Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle outside London, the largest inhabited castle in the world, is one of the homes of Queen Elizabeth II. It dates back to 1070 when William the Conqueror defeated England in the Battle of Hastings (remember the story from the Bayeux Tapestry in France?). It was originally a wooden structure until the 15th century when the current stone structures were built.

The castle complex is actually made up of several landmarks. The most well-known of these are the The Round Tower, St. George's Chapel, the State Apartments, and the Long Walk. Windsor was the site of the wedding of the Queen's eldest grandson Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly in 2008.

Many kings and queens are buried in St. George's Chapel including King Henry VIII 1547 and his favorite wife Jane Seymour 1537 (in the choir) and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother 2002(near her husband in the King George VI Memorial Chapel). It is also the spiritual home to the Order of the Garter.

You might want to print this annotated map to guide you on our tour. Or this map is good also.

This narrated video of Windsor Castle is excellent for showing the grounds and giving a bit of history. This second narrated video in addition to outside views shows views of the inside of buildings and gives detailed information on the Queen Mary's Dollhouse, a working replica built to 1/12 scale. This third video is solely about the dollhouse, has clearer pictures, but is not narrated.

You can download a free eBook from the Gutenberg Project called "Windsor Castle" by William Harrison Ainsworth (1805-1882), a fiction book about Anne Boleyn and the Tudors here. You might also check your library for the PBS 4-episode documentary "Windsor Castle." You can download the Windsor & Marlowe podcast here.
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