“Oh, admit it,” I argued with myself, “tell them you love everything about the pomp and circumstance of royalty, that you have a life-long fascination with the royal family.”That said, I won’t apologize. It is just one of those contradictions in my normally quite socialistic life views, which probably means I should abhor the aristocracy. I am visiting Windsor Castle today, and I am very happy to be here. And here is at one of the Queen’s official residences, called by Samuel Pepys “the most romantique castle that is in the world.”
Built by William the Conqueror within what was a royal hunting forest after the Norman Conquest of 1066, Windsor Castle has been gradually enlarged, altered, renovated and rebuilt by monarchs from Henry II to Queen Elizabeth II. Their legacy can be seen when one takes the time to get a good look at the castle, seeing the late medieval St. George’s Chapel and the Tudor houses of the Lower Ward, admiring Charles II’s baroque remodelling of the state apartments, and the exquisite Gothic interiors of the semi-state rooms, rebuilt for George IV.
I remember watching the news about the devastating fire of 1992 and thinking what a terrible loss. However, the fire has given Windsor a new legacy, including the stunning new interior of the historic St. George’s Hall and opportunities to completely refurbish parts of the castle that had become worn with age. (In fact, the damage to furnishings and artworks was limited because some of the areas affected by the fire were being re-decorated; hence, the contents were in storage.)
It is a Friday, and the Royal Standard is flying from the Round Tower, which means that the Queen is “home” for the week-end. Elizabeth the II comes to Windsor officially for Easter and in June for the annual Garter Service. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh spend their private week-ends here, so they must have arrived for such a stay today.
Here I am, on Castle Hill, with the King Henry III tower in the background.
Walking towards the King Edward III Tower and the royal apartments. Behind (left) is the Quadrangle. To the near right is the new Queen’s Jubilee Garden (2002).
An ornamental garden attached to the residence of the Governor and Constable—whoever they are—are in what once was the Round Tower’s moat. The Round Tower is located on the motte (mound). The residence of the Constable and Governor is in the base of the tower.
Looking across the Quadrangle, showing the King George IV Gate and Lancaster Tower. This is where the Royal Family lives. Visitors get no closer than this. The Quadrangle is sometimes used as a parade ground.
King Charles II statue at the end of the Quadrangle, and the King Edward III Tower.
The Grenadier Guards, marching to the sentry box located in front of the State Apartments in the Upper Ward.
The sentry photographed from the St. George’s Gate from Castle Hill. The guard is stationed near the State Entrance to the State Apartments.
Views of the Round Tower from various angles. The Round Tower accommodates the Royal Archives and the Royal Photograph Collection.
Looking from the Middle Ward down to the Lower Ward. The St. George Chapel on the right.
From the Lower Ward, showing the King Henry VIII gate, the Military Knights' Lodgings, the Mary Tudor Tower, and the King Henry II Tower. In the background is the Round Tower. The Lower Ward, however, has something more entertaining than buildings: we are here in time to see the Changing of the Guard.
Before the ceremony begins, we are allowed to have our photos taken with the lone guard on duty outside the sentry box. I find him creepy, he is so still. We have been cautioned not to touch him, nor to stand too close. He reminds me of wax figures at Warwick Castle (or Madame Tussauds).
The soldiers on sentry duty within the precincts are drawn from the five regiments of Foot Guards (Coldstream, Grenadier, and Irish, Scots and Welsh Guards) of which one battalion is always stationed at Windsor. The insignia designates that these are Grenadier Guards. I am impressed with their formality and discipline. Their uniforms are beautiful.
Not for a minute do I pretend to understand the symbolism of the Changing of the Guard, a repetitive ceremony that lasts at least 30 minutes.
A bearskin is a tall fur hat worn as part of the ceremonial uniform of several regiments in the British Army, most notably the five regiments of Foot Guards. Bearskin fur has been used for grenadier caps since 1677. After the Battle of Waterloo (1815) the 1st Foot Guards were named the Grenadier Guards and all men were allowed to wear the fur cap or bearskin. A standard bearskin of the British Foot Guards weighs on average one kilogram. The bearskin is made from the fur of the Canadian brown bear or ‘Grizzly’.Very few new bearskin caps are manufactured nowadays as bearskins will, with good care and refurbishment, last in excess of one hundred years. These days a stock of bearskin caps is kept in store and issued to each battalion when they take up ceremonial duties in London, unlike in the past, when each guardsman had his own cap.
Not surprisingly, the anti-fur movement is unhappy with using real bear fur for the hats. For many years the Ministry of Defence and the British Army have tried to find a synthetic alternative to the fur. As yet, no acceptable alternative to the fur has been found. However, synthetic alternatives are used as part of a soldier’s uniform wherever possible; for example, belts are now plastic rather than leather.
Note the white plume on the left-hand side of the bearskin cap, another indicator that these are Grenadiers.
The buttons on a Grenadier Guard's ceremonial uniform are equally spaced and are embossed with the Royal Cypher. I am impressed with how shiny the buttons are: I can see my own reflection in a button!
Before the Tudor facade of part of the Lower Ward, the band provides the music for the ceremony. The Regimental Slow March is the march Scipio, from the opera of the same name by Handel, inspired by the exploits of the Roman General Scipio Africanus. The Regimental Quick March is The British Grenadiers. 
The Changing of the Guard ends, and once more a single, wax-like sentry stands still, then marches away from the sentry box and back again, to repeat the process again and again.
Another view, looking upwards from near the Exit Gate.
Queen Victoria guards the entrance. This fine bronze statue of Queen Victoria was designed and executed by Sir Edgar Boehm. It was erected in 1887 in celebration of the queen's Golden Jubilee. The cost of £2,500 was covered by subscriptions from the people of Windsor and the surrounding districts.Sir Joseph Edgar Boehm (1834-1890) was born to Hungarian parents in Vienna, Austria, where he was educated, later coming to England to further his studies. He was to become one of the foremost British sculptors, settling in England in 1862. He was naturalised British in 1865. He died just three years after creating the Queen Victoria statue. Queen Victoria commissioned him to create bronzes of her family and statues at Windsor Castle. He was appointed Sculptor in Ordinary to the Queen in 1881.
A press picture from the unveiling was originally captioned as follows:
Here, in her own loyal Borough of Windsor, under the walls of the famous castle, The Queen is receiving an address of congratulations and welcome from the Mayor and Corporation of Windsor, who, in their robes of office, form a little scarlet group by the side of the royal carriage. The Household Cavalry and the Foot Guards line the streets and furnish the escort. There are many stately palaces in the world, but there is none more stately than Windsor Castle. The ancient home of the Sovereigns of England, standing high above the 'silver Thames', looks down over the towers of the royal foundation of Eton and over the rich valley of the winding river - a perfect picture of stately magnificence and emblem of a long tradition of royal splendour and dignity.
In the Jubilee Garden I spoke to one of Windsor’s falconers. The falcon functions as a visual deterrent to the Great Park’s pigeon population.
A “royal” ice-cream truck on the North Terrace. Below is a memorial on the Terrace, which looks over the Thames to Eton College. Eton was founded in 1440 with 25 scholars and now has 1,300 boys between 13 and 18.
The Royal Mail red pillar box is one of the most familiar items of British street furniture. Introduced in 1853, only 13 years after the foundation of the penny post, it meant that posting a letter no longer involved making a trip to the nearest Post Office. Its inventor, surprisingly, was none other than the multi-talented English novelist Anthony Trollope, who worked for the postal service in both Britain and Ireland for over 30 years. Pillar boxes always bear the monogram of the reigning monarch. I think of poor “Piggy” in The Lord of the Flies when he wants to mail a later from their isolated island, but one of the fellows has to remind him that there are no pillar boxes.
View of the King George IV Tower, just before entering the State Apartments. Below are stone details of the tower.
Once inside, once again, there is no photography. Let me record a few reflections about the interior.
First we saw Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens to be an accurate record of an aristocratic London house of the time. The huge house has running water and electricity and is filled with thousands of objects made by leading artists, designers and craftsmen, nearly all on the scale of one to twelve. The dolls’ house is ingenious and fascinating to see.
Everything I see as we take our time to see the State Apartments is breathtaking. For example, above the Grand Staircase is a remarkable plaster fan-vaulted ceiling from 1800-1814. I was also fascinated by the collection of artefacts from India on display, especially the Tiger of Mysore. Tipu, Sultan of Misore, was a fierce opponent of the British in India. His defeat and death in 1799 ended years of conflict and prevented an alliance with Napoleon. The life-size tiger’s head from Tipu’s throne is made of gold and has rock crystal teeth, and was presented to William IV by the East India Company in 1831. This is just one of thousands of magnificent items on display at Windsor.
Arguably, the most spectacular of the rooms is the new St. George’s Hall, where state banquets are held, seating up to 162 guests.
During the fire of 20 November 1992, the ceiling, roof, and east wall were totally destroyed and the rest of the hall seriously damaged. The decision was made to rebuild the ancient ceiling with a new hammerbeam roof. Constructed entirely of green oak using medieval carpentry techniques, it is the largest timber roof constructed in the twentieth century. We note the places where the green wood, now shrinking, is opening up spaces and “cracks” just as would have happened when originally built hundreds of years ago.
The next state room is now called the Lantern Lobby. This is where the great fire started, so everything here is new. Previously, it was Victoria’s Chapel, but now it provides a processional route between the State and Semi-State Apartments. The highlight, for me, is the suit of armour owned by Henry VIII. His corpulent form required a rather large space for his huge belly!
The Semi-State Apartments are not always open, so we are pleased to see them today. This north-east corner of the castle was where the fire was, and the damage was severe, but most of the furnishings and art were already in storage. I remember the press accounts having Queen Elizabeth carrying some things from the castle. We are told that when the fire threatened the State Dining Room there were only two items left in the room. One of the Princes offered to go in and cut the huge painting by Beechey—George III at a Review---from its frame to save it. He was refused permission to put himself in danger.
Also intriguing was how the internal floors of the Brunswick Tower collapsed like a telescope, letting the tower act as a flue for the fire. Miraculously, the fireplace from the Octagon Dining Room survived the fire and collapse.
I am also impressed by the ingenuity of those rebuilding the castle: in the rococo Grand Reception Room, the entire ceiling collapsed and three great chandeliers—just re-hung after re-wiring—crashed down on the floor. However, the original parquet floor survived, damaged blocks of floor simply reversed to hide the burns.
I could easily spend more hours here. We decide to come back to see it again some day.
We go back down the hill to the Lower Ward to see St. George’s Chapel. Work began here under Edward IV in 1475, its stone fan vaulting completed after 1484. This is the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter and the site of several royal tombs and memorials. This is a beautiful working chapel, with regular services every day.
Everyone who was anyone is buried here in the chapel: George V & Queen Mary; George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; Edward IV; George III; George IV; William IV; Henry VIII, Charles I, Jane Seymour; Henry VI; Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and other Royal Racks.
The ashes of Princess Margaret are also here, with the tombs of her parents, in a memorial chapel off the north Quire aisle. I remember seeing a photo of my father, Tony, and my step-mother, Dianne, meeting Margaret, in the 1970s.
The Albert Memorial Chapel interior is stunning, clearly showing how Victoria felt about her consort. The Albert Memorial Chapel was NOT created by Victoria: she simply renamed the Henry VII Chapel where an effigy of the Prince created by Henri de Triqueti, was installed. The vaulted ceiling, with a gold mosaic by Antonio Salviatri, is stunning. The chapel is dominated by the tomb of the Duke of Clarence and Avondale, the elder son of Edward VII, who died in 1892. The chapel was originally built as Henry III’s chapel in the 1240s.
After Albert died, Victoria created a richly ornamented mausoleum in the grounds of Frogmere House in the Home Park, where she joined her husband 40 years later.
The Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore was designed by Ludwig Gruner of Dresden, the designer of the earlier mausoleum. Work commenced in March 1862, just three months after Prince Albert's death. Although the building could be consecrated in December 1862, it was a further nine years before the interior decorations were completed in August 1871.
The King Henry VIII Gate, also called the Exit Gate. One smart option at Windsor Castle is that we can get a wrist band to allow us to return on the day’s admission ticket. We cross the street and have a good pub meal at The Horse and Groom.
In the Jubilee Garden I spoke to one of Windsor’s falconers. The falcon functions as a visual deterrent to the Great Park’s pigeon population.
A “royal” ice-cream truck on the North Terrace. Below is a memorial on the Terrace, which looks over the Thames to Eton College. Eton was founded in 1440 with 25 scholars and now has 1,300 boys between 13 and 18.
The Royal Mail red pillar box is one of the most familiar items of British street furniture. Introduced in 1853, only 13 years after the foundation of the penny post, it meant that posting a letter no longer involved making a trip to the nearest Post Office. Its inventor, surprisingly, was none other than the multi-talented English novelist Anthony Trollope, who worked for the postal service in both Britain and Ireland for over 30 years. Pillar boxes always bear the monogram of the reigning monarch. I think of poor “Piggy” in The Lord of the Flies when he wants to mail a later from their isolated island, but one of the fellows has to remind him that there are no pillar boxes.
View of the King George IV Tower, just before entering the State Apartments. Below are stone details of the tower.
Once inside, once again, there is no photography. Let me record a few reflections about the interior.First we saw Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, designed by architect Sir Edwin Lutyens to be an accurate record of an aristocratic London house of the time. The huge house has running water and electricity and is filled with thousands of objects made by leading artists, designers and craftsmen, nearly all on the scale of one to twelve. The dolls’ house is ingenious and fascinating to see.
Everything I see as we take our time to see the State Apartments is breathtaking. For example, above the Grand Staircase is a remarkable plaster fan-vaulted ceiling from 1800-1814. I was also fascinated by the collection of artefacts from India on display, especially the Tiger of Mysore. Tipu, Sultan of Misore, was a fierce opponent of the British in India. His defeat and death in 1799 ended years of conflict and prevented an alliance with Napoleon. The life-size tiger’s head from Tipu’s throne is made of gold and has rock crystal teeth, and was presented to William IV by the East India Company in 1831. This is just one of thousands of magnificent items on display at Windsor.
Arguably, the most spectacular of the rooms is the new St. George’s Hall, where state banquets are held, seating up to 162 guests.
During the fire of 20 November 1992, the ceiling, roof, and east wall were totally destroyed and the rest of the hall seriously damaged. The decision was made to rebuild the ancient ceiling with a new hammerbeam roof. Constructed entirely of green oak using medieval carpentry techniques, it is the largest timber roof constructed in the twentieth century. We note the places where the green wood, now shrinking, is opening up spaces and “cracks” just as would have happened when originally built hundreds of years ago.
The next state room is now called the Lantern Lobby. This is where the great fire started, so everything here is new. Previously, it was Victoria’s Chapel, but now it provides a processional route between the State and Semi-State Apartments. The highlight, for me, is the suit of armour owned by Henry VIII. His corpulent form required a rather large space for his huge belly!
The Semi-State Apartments are not always open, so we are pleased to see them today. This north-east corner of the castle was where the fire was, and the damage was severe, but most of the furnishings and art were already in storage. I remember the press accounts having Queen Elizabeth carrying some things from the castle. We are told that when the fire threatened the State Dining Room there were only two items left in the room. One of the Princes offered to go in and cut the huge painting by Beechey—George III at a Review---from its frame to save it. He was refused permission to put himself in danger.
Also intriguing was how the internal floors of the Brunswick Tower collapsed like a telescope, letting the tower act as a flue for the fire. Miraculously, the fireplace from the Octagon Dining Room survived the fire and collapse.
I am also impressed by the ingenuity of those rebuilding the castle: in the rococo Grand Reception Room, the entire ceiling collapsed and three great chandeliers—just re-hung after re-wiring—crashed down on the floor. However, the original parquet floor survived, damaged blocks of floor simply reversed to hide the burns.
I could easily spend more hours here. We decide to come back to see it again some day.
We go back down the hill to the Lower Ward to see St. George’s Chapel. Work began here under Edward IV in 1475, its stone fan vaulting completed after 1484. This is the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter and the site of several royal tombs and memorials. This is a beautiful working chapel, with regular services every day.
Everyone who was anyone is buried here in the chapel: George V & Queen Mary; George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; Edward IV; George III; George IV; William IV; Henry VIII, Charles I, Jane Seymour; Henry VI; Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and other Royal Racks.
The ashes of Princess Margaret are also here, with the tombs of her parents, in a memorial chapel off the north Quire aisle. I remember seeing a photo of my father, Tony, and my step-mother, Dianne, meeting Margaret, in the 1970s.
The Albert Memorial Chapel interior is stunning, clearly showing how Victoria felt about her consort. The Albert Memorial Chapel was NOT created by Victoria: she simply renamed the Henry VII Chapel where an effigy of the Prince created by Henri de Triqueti, was installed. The vaulted ceiling, with a gold mosaic by Antonio Salviatri, is stunning. The chapel is dominated by the tomb of the Duke of Clarence and Avondale, the elder son of Edward VII, who died in 1892. The chapel was originally built as Henry III’s chapel in the 1240s.After Albert died, Victoria created a richly ornamented mausoleum in the grounds of Frogmere House in the Home Park, where she joined her husband 40 years later.
The Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore was designed by Ludwig Gruner of Dresden, the designer of the earlier mausoleum. Work commenced in March 1862, just three months after Prince Albert's death. Although the building could be consecrated in December 1862, it was a further nine years before the interior decorations were completed in August 1871.
The King Henry VIII Gate, also called the Exit Gate. One smart option at Windsor Castle is that we can get a wrist band to allow us to return on the day’s admission ticket. We cross the street and have a good pub meal at The Horse and Groom.
We return to the Castle, and continue our tour, seeing as much as possible.
At Windsor, even the street lamps get crowns!
Another view of the Norman Gate, with the early fall foliage and flowers, the gardens in the Round Tower moat.
Steve and Mary, patiently following me around, in the Middle Ward. Sam is at school today.
Not your everyday door hinge--or door! The door in the Norman Gate.
Grenadier Guards marching through the Norman Gate into the Middle Ward, on their way down the hill to the Lower Ward where the Guardhouse is located.
Winchester Tower, in the Middle Ward.
Salisbury Tower.
The Garter Tower.
The Castle walls and towers, along Thames Street.
The Curfew Tower.
The town around the Castles seems an interesting one. Remember that we are now travelling off-season, so the crowding that might be a “problem” during the height of summer is not evident today.
I think it would be fun to sit here on these comfortable benches in the summer and watch the street scenes before me. I think the architectural styles are quite common in the UK, but it is nonetheless, attractive.
The shopping mall across from Windsor Castle.
A major fine restaurant across from the Castle.
The Guildhouse, by Christopher Wren, on High Street.
Market Cross House, also known as The Crooked House, on High Street.
A typical Tudor-style building across from Windsor Castle.
Theatre Royal, offering Romeo & Juliet, The Mikado, and Murder on Air.
There are many places to eat: the ubiquitous McDonald’s, a Japanese Restaurant, and a more traditional Free House, the King and Castle.
Looking down Thames Street from outside the castle walls.
The Windsor Wheel, on the edge of the Thames. Home is only an hour away, so Windsor will be an easy place to re-visit.
On the way back to the parking lot we stop for a moment at the King George V Memorial, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyen, and dedicated by George VI on 23 April 1937. As we drive back past Windsor Castle, heading home, I wonder what it is like to live here, with the heavy police presence today, and guess that most of the people in this part of town are tourists, like us.
At Windsor, even the street lamps get crowns!
Another view of the Norman Gate, with the early fall foliage and flowers, the gardens in the Round Tower moat.
Steve and Mary, patiently following me around, in the Middle Ward. Sam is at school today.
Not your everyday door hinge--or door! The door in the Norman Gate.
Grenadier Guards marching through the Norman Gate into the Middle Ward, on their way down the hill to the Lower Ward where the Guardhouse is located.
Winchester Tower, in the Middle Ward.
Salisbury Tower.
The Garter Tower.
The Castle walls and towers, along Thames Street.
The Curfew Tower.
The town around the Castles seems an interesting one. Remember that we are now travelling off-season, so the crowding that might be a “problem” during the height of summer is not evident today.
I think it would be fun to sit here on these comfortable benches in the summer and watch the street scenes before me. I think the architectural styles are quite common in the UK, but it is nonetheless, attractive.
The shopping mall across from Windsor Castle.
A major fine restaurant across from the Castle.
The Guildhouse, by Christopher Wren, on High Street.
Market Cross House, also known as The Crooked House, on High Street.
A typical Tudor-style building across from Windsor Castle.
There are many places to eat: the ubiquitous McDonald’s, a Japanese Restaurant, and a more traditional Free House, the King and Castle.
Looking down Thames Street from outside the castle walls.
The Windsor Wheel, on the edge of the Thames. Home is only an hour away, so Windsor will be an easy place to re-visit.
On the way back to the parking lot we stop for a moment at the King George V Memorial, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyen, and dedicated by George VI on 23 April 1937. As we drive back past Windsor Castle, heading home, I wonder what it is like to live here, with the heavy police presence today, and guess that most of the people in this part of town are tourists, like us. 
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