A Brief History of Windsor Castle in England – Windsor Castle is almost as famous as its residents, including the late Queen Elizabeth II. This amazing house is the longest inhabited palace in the world. Home to 40 English monarchs over nearly 1,000 years, it served as a prison during the Civil War in the mid-17th century, a gathering place for politicians and nobles, and a fort during several major wars.
A Brief History of Windsor Castle in England
lxnews – The castle is back in the spotlight after the fourth episode of Netflix’s The Crown Season 5, “Anus Horibilis”, aired. The huge fire burned down 115 rooms in the castle, including the nine main rooms. With so much attention paid to Windsor, it seems appropriate to explore the history of this beloved royal residence.
early days
William the Conqueror first built Windsor Castle in 1070 on a plot of fertile land above the River Thames on the edge of Saxon hunting grounds. The castle took 16 years to complete and was part of a ring of defenses built to protect London in the motte and bailey castle design popular at the time. Windsor quickly became a popular residence for the royal family, with mansions built and William’s grandson, Henry II, converting the castle into a luxurious palace with two royal apartments, one of which was a public residence. For apartment living and personal use.
Reign of Elizabeth I
The King’s mansion remained largely unchanged throughout the 17th century and into the Tudor period, with the exception of St Mary’s Chapel. George was originally built on the orders of Edward IV and completed by the famous Henry VIII. After Elizabeth I moved in in the mid-16th century, she oversaw extensive renovations to the castle when its condition began to deteriorate. He also added a long kitchen so he could walk around whatever the weather, and it later became part of the Windsor Royal Library. Nearly a century later, Charles I was responsible for establishing Windsor’s renowned art collection, and many of his finds are still on display today.
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English Civil War
During the English Civil War in the mid-17th century, Oliver Cromwell and Parliament captured the castle and, with Charles I, turned it into a royalist political headquarters and prison. Carvings of captured royalists can still be seen. After regaining the English monarchy, Charles II brought Baroque luxury and grandeur to the interior of Windsor Castle, filling it with luxurious tapestries and some of the world’s finest textiles. He also built the Long Walk, a 2.5 mile passage from the palace to the Great Gardens. This walkway still provides a dramatic entrance for visitors, further demonstrating the luxury of royal life.
Queen Victoria enters
During Queen Victoria’s stay at Windsor, extensive renovations to the palace’s exterior reflecting George IV’s grand vision and interior additions, including a dedicated music room, made the palace even more famous and beautiful. The famous Waterloo Room was also built to commemorate Napoleon’s defeat against the British at the famous Battle of Waterloo.
During the reign of Queen Victoria, St. George was chosen as the palace symbol for the royal funeral held on the roof of Westminster Abbey. And because the Queen spends most of her time at Windsor, the palace itself is the center of the British monarchy. . An interesting project was the addition of the now iconic private chapel, which tragically burned down along with the rest of the Windsor home on November 20, 1992.
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Windsor Castle fire
A fire broke out in Queen Victoria’s private chapel, where a faulty spotlight allegedly ignited the altar curtain. From there the fire spread to St. Louis. Mary’s Hall. George ended up destroying hundreds of rooms in the castle. Queen Elizabeth, who was celebrating her 45th wedding anniversary with Prince Philip at one of his villas when the fire broke out, rushed to the castle to oversee efforts to save the priceless royal heirloom.
More than 1.5 million gallons of water were said to have been used to extinguish the fire as firefighters and officials tried to remove works of art, including works by Leonardo da Vinci and Rembrandt, from the destroyed site. Only two works of art were destroyed in the fire: a rosewood sideboard and a very large painting by Sir William Beechey. The Duke of Edinburgh led a five-year restoration process that adopted a modern Gothic design approach. The repairs are finally complete.
Windsor Castle today
Windsor Castle is still loved by the British royal family and holds many happy memories. Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret often hid in the palace during World War II, sometimes sleeping in the cellars during air raids. The royal family knew how much Adolf Hitler loved Windsor Castle and would never have bombed it just because he wanted to keep it for himself. To create your own English home. Windsor is a place full of fond memories for the Queen, including the holiday celebrations that still take place at Windsor, weekends spent with her family and her Corgi dog, and the Royal Windsor Horse Show and Races (where she held horse races). Also. There are many interesting events like fans).
The Queen spends most of her private weekends at Windsor, attending Royal Ascot and Order of the Garter services in the month around Easter and for a week in June each year. The castle hosts the perfect state dinner and has been open to the public since 1925.
