Windsor Castle – A phoenix from the ashes

Windsor Castle is a royal residence – King Charles III’s three official residences –  and the original castle was built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror. It has been added to over the centuries and was the scene of some historical events.

Some keys events concerning royal women
Births:
Matilda of England – Daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II
Margaret of England – Daughter of Eleanor of Provence and Henry III
Eleanor of England – Daughter of Eleanor of Castile and Edward I of England
Margaret of England – Daughter of Eleanor of Castile and Edward I of England
Margaret of England – Daughter of Philippa of Hainault and Edward III of England
Mary of York – daughter of Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV
Anne Sophia – Daughter of Anne, Queen of Great Britain and Prince George of Denmark
Alice – Daughter of Leopold, Duke of Albany and Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine – Daughter of Princess Alice of the United Kingdom and Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine
Alice of Battenberg – Daughter of Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine and Prince Louis of Battenberg and mother of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Deaths:
Philippa of Hainault – Wife of Edward III
Mary – Daughter of Anne, Queen of Great Britain and Prince George of Denmark
Princess Louise Wilhelmina of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach – A niece of Queen Adelaide

For royal weddings at St George’s Chapel, click here.
For royal burials at St George’s Chapel, click here.

Windsor Castle was increasingly used as a royal court and less as a defensive fortification. The current design of the state apartments dates from the times of King George III and King George IV. During the Second World War, it was used as a refuge for Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. It survived a fire in 1992. It was used by Queen Elizabeth II as her preferred weekend residence, and the state apartments are open to the public, as is St George’s Chapel. Unfortunately, there is currently a lot of construction and renovations going on. The State Apartments are naturally quite magnificent even with the work being done. I just wish they would have made some more information available in the rooms themselves.

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For more information about visiting Windsor Castle, go here. It is highly recommended to buy tickets in advance as it can get quite busy.