Overview
Windsor Castle—‘the most romantic castle that is in the world’, according to the 17th-century diarist Samuel Pepys—is the one of the oldest royal residences still in use. For over 900 years, from its memorable hill-top site above the Thames Valley, it has been a potent symbol of the monarchy.
Built by William the Conqueror within what was a royal hunting forest (now Windsor Great Park) after the Norman Conquest of 1066, Windsor Castle has been successively enlarged, adapted and rebuilt by monarchs from Henry II to Queen Elizabeth II. Their legacy can be seen throughout the Castle, from the late medieval St George’s Chapel to the Tudor houses of the Lower Ward, from Charles II’s baroque remodelling of the state apartments to the exquisite Gothic interiors of the semi-state rooms, rebuilt for George IV. The fire of 1992 gave the Castle a new legacy, including the superb new interior to the historic St George’s Hall, most recently the Jubilee Garden has been added, to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen.
The Queen and other members of the Royal Family continue to spend most of their private weekends at Windsor Castle, and it remains an important venue for ceremonial visits from heads of state of other countries. It is also home to some of the greatest paintings and works of art in the Royal Collection, which are displayed throughout the Castle’s splendid interiors.