Windsor Castle: history and amazing facts. The Windsor Monarchs' Residence is the largest castle in the world.
Windsor castle, England - is rightfully considered the most romantic attraction in the country, according to the travel portal Tripadvisor. According to the Guinness Book of Records, this is the largest castle in the world. Even if you have never been to, you have probably heard about it.
It has been the residence of the royal family for over 900 years. It impresses even the most sophisticated travelers. In scope, sophistication and grandeur, no castles in the Czech Republic, Austria or Poland can be compared with it.
This is not a "dead" attraction, all year round there is life here. Solemn receptions of high-ranking guests from other countries, balls, diplomatic meetings are held here.
According to Queen Elizabeth II, this stone giant is her favorite, it is inferior even to Buckingham Palace.
But due to the tight schedule, it is possible to live here only two months a year (usually May and June).
It's nice that the castle, despite the fact that he lives in it The Royal Family, is open to the prying eyes of tourists. However, it is not an official museum.
Construction history of Windsor Castle
The state cloister was built in 1066 when the legendary William the Conqueror conquered the British Isles. All the buildings erected in those days had two goals: to prevent the invasion of the conquerors at any cost and to intimidate them.
During its 900-year history, the castle was rebuilt and strengthened many times, depending on the tastes of the owners and their financial capabilities. Under Henry of Anjou, the castle was fortified with walls made of durable stone. Subsequent monarchs gradually rebuilt existing structures. Although they look the same from the front, the interior layout looks significantly different.
The heyday of the castle - XIV and XV centuries. Large-scale construction of new buildings, strengthening the main wall and old buildings, protecting them from destruction.
In the 17th century, French became the standard of construction, King Charles II kept pace with the times, many buildings were reconstructed in the Baroque style, and an English garden was laid out. Most of all tried George IV. During his reign, the castle appeared great amount decorative elements. Thanks to him, numerous buildings from different eras turned into a harmonious architectural ensemble that strikes the imagination.
Panoramic tour of the castle
After a fire in 1992, a significant restoration took place, which brought modern elements of decoration to the interior of the castle. For example, the new interior of the Historical Hall. Much is associated with the castle. mysterious stories and legends.
Apart from the living royal family, like any ancient building in England, it known for a rich collection of ghosts: the unfortunate wife of Henry VIII Anne Boleyn was seen in the library, he himself was seen in the endless corridors of the castle.
Castle scheme
- A. Round Tower
- B. Upper Houses, The Quadrangle (as this courtyard is known)
- C. The State Apartments
- D. Royal apartments, view of the east terrace
- E. South Wing, overlooking The Long Walk
- F. Lower houses
- G. Chapel of St. George
- H. Horseshoe arcade
- L. The Long Walk
- K. Gate of King Henry VIII (main entrance to the castle)
- M. Norman Gate
- N. North Terrace
- O. Tower of Edward III
- T. The Curfew Tower
Features when visiting
You can easily purchase a ticket for a tour of the castle. Set aside a whole day for this. You are unlikely to be able to go around a huge territory in a couple of hours, and the impressions will not be the same. The ticket price includes a visit to the palace and surrounding areas, an audio guide (available in Russian) and a half-hour guided tour in a group. Despite the fact that this place is one of the main attractions of the country, there are no crowds of tourists here like in the British Museum. Tours are well organised. Silence is required from visitors.
The tour begins with the Round Tower, the tallest building in the castle. This is the same legendary place where King Arthur sat with his knights at the round table.
If the personal standard of Elizabeth II is developing on the Round Tower, then at present it is in the palace.
After visiting the courtyard, the tour group will proceed to Queen Mary's doll house. Here are presented partly toys, partly exhibition pieces, partly beautiful models of how the monarchs lived in the palace throughout their 900-year history. The most favorite exhibition of children, there are a lot of them here.
St. George's Hall is another interesting place in the castle. Be sure to pay attention to the ceiling, there are heraldic symbols of knights, among them there are three Russian coats of arms: Alexander I, II and Nicholas I. They were also knighted.
Be sure to take a walk in the magnificent park adjacent to the territory. If you're lucky, you might see the changing of the guard.
Practical Information
How to get to Windsor Castle: The best way is by train, which follows from the notorious King's Cross Station.
Opening hours: from May to October from 9:30 to 17:30, closed at other times of the year.
Entrance tickets to the monastery of antiquity, ghosts and the royal crown are best purchased on the train. Significantly save time, at the entrance there is a long line at the cashier. The cost is £15 for adults.
Address: Windsor, Windsor and Maidenhead SL4 1NJ, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7766 7304
1. Windsor Castle has been the summer residence of British monarchs since 1666.
2. Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited in the world. People have lived in it continuously since its construction almost 1000 years ago.
3. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II spends most weekends in the castle, Easter holidays and a week during Royal Ascot, she considers Buckingham Palace an office!
4. The city of Windsor receives more than 1 million people a year, 35% of which are foreign tourists. For half of all visitors to the city, the visit is not the first. 
5. More than 300 people work in the castle, 150 of whom live within the castle wall.
6. The castle was built by William the Conquistador in 1066.
7. It is authentically known that the Royal Family rented the land on which the castle was built for 12 shillings a year for 5 centuries from the lords on whose land the castle was built.
8. The width of the castle walls in some places is 4 meters.
9. The castle is located on a high hill above the Thames and occupies a strategic position in the defensive ring of London, the center of which is the Tower.
10. The loopholes are very narrow and high, the inside is much wider than the outside, which provides good shelling and protection. Altitude allows you to aim with an upward angle and increase the distance to the target.
11. The territory of the castle is 5.26 hectares and is a defensive fortress.
12. There are rumors that from the castle to the city there are numerous secret tunnels to various buildings. But despite the fact that several underground catacombs were discovered under the main street of the city, the existence of only one tunnel leading in the opposite direction from the city has been proven. It was used during the retreat and surprise attack from behind.
13. It is believed that the greatest changes in the appearance and layout of the castle were made during the reign of King Edward III between 1344 and 1348 with the money of prisoners who were kept in the castle at that time and who constantly complained about poor living conditions. 
14. The Queen, as head of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, often meets guests at Windsor Castle and holds banquets in St. George's Hall. The City of Windsor is decorated with national flags and banners for the occasion, and the Queen accompanies high-ranking guests in a procession through the city.
15. The national flag of the United Kingdom (“Union Jack”) flies over the castle all the time, since technically the castle is a fortress. At the time when the queen arrives, the fortress becomes the royal palace and therefore the British flag is changed to the royal standard (the personal flag of the monarch of Great Britain). About 20 minutes before the queen arrives at the castle, the flagship climbs the steps to the top of the Round Tower. A telephone is installed at the top of the tower in case the Queen is delayed. The flagship watches the queen's approach through binoculars. He raises the royal flag as soon as the queen enters the castle grounds. Now the queen is officially in residence. 
16. The size of the ceremonial royal flag is 11.58 x 5.79 m. It takes two people to raise it. This flag is used in special holidays such as the Queen's official birthday (2nd Saturday in June), her actual birthday (April 21st), the day the Order of the Armband was awarded. Sometimes even in such important days the ceremonial flag is not raised due to strong winds. The small royal standard is flown on the queen's vehicle during official travel.
17. In Windsor Castle and the surrounding area there are 450 clocks from miniature gold to huge, located on the tower opposite the cricket pavilion. When Britain switches to summer time the royal watchmaker needs 16 hours to set the hands of all clocks forward an hour, but to set them to winter time even more time is needed, up to 18 hours, because All clocks need to be moved forward 11 hours.
18. The fire at Windsor Castle happened in November 1992 during the celebration of the 45th wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and Philip Duke of Edinburgh. The fire was extinguished by 250 firefighters for 16 hours. It took 1.5 million liters of water, which was pumped directly from the Thames.
19. Adolf Hitler liked Windsor Castle and wanted to make it his home after conquering England. That is why the castle was not bombarded during World War II.
Address: UK, Windsor
Date of construction: around 1070
Architect: Hugh May
Coordinates: 51°29"02.0"N 0°36"16.0"W
In the county of Berkshire, which is known to every inhabitant of Foggy Albion, rises the most beautiful castle England. Moreover, according to many opinion polls, it is also the most beautiful castle in the whole world.
Castle from a bird's eye view
There is nothing surprising in this, because the Queen of Great Britain and members of her family currently live in it.. Naturally, the former power of the English monarchs has long since sunk into the past, but the queen, princes and their wives still live in indescribable luxury today. The thing is that the family of monarchs, even in the 21st century, is considered a symbol of Foggy Albion.
For those who are not familiar with the political structure of Great Britain, it is worth clarifying that all power in the country is concentrated in the hands of the Prime Minister and Parliament. However, the presence of the queen at all solemn events and many official receptions are considered mandatory. It is for this reason that monarchs still live in the most beautiful castle in the world and enjoy a huge number of privileges. It may not be entirely appropriate to draw a parallel between members of the royal family and the heraldic symbols of the country, but it is precisely such a comparison that most fully reflects the constitutional and parliamentary monarchical system in England. According to the most authoritative politicians, this model of governing the country is the most effective and, at the same time, allows the UK to demonstrate its luxury and wealth to all countries of the world.
View of the castle from the Long Walk
Luxury and wealth - these are the two definitions that perfectly characterize Windsor Castle and the luxurious park adjacent to it. It is in this majestic architectural structure, located on a high hill, on one of the banks of the huge Thames, that the Queen of England arranges magnificent receptions and fulfills the obligations assigned to her by the people. Any tourist who is lucky enough to get to Windsor Castle will be able to familiarize himself with all these obligations.
The residence of the monarchs of England, which is still quite often called "The Winding Shores", is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest in our entire country. huge planet lock. Its dimensions are 580x165 meters. In addition, Windsor Castle is of genuine interest to travelers due to the fact that this oldest building in Foggy Albion has not turned into a museum and is not a “dead” attraction: it is still full of life. The Queen receives high-ranking guests of the country in it, signs some government documents and demonstrates the prosperity of the monarchy in the United Kingdom.
View of (left to right) Lancaster Tower, King George IV Gate, York Tower
It would seem that Windsor Castle, which is the current residence of the royal family, should be closed from prying eyes. However, many of its premises, in which the queen, her son and grandchildren do not live, are available for inspection, but, at the same time, do not officially belong to any museum.
Visiting Windsor Castle is the dream of hundreds of thousands of tourists, however, not all of them manage to get into the residence of the Queen of Great Britain. Crowds of tourists are not typical for the halls of the castle in Windsor. Tours around it are ordered and guests are required to observe silence, because we are talking about a place where Her Majesty receives numerous heads of other states.
In many ways mass media In England, you can find statements by Queen Elizabeth II of Windsor herself: in them she admits that the largest castle in the world is her favorite residence. She even visits the majestic Buckingham Palace much less frequently than the castle in Berkshire. Before dwelling on the history of the emergence and construction windsor castle, I would like to clarify that the Queen of Great Britain lives in her favorite residence only two months a year: in the middle of spring (in April) and in early summer (in June). This only says that the Queen's "work schedule" is quite tight.
View of the Edward III Tower
Windsor Castle - history and construction
The construction of Windsor Castle began during the reign of the legendary William the Conqueror, who, thanks to his talent as a strategist, was able to conquer all the British Isles in 1066. As is known from history, William the Conqueror was born a warrior (which, in principle, is clear from his nickname), the world of beauty was alien to him. During his reign, all the buildings that were erected on the territory of the British Isles were intended only for two purposes: to intimidate the Anglo-Saxons and prevent the enemy army from invading the conquered territory.
At the place where the favorite residence of the Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth II of Windsor now rises, an embankment appeared in the shortest possible time. On this artificial hill, William the Conqueror orders the construction of a small wooden outpost. It was impossible to withstand a long siege or assault in it: a small army was in it only to monitor one of the roads that led to London. In the event of an invasion by an enemy army, messengers from a wooden fortress would immediately report what was happening to the capital, from which a huge army would move towards the enemy. By and large, the strategically important object was an ordinary observation post.
View of St. George's Gate
By the way, it was under William the Conqueror that the construction of the main attraction of modern Great Britain began - the gloomy Tower. After 100 years, Henry of Anjou decides to strengthen the building erected by William the Conqueror, and builds walls of durable stone around the wooden premises. In addition, a donjon appears in the courtyard with him, which is a round tower.
In this form, the architectural structure stood until 1350, until the time when Edward III ascended the throne. By the way, he was born in the same fortification. By his order, many old buildings were destroyed, the artificial hill was strengthened, and in the very center of the fortress, the workers partially rebuilt the so-called “Round Tower”. Surprisingly, the architectural structure, erected by order of Edward III, has survived to this day. Naturally, it would be presumptuous to say that a modern tourist will be able to see it in its original form.
Round Tower
Over time, the central castle was rebuilt and strengthened several times. By the way, even under Edward III, the deepest moat was dug around the castle in Windsor. It was supposed to be filled with water to create another barrier for the enemy army. This idea failed: as mentioned above, the hill was artificial, so the earth in it let the water through, which flowed into the Thames.
Edward III, whose fate was inextricably linked with Windsor Castle, participated with his army in many wars. He went down in history not only due to the beginning of the construction of the largest stone castle in the world, but also due to the fact that he legitimized the Order of the Garter. From the name of the order, it becomes clear that Edward III tried to live according to the laws established at one time by King Arthur. The title of "knight" was not an empty phrase for Edward III. As is known from history, the knight who won the tournament received a garter as a reward. beautiful lady, hence the name of the order, approved by the monarch and played a huge role in establishing the power of the king in Foggy Albion.
View of the tower of Henry VIII
The heyday of Windsor Castle fell on the 14th and 15th centuries. The church was built during this period. By the way, its construction continued during the reign of two kings at once: Edward IV and Henry VIII. The ashes of the last of them still rest on the grounds of Windsor Castle. It is worth clarifying that the tomb of the kings is located in the chapel of St. George. It is the second largest in the entire United Kingdom. It is in it that the most prominent English monarchs find eternal rest. At the moment, Queen Mary, Queen Alexandra, Henry VIII, Charles I and other no less famous august persons are buried here.
In 1666, King Charles II began extensive construction of new buildings at Windsor Castle and ordered the restoration of the old buildings, which had already begun to collapse as a result of the inexorable passage of time. Architects of that time took the beautiful Palace of Versailles, located in France, as a model for the construction of a luxurious country residence of monarchs. During the reign of Charles II, on the territory adjacent to the castle, many gardens were planted with stunning shady alleys.
Henry VIII Gate
Before continuing the history of the construction of Windsor Castle, perhaps we should go back a little in time and dwell on one terrible event that overshadowed the entire history of the most magnificent architectural structure. In 1648, by order of Oliver Cromwell, Windsor Castle was captured and used as the headquarters of his army. It was this year that Charles I was executed in the castle, where Elizabeth II is now enjoying life. By the way, they buried him right in the same place where they took his life. From the beginning of this subsection, it becomes clear that the power of the monarchs was restored already 12 years after the execution of the king.
After the departure of Charles II, who made an invaluable contribution to the construction of the majestic Windsor Castle, the kings of England for some reason forget about a country residence until 1820. At the beginning of the 19th century, the son of George III ascended the throne, who first of all gave the order, by the way, approved by Parliament without delay, on the restoration and significant expansion of Windsor Castle.
Statue of Queen Victoria with Salisbury Tower in the background
The son of George III ruled for only 10 years, but during this period of time, the architects and workers hired by him completely reconstructed the old castle and literally turned it into a luxurious palace before our very eyes.
Modern experts claim that Windsor Castle, which was reconstructed and expanded from 1820 to 1830, was built in the Gothic style. In their words, of course, there is some truth, but authoritative architects have a slightly different opinion, the castle was built in two styles at once: neo-Gothic (New Gothic style) and romantic styles. A huge number of decorative elements appeared, the height of the towers increased significantly. brilliant architects and the engineers of that time developed a unique plan of its kind, thanks to which numerous buildings dating from different eras, have turned into a magnificent ensemble, striking the imagination with its luxury.
View of the Commandant's Tower
Windsor Castle - tour of the royal residence
Modern tourists who came to get acquainted with architectural styles Windsor Castle, its interior decoration and treasures and a magnificent garden, you should definitely purchase an audio guide on its territory. It is worth noting that the tour of Windsor Castle will take the whole day. It is the audio guide, which, by the way, is also offered in Russian, will allow you to see all the main sights of the largest castle in the world and not miss anything interesting and worthy of attention.
Through the gates of Windsor Castle, the tourist will enter the courtyard, in which rises the very famous "Round Tower", built by order of Henry II and rebuilt by Edward III. By the way, in this tower, Edward II held meetings of knights at the legendary round table, invented by King Arthur. It is also interesting that from this tower you can find out whether Elizabeth II of Windsor is in her favorite residence, or in this moment she is absent. If the Queen of Great Britain stays at Windsor Castle, her personal standard develops on the round tower in the wind.
Chapel of St. George
After visiting the courtyard of Windsor Castle, the audio guide will advise you to visit a real doll house dedicated to Queen Mary. It is in this building that you can see tourists who come to see this attraction with children. True, all these dolls are not toys and even museum exhibits. Mary's Dollhouse is an exhibition that allows a visitor to Windsor Castle to get an idea of how monarchs lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After visiting the Doll's House, where many people stay for quite a long time, the guests of the castle go on a journey through its halls. The halls of Windsor Castle are a real exhibition of paintings by the most famous and most talented artists in the world. The walls of the halls are decorated with paintings by Van Dyck, Raphael, Rembrandt, Van Gogh and other equally famous and legendary painters. Naturally, it’s not even worth emphasizing that all the paintings are originals, because the material is about the favorite residence of the Queen of Great Britain.
Norman gate
Of particular interest to all tourists without exception is the hall of St. George, or rather its ceiling. It depicts the heraldic symbols of the knights belonging to the Order of the Garter. By the way, on the ceiling of the hall of St. George, you can see three Russian coats of arms at once: Alexander I, Alexander II and Nicholas I. All these three Russian emperors were knighted and entered the legendary Order of the Garter. Their initiation took place in the Throne Room of Windsor Castle, which is located just behind St. George's Hall. After being knighted, new members of the Order of the Garter proceeded to Waterloo Hall for a formal dinner.
Another interesting and luxurious building is the chapel of St. George. As mentioned above, the most famous monarchs who once played a key role in the formation of the United Kingdom are buried in it. It is not possible to describe all its luxurious decoration in words. It seems that all the decorative elements and even the walls are made of precious metals and inlaid with precious stones.
Left to right: Queen's Tower, Clarence Tower, Chester Tower, Prince of Wales Tower
By the way, this impression is not deceptive: during the construction of the Church of St. George, which is listed in many guidebooks as the "Temple of the Order of the Garter", expensive gold and silver marble was used. In the chapel of St. George, the queen herself and the heir to the throne, who up to a certain point was Prince Charles, are present at the service. Even if a tourist enters the chapel during the service, he will not be able to see the queen and her heir.
At the back of the temple are two booths that are covered from prying eyes with thick cloth. It is impossible to guess where the queen is sitting and where the prince is. If only because the answer to this question, even after the end of the service, will not be given. By and large, this is one of the most luxurious premises of Windsor Castle, of course, it will not be possible to enter the premises where the queen lives. Elizabeth II forbids even taking photos of her inner chambers.
View of the Arsenal Tower
Windsor Castle - tourist memo
After visiting the accessible rooms of Windsor Castle, do not rush to the hotel. Inexpressible luxury can also be seen in the gardens laid out on the territory adjacent to the architectural structure.
Windsor Castle is open seasonally (March to October) from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm. You can enter it no later than at 16.00. In winter, the castle closes for visitors at 16.15. As already mentioned at the very beginning of the article, silence is required from visitors to the largest castle in the world and the favorite residence of Queen Elizabeth II of Windsor. Peace and order are monitored by the royal guard. The same guard that is depicted in many paintings and photographs by professional artists. By the way, the changing of the guard of the royal guard at Windsor Castle is a real performance, not to see which would be an unforgivable mistake.
Entry to Windsor Castle is free of charge. An adult ticket costs £14.5, children can visit the royal residence for £8. There is also a so-called "family ticket", the cost of which is 34.5 pounds sterling: it involves visiting Windsor Castle for two adults and one child.
Castle courtyard
The best way to get to Windsor Castle is by train. By the way, at the railway ticket offices you can immediately purchase tickets to visit one of the main attractions of the UK. In this case, it will not be possible to save money, but time will work out. The thing is that there are two entrances intended for tourists to Windsor Castle. Travelers who have purchased a ticket at the box office near the castle enter one of them, and the second one - at the railway ticket office. The queue for the last entrance is much shorter than for the first one. Queen Elizabeth II of Windsor, of course, enters her residence through a separate entrance, so it will not work to face Her Majesty in line at the castle.
Great Britain has a huge number of ancient, beautiful castles. Basically, we know the castles of Scotland and Wales, which is not so developed in terms of tourism. But in England there are some very interesting and ancient castles. Chief among them is, of course, the ancient summer residence of the royal family - Windsor Castle.
Windsor Castle is located just 20 kilometers from London, so we could not miss visiting it during our New Year's trip.
You can get to Windsor by train from Paddington Station or Waterloo Station.
The city is located on the picturesque banks of the Thames and has long been loved by the royal family. Windsor was founded by William the Conqueror. It is believed that already in the XII century, Windsor Castle, which is the main attraction of the city, was built of stone. At that time, such buildings, even for royal residences, were quite rare. Each successive English monarch rebuilt the castle and added new halls. So for almost 900 centuries of its existence, Windsor Castle has accumulated many royal relics and acquired the form that it has now.
I was immediately struck by the amazing similarity of the Windsor Castle with the Vorontsov Palace in Alupka. This is not surprising, since the architect who designed the Vorontsov Palace, Edward Blore, also took part in the next restructuring of Windsor Castle.
Windsor reached its peak during the Middle Ages: the kings spent huge fortunes on this city, due to which the well-being of ordinary citizens grew. Also closely connected with Windsor is the history of the emergence of one of the oldest knightly orders in Great Britain - the Order of the Garter, which appeared in 1348. King Edward III was passionate about the history of knights, and even planned to build a special room in Windsor Castle where one could recreate round table the legendary King Arthur.
Once at a ball he was dancing with a noble lady who had dropped her garter. Edward III picked it up and tied it around his arm. Immediately after that, he announced the creation of a knightly order of garter, which would be awarded to the most worthy representatives of the kingdom. The blue ribbon became the symbol of the order, to which was later added the sign of St. George, who is the patron saint of all soldiers. This high award were awarded to almost all Russian emperors, starting with Alexander I.
They say that at one time Peter I refused such an honor, because he believed that in this way he would become a British subject. Solemn knighting of this order is still held every June in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. King Henry VIII is buried in this cathedral along with his mother. only son Jane Seymour. Prince Albert was later buried here. By the way, the current ruling royal dynasty named after this amazing place Windsor.
As soon as you move away from the station, you can see a monument to Queen Victoria in a small square near the high walls of the castle. It was erected in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of her reign. The place was not chosen by chance. Here she spent her honeymoon with Prince Albert, they spent a lot of time in this castle, and later, after the death of her husband, the dowager queen finally moved to Windsor. She traveled to London only on business.
In the middle of the 19th century, part of the royal chambers was opened to the public.
Despite the fact that some time later Windsor was forgotten by the monarchs, during the Second World War, the little princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were brought here. They waited out hard times for the whole world in this castle, while their parents stayed in London and tried to support their people. With her accession to the throne, Elizabeth II announced that Windsor Castle would be her holiday residence, now she spends quite a lot of time there and even receives important guests.
Entrance to the castle grounds costs about 20 pounds. At first we had to stand in a short queue, because there are a lot of tourists in Windsor. The ticket comes with an audio guide in Russian, which made our visit to the castle very interesting.
After we passed through the gates of the castle, the ancient Round Tower appeared before us. This is one of the few buildings in Windsor that have survived from the Middle Ages. When Elizabeth II arrives at the castle, the royal flag is raised above the Round Tower. After a long reconstruction, it was finally made accessible to tourists and now you can enjoy views of the city and the park from its walls.
The tower also houses a bell made in Moscow and captured by British troops during Crimean War in the Sevastopol. He calls only in the event of the death of the monarch.
A stunning panorama of the surroundings opens from the platform near the palace.
Then we went to the halls available for tourists. Most of them are still in use royal family. Of course, visitors are not allowed into the queen's bedrooms and private rooms, but other halls can be explored.
The luxury of the palace and the number of rooms amazes even sophisticated tourists. The original paintings of the most famous artists, antique furniture, expensive tableware and decor items, antique authentic royal armor, all this can be seen inside Windsor Castle.
But the most memorable in my memory was the dollhouse of Queen Mary. Probably, then they began to copy houses for Barbie dolls from him. But of course, they are a thousand times more modest than the original.
This model of a typical English house of a wealthy family was created in 1923 on a scale of 1:12. A huge number of different craftsmen worked on the creation of a dollhouse. The result is a real working house with electricity, water supply, garage, garden and elevators. All mechanisms work, and decor items are made of natural materials: there are real silver dishes on the tables, silk curtains on the windows, and stairs are made of natural marble. For children, this place will be the most impressive fun from visiting Windsor Castle.
In addition, during our trip, the castle hosted a photo exhibition "Marcus Adams - Royal Photographer". This master has photographed more than one generation of the royal family. The exhibition featured photographs of the Duke and Duchess of York, parents of Queen Elizabeth II. The photos were taken at a time when they did not yet know that they would become the king and queen of Great Britain. Photos of their young daughters Elizabeth and Margaret were also exhibited. And later, the same photographer took pictures of little Charles and his sister Anna. We really liked these old pictures, conveying a soulful family atmosphere.
We then walked around the courtyard of Windsor Castle, watched the Changing of the Guard, marveled at the grandiose St. George's Chapel, and headed into town.
Having a bite to eat in one of the Windsor restaurants, we realized that we no longer had the strength to visit the outskirts of this town.
Several views of modern Windsor.
After all, it is possible, having crossed the bridge to the other side of the Thames, to reach the elite Eton College. This is a privileged school for boys, founded in the 15th century. Princes William and Harry studied at Eton College.
In addition, there are buses from the Windsor stations to the children's town of Legoland. But you won’t be able to visit all these fascinating places in one day.
Therefore, it is better to set aside a couple of days for Windsor if you plan to visit all of its attractions. We also had enough impressions from a walk around Windsor Castle with its luxurious interiors full of the most outstanding works of art. I think you should definitely come here to get the most complete picture of the history of England and the life of the royal family.
Buy an excursion to the castle, hot springs and stone henge online
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Not far from the capital of Great Britain, where the official residence of Queen Elizabeth II is located, there is a small town of Windsor. Most likely, it would have remained a little-known provincial town if several centuries ago the rulers of England had not built a beautiful palace here, on the curved bank of the Thames.
Today, Windsor Castle is known throughout the world as the summer residence of the English monarchs, and hundreds and thousands of tourists come to the city every day to look at this miracle of architecture and the artistic treasures stored in it, hear new interesting facts about its history and details of the life of the Queen. It is also worth remembering that since 1917 the royal family has been called Windsor, taken in honor of the city and castle, in order to forget about German roots. 
Construction history of Windsor Castle
Almost a thousand years ago, William I, to protect London, ordered to build a ring of fortresses around it, towering on artificial hills. One of these strategic fortresses was the wooden castle in Windsor, surrounded by walls. It was built 30 km from London around 1070. 
Since 1110, the castle served as a temporary or permanent residence for the English monarchs: they lived here, hunted, had fun, married, were born, were imprisoned and died. Many kings loved this place, so a stone castle with courtyards, a church, and towers quickly grew out of a wooden fortress. 
Repeatedly, as a result of attacks and sieges, the fortress was destroyed and partially burned down, but each time it was rebuilt taking into account past mistakes: new watchtowers were erected, the gates and the hill itself were strengthened, stone walls were completed. 
A luxurious palace appeared in the castle under Henry III, and Edward III erected a building for meetings of the Order of the Garter. War of the Scarlet and White Roses (XV century), as well as Civil War parliamentarians and royalists (mid-17th century) caused serious damage to the buildings of Windsor Castle. Many artistic and historical values stored in the royal palace and church were also damaged or destroyed. 
By the end of the 17th century, reconstruction was completed at Windsor Castle, some rooms and courtyards were opened to tourists. A major restoration was carried out already under George IV: the facades of the buildings were redone, the towers were built on, the Waterloo Hall was built, the interior decoration and furniture were updated. In this updated form, Windsor Castle became the main residence of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with their large family. The queen and her husband were buried nearby, in Frogmore, a country residence located 1 km from the building. 
AT late XIX century, water supply was installed in the palace and electricity was supplied; in the 20th century, central heating was installed, garages were built for the cars of the royal fleet, telephone communications appeared. In 1992, there was a major fire that damaged hundreds of rooms. In order to raise money for the restoration, it was decided to start collecting fees for visiting Windsor Park and London. 
Current state
Today, Windsor Castle is considered the largest and most beautiful residential castle in the entire world. Its territory occupies a plot of land 165x580 m. To maintain order and organize the work of excursion premises, as well as to maintain the royal chambers and gardens, about half a thousand people work in the palace, some of whom live here on a permanent basis. 
About a million people come on excursions a year, especially a large influx of tourists is observed on the days of the planned visits of the queen. Elizabeth II comes to Windsor in the spring - for a whole month, and in June - for a week. In addition, she pays short visits to meet with officials of her country and foreign countries. The royal standard, raised above the palace on such days, notifies everyone of the presence at Windsor Castle of the highest person of the state. Ordinary tourists have very few chances to meet her, the queen uses a separate entrance to the Upper Courtyard. 
What to watch
The royal family in the politics of England does not play a practical role, but is a symbol of the power, constancy and wealth of the country. Windsor Castle, like Buckingham Palace, is designed to support this claim. Therefore, the beautiful and luxurious residence of the monarch is open daily for visits, although it is not officially a museum. 
It will take several hours to inspect the entire building, and tourists are not allowed into all its corners. Pandemonium inside never happens, because the one-time number of visitors is regulated. Group tours are recommended to book in advance.
You should behave calmly, after all, this is the place where the queen lives and where high-ranking people meet. At the entrance to Windsor Castle, you can not only buy tickets, but also buy detailed map as well as an audio guide. With such an electronic guide it is convenient to walk on your own, without joining groups, it gives detailed description all important places. Audio guides are offered on different languages, including in Russian. 
The most interesting spectacle, for which some tourists come here several times, is the changing of the guard. The Royal Guard, which monitors the order and safety of the royal family, conducts a changing of the guard ceremony every day during the warm season, and every other day during the cold season, at 11:00. This action usually lasts 45 minutes and is accompanied by an orchestra, but in case of bad weather, the time is reduced, and musical accompaniment is cancelled. 
During excursions, tourists pay great attention to the following attractions:
In addition, other halls and rooms deserve attention:
- State and Lower Chambers.
- Waterloo Hall.
- Throne room.
They are open to visitors on days when official receptions are not held. In the halls, guests are presented with ancient tapestries, paintings by famous artists, antique furniture, porcelain collections and unique library exhibits. 
A visit to Windsor Castle introduces tourists to significant pages of British history, reveals the world of luxury and grandeur of English monarchs. 
Useful information
Tour ticket office hours: from March to October 9:30-17:30, in winter - until 16:15. Taking photos inside the premises and the chapel of St. George is not allowed, but tourists contrive and shoot the angles that interest them on the phone. Photographs are taken freely in the yard. 
From London, you can get to Windsor Castle (Berkshire) by taxi, bus and train. At the same time, entrance tickets are sold directly on trains to Windsor station from Paddington Station (with a change in Slough) and Waterloo. This is very convenient - you do not have to stand in line at the gate.
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