Windsor Castle
From Londonhua WIKI
Windsor Castle
 Windsor Castle Upper Ward Quadrangle. | |
| Windsor Castle | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Attributed to Diliff |
| Year | 2006 |
| Location | Windsor, England |
Overview
Windsor Castle is a royal residence located in Windsor, England. The castle was built in the 11th century after the Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror. Since Henry I, the castle has been used by the reigning monarchs making it the longest occupied palace in Europe. It was originally designed to protect against Norman attacks. It is still to this day used as a venue for hosting state visits. Windsor Castle is the weekend home of Elizabeth II.
Contents
Background
History
Windsor Castle first came to fruition during the reign of William the Conqueror when he chose its location. He decided the best place for it would be above the Thames River next to the Saxon hunting grounds and construction began around 1070 AD. It was completed in 1086, sixteen years later. It was originally built to ensure safety on London’s western front, but it also made excellent hunting grounds with a close distance to the capital. The Castle was first kept as a place of residence for King Henry I in 1110 and was then converted into a palace by King Henry II. During King Henry II’s reign, he built two sets of royal apartments spectate from each other, changed the wood fortifications into stone for better defense, and continued to fix the outer perimeters. The final major improvement was created by King Henry III when he built the large chapel. [1]
Residents who made major modifications
- Edward III
- The Tudors
- Charles II
- George III
- George IV
- Queen Victoria
State Apartments
Queen Mary's Dolls' House
 | |
| Credit: | Rob Sangster [2] |
|---|---|
Queen Mary's Dolls' House is the largest and most famous dolls' house in the world. It was built for Queen Mary by British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, starting in 1921 and finishing in 1924. It includes contributions from over one thousand five hundred of the finest artists, craftsmen, and manufacturers of the early 1900s. The dolls' house is exquisitely detailed; It includes a garden, wine cellar, garage, dining room, kitchen, entrance hall, library, strong room, saloon, a bedroom and sitting room for the Queen, a bedroom and bathroom for the King, two nurseries, a linen room, and several staircases. The house has electricity, running hot and cold water, and working lifts. Every room is fully furnished, including miniature printed books, tiny hand-painted portraits, and real silver dinnerware[3].
St. George's Chapel
 | |
| Photograph Credit: | Emily Wilson |
|---|---|
The College of St. George was founded in 1348 by Edward III as a symbol of devotion to the church. The chapel was originally the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor however in the 13th century it was rededicated to St. George who is England's patron saint. It was built in the Gothic style of architecture which has lines that draw your eyes upwards towards the heavens.
[4] The church remains active today with three different services each day. Among the many different memorial slabs, one in the quire (in between the choir stalls) includes King Henry VIII and Queen Jane Seymour from the 16th century.
The Changing of the Guard
Weather permitting, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at about 11:00 am the changing of the guard takes place. The guard first parades through the town outside of the castle and then enters the castle. The ceremony takes place by St. George's Chapel, and it is accompanied by a Regimental Band and a a Corps of Drums. It is considered a privilege to guard the Sovereign and it belongs to the Household Troops, commonly known as 'the Guards'. The entire ceremony takes approximately 45 minutes to complete and at the conclusion, the retired guard returns to the Victoria Barracks.[5]
The Gift Shops
There are 4 gift shops for Windsor Castle which are located around the enormous fortress. They offer cute souvenirs such as Royal Guard teddy bears, royally dresses corgis and children costumes. You can also purchase homeware, china, clothing and jewellery, children’s toys, books and postcards. The revenue from every purchase contributes directly to the care of the Royal Collection, which is held in trust by The Queen for her successors and the nation.
Scenery
The Scenery in and around Windsor Castle is spectacular. The building itself is well maintained giving the castle its natural feel. The greenery around Windsor Castle is also something that catches ones eye. Especially the moat garden, which is the the most beautiful of all. It is fulled with well trimmed grass and decorated with flowers that reach up to the surrendering towers. It makes one stop to admire its beauty when passing by.
References
- ↑ Who built Windsor Castle? (n.d.). Retrieved June 13, 2017, from https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/windsorcastle/about/who-built-the-castle
- ↑ By Rob Sangster [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
- ↑ Lambton, L. (2009). The Queen's Dolls' House. Royal Collection.
- ↑ A short History of St George's. (n.d.). Retrieved June 12, 2017, from https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/about-st-georges/history.html
- ↑ Changing the Guard at Windsor Castle. (2017). Royalcollection.org.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2017, from https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/windsorcastle/what-to-see-and-do/the-changing-the-guard
External Links
Windsor Castle - Royal Collection Trust
Image Gallery
If appropriate, add an image gallery