George’s Chapel was the most fascinating building within Windsor Castle that I had seen. Not only has this medieval church hosted many royal weddings, it is also the resting place for many famous British Royals over the centuries. Completed in 1511, this Perpendicular Gothic style church holds the remains of Henry VI, Henry VIII, Jane Seymor, as well as many other royals. In the 19th-Century St. George’s had become the chosen burial place superseding Westminster Abbey.
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Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House was another feature of Windsor Castle that I appreciated and enjoyed. Two decades ago, I had a large doll house that I had furnished and designed with wall coverings, fabric curtains, and flooring. It was nothing in comparison to Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, which is perhaps the most famous in the world.
The doll house was built for Queen Mary, consort to George V, between 1921 and 1924. It was designed by architect Edward Lutyens, as well as contributions of nearly 1,500 leading artists, crafters, and manufactures from the early 20th Century. There is an incredible attention to detail with its world of miniature- hand carved furniture, working lifts, hot and cold taps, as well as electricity.
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Exploring Windsor Castle makes for an excellent excursion while visiting London. If you do not plan on driving there is a train that will bring to Windsor from London in just over an hour. There are also day tour groups that leave from London, which include a couple hours at Windsor Castle. However you go, just go…
For more information, please visit – Windsor Castle
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