Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is a royal residence in England. It is located in the county of Berkshire and dates to the eleventh century. Windsor is the largest occupied castle in the world and serves as a private home for the King and Queen; an official royal residence, which is the site of many functions involving matters of state; and a repository for the Royal Archives and Royal Photograph Collection, among other collections.

The castle has been renovated, reconstructed, and altered many times in its nearly nine hundred years of existence. Many important monarchs are entombed in the chapels, and the castle contains a vast collection of priceless art and artifacts. At the same time, it is the King’s weekend retreat and the site of many traditional functions. For a month in the spring, the late Queen Elizabeth II would take up official residence at Windsor Castle, at times hosting guests during this Easter Court.

Background

An early royal residence stood at Windsor during the ninth century, but little is known about early structures. About 1070, William the Conqueror, the Norman king who invaded England in 1066, selected the site to construct a royal residence that would also serve to protect London from the west. The castle had easy access to the capital and was adjacent to a royal hunting forest, which made it ideal for the monarch. The raised earthen mound and stockade he had constructed on the site was completed in sixteen years.

Henry II (reigned 1154–1189) replaced the mound and stockade with the Round Tower and replaced the outer timber walls with stone, transforming the residence into a palace. He added both a small private residence for himself and a set of royal apartments serving as the official state residence. Upgrades to the perimeter continued over six decades. Henry III (r. 1216–1272) completed parts of the lower ward and the south wall during the thirteenth century. He also had a chapel built in the lower ward, though it was later replaced by the Albert Memorial Chapel, a tribute to the husband of Queen Victoria (r. 1837–1901).

Edward III (r. 1327–1377) spent heavily on transforming the fortification, turning Windsor into a gothic palace. Beginning in 1357, he had William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, oversee the remodel of the fortresses in the upper ward for use as royal residential apartments. Apartments for the King and Queen were remodeled, with inner courtyards easily accessible. An inner gatehouse with towers was also added. Windsor Castle’s residential wing remained largely unchanged for three centuries. Major repairs were needed, however, during the reign of Elizabeth I (r. 1558–1603). She also built a long gallery overlooking the North Terrace, which, during the nineteenth century, was incorporated into the library.

Charles II (r. 1660–1685), George III (r. 1760–1820), and George IV (r. 1820–1830) later further altered the residential apartments for monarchs and favored guests. Charles II added expensive tapestries and textiles, creating magnificent baroque State Apartments. George III added a music room and dining room and appointed James Wyatt to recreate the castle’s exterior. This work continued into the nineteenth century.

George IV and Sir Charles Long decided the castle needed to make a stronger exterior statement and added masonry to the walls. They also increased the height of the Round Tower by about 30 feet (9 meters) and added towers and battlements. The Grand Corridor gallery was added, the entrance to the State Apartments was replaced with a more formidable entrance and staircase, and the Waterloo Chamber and extended St. George’s Hall were created. The King also brought in advisers to furnish the interiors of the new spaces, which were decorated in French Empire style.

Queen Victoria made few changes beyond reconstructing the Grand Staircase, the Royal Mews, and the riding school. She also added a private chapel, which, in November 1992, was the site of a fast-moving fire that destroyed and damaged multiple rooms. King Charles III (r. 2022- ) announced plans to modernize Windsor Castle with an eye on sustainability, installing solar panels, decreasing natural gas emissions, and installing energy efficient light fixtures.

Overview

The castle occupies 13 acres (5 hectares) of ground and overlooks the River Thames. Because of its long history and many additions and renovations, Windsor Castle features multiple architectural styles, including Gothic, Victorian, and Georgian. It is a medieval structure with reinterpretations of Gothic style from later eras.

Gothic architecture arose from the mid-twelfth century to the sixteenth century, when building knowledge was limited. Structures such as stone castles were cold, damp, and dark. Gothic architecture attempts to open up spaces to make them feel airy and less oppressive. It advances from simple functionality to aesthetics through grand designs. With the development of new building techniques, stone buildings did not have to be short to avoid collapse from the weight of the floors above. Architecture soared to new heights, literally and figuratively, on the strength of the flying buttress. This consists of a solid pier or buttress that takes the weight of a straight inclined bar carried on an arch. Examples of these are seen on St. George’s Chapel. It was completed in 1528 and restored during the 1920s. It is an example of perpendicular Gothic-style architecture, which is characterized by strong vertical lines.

Victorian architecture dates from much of the eighteenth century, while Georgian architecture dates from the eighteenth century into the early nineteenth century. During this era, architects reinterpreted antiquated styles but had greater opportunities due to new building methods. Cast iron and steel, for example, were newly employed in building construction.

The castle comprises the massive central Round Tower flanked by two quadrilateral-shaped complexes known as courts. The court to the west of the Round Tower is the lower ward, while the eastern court is the upper ward. The upper ward contains the monarch’s private apartments. State apartments, including the Waterloo Chamber and St. George’s Hall, are intended for visitors and are also in the upper ward. The ward also includes the grand reception room and royal library.

The northeast section of the upper ward was destroyed in the 1992 fire. While paintings and many furnishings were saved, more than one hundred rooms were destroyed or damaged. Reconstruction was completed in 1997 and much of the castle was opened to visitors. An estimated 1.5 million people tour Windsor Castle each year. Among areas open to the public are the State Apartments and St. George’s Chapel, though the latter is closed to visitors on Sundays due to church services.

Bibliography

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Brindle, Steven. Windsor Castle: A Thousand Years of a Royal Palace. Royal Collection Trust, 2018.

Hatfield-Chiotti, Casey and Elizabeth Rhodes. “20 Famous Castles Everyone Should Visit at Least Once.” Travel and Leisure, 16 June 2020, www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/worlds-most-visited-castles?slide=160770#160770. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.

“Highlights of Windsor Castle.” Royal Collection Trust, www.rct.uk/visit/windsor-castle/highlights-of-windsor-castle. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.

Keys, David. “Fascinating Images Show Original Windsor Castle After It was Built to Defend Against Medieval Home Counties.” Independent, 29 Apr. 2018, www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/windsor-castle-original-size-reconstruction-medieval-fortress-a8321766.html. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.

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Stavrou, Athena. “Solar Panel Castles and Biofuel Bentleys: King Charles’s Royal Palaces Go Green in his First Year as Monarch.” Independent, 24 July 2024, www.the-independent.com/news/uk/home-news/king-charles-green-sovereign-grant-report-b2584542.html. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.

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“Windsor Castle Facts and History.” Famous Castles, www.famouscastles.net/list-of-famous-castles/windsor-castle. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.