Windsor Castle

The castle's lavish early 19th-century state apartments were described by the art historian Hugh Roberts as "a superb and unrivalled sequence of rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste".

[2] Originally designed to project Norman dominance around the outskirts of London and oversee a strategically important part of the River Thames, Windsor Castle was built as a motte-and-bailey, with three wards surrounding a central mound.

The keep, called the Round Tower, on the top of the motte is based on an original 12th-century building, extended upwards by 30 feet (9.1 m) in the early 19th century under architect Jeffry Wyatville, to produce a more imposing height and silhouette.

[13] Despite its name, this gatehouse dates from the 14th century; it is heavily vaulted and decorated with carvings – including surviving medieval lion masks, which are traditional symbols of majesty – to form an impressive entrance to the Upper Ward.

[20] The buildings in the Upper Ward are characterised by the use of small pieces of flint in the mortar for galleting, originally started at the castle in the 17th century to give a similar appearance to stonework from disparate periods.

The skyline of the Upper Ward is designed to be dramatic when seen from a distance or silhouetted against the horizon, an image of tall towers and battlements influenced by the picturesque movement of the late 18th century.

[20] Archaeological and restoration work following the 1992 fire has shown the extent to which the current structure represents a survival of elements from the original 12th-century stone walls onwards, presented within the context of Wyatville's final remodelling.

Art historian Hugh Roberts has praised the State Apartments as "a superb and unrivalled sequence of rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste.

These rooms take the fluid, playful aspects of this mid-18th century artistic movement, including many original pieces of Louis XV style, but project them on a "vastly inflated" scale.

[31] The White, Green and Crimson Drawing Rooms include a total of 62 trophies: carved, gilded wooden panels illustrating weapons and the spoils of war, many with Masonic meanings.

Downes' new hammer-beam roof of St George's Hall is the largest green-oak structure built since the Middle Ages, and is decorated with brightly coloured shields celebrating the heraldic element of the Order of the Garter; the design attempts to create an illusion of additional height through the gothic woodwork along the ceiling.

[43] The Lantern Lobby used to welcome guests features flowing oak columns forming a vaulted ceiling, imitating an arum lily, and is where the pre-fire chapel built for Queen Victoria was located.

[46] The result is an "extraordinary, continuous and closely moulded net of tracery", complementing the new stained glass windows commemorating the fire, designed by Joseph Nuttgen[47] and Prince Philip.

Originally largely of medieval design, most of the Lower Ward was renovated or reconstructed during the mid-Victorian period by Anthony Salvin and Edward Blore, to form a "consistently Gothic composition".

[55] Built to commemorate the life of Prince Albert, the ornate chapel features lavish decoration and works in marble, glass mosaic and bronze by Henri de Triqueti, Susan Durant, Alfred Gilbert and Antonio Salviati.

The initial wooden castle consisted of a keep on the top of a man-made 'motte', or mound, protected by a small bailey wall, occupying a chalk inlier, or bluff, rising 100 ft (30 m) above the river.

[118] Henry VIII enjoyed Windsor Castle, as a young man "exercising himself daily in shooting, singing, dancing, wrestling, casting of the bar, playing at the recorders, flute, virginals, in setting of songs and making of ballads".

[123] He also built a long terrace, called the North Wharf, along the outside wall of the Upper Ward; constructed of wood, it was designed to provide a commanding view of the River Thames below.

[125] Benedetto Grazzini converted much of this into an Italian Renaissance design, before Wolsey's fall from power brought an end to the project, with contemporaries estimating that around £60,000 (£295 million in 2008 terms) had been spent on the work.

[151] At the same time the shifting "functional requirements, patterns of movement, modes of transport, aesthetic taste and standards of comfort" among royal circles was changing the qualities being sought in a successful palace.

[161] William III commissioned Nicholas Hawksmoor and Sir Christopher Wren to conduct a large, final classical remodelling of the Upper Ward, but the king's early death caused the plan to be cancelled.

[171] Initially the atmosphere at the castle remained very informal, with local children playing games inside the Upper and Lower Wards, and the royal family frequently seen as they walked around the grounds.

[173] Working with the architect James Wyatt, George attempted to "transform the exterior of the buildings in the Upper Ward into a Gothic palace, while retaining the character of the Hugh May state rooms".

[177][178] The king undertook extensive work in the castle's Great Park as well, laying out the new Norfolk and Flemish farms, creating two dairies and restoring Virginia Water Lake, and its grotto and follies.

[189] The growth of the British Empire and Victoria's close dynastic ties to Europe made Windsor the hub for many diplomatic and state visits, assisted by the new railways and steamships of the period.

[194] The prince's rooms were maintained exactly as they had been at the moment of his death and Victoria kept the castle in a state of mourning for many years, becoming known as the "Widow of Windsor", a phrase popularised in the famous poem by Rudyard Kipling.

[200] Blore and Salvin also did extensive work in the Lower Ward, under the direction of Prince Albert, including the Hundred Steps leading down into Windsor town, rebuilding the Garter, Curfew and Salisbury towers, the houses of the Military Knights and creating a new Guardhouse.

[210] Mary sought out and re-acquired items of furniture that had been lost or sold from the castle, including many dispersed by Edward VII, and also acquired many new works of art to furnish the state rooms.

[214] As king, George revived the annual Garter Service at Windsor, drawing on the accounts of the 17th-century ceremonies recorded by Elias Ashmole, but moving the event to Ascot Week in June.

It was the first open air concert to be staged at the castle and included performances by Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, Andrea Bocelli, Sir Bryn Terfel, Take That and Paloma Faith.

A schematic map, with dark green parts of the castle on a light green background, individual locations marked out in red letters.
Plan of Windsor Castle:
  • A : The Round Tower
  • B : The Upper Ward, The Quadrangle
  • C : The State Apartments
  • D : Private Apartments*
  • E : South Wing
  • F : Lower Ward
  • G : St George's Chapel
  • H : Horseshoe Cloister
  • K : King Henry VIII Gate
  • L : The Long Walk
  • M : Norman Gate
  • N : North Terrace
  • O : Edward III Tower
  • T : The Curfew Tower
  • *to the right of "D" (not shown) is the East Terrace created in the 17th century
A photograph of a grey Gothic quadrangle with a green grass square in the middle. On the left, a block of the building makes up the near ground. A gatehouse is in the middle of the right-hand part of the quadrangle.
The South Wing of the Upper Ward; the Official Entrance to the State Apartments is on the left, the monarch's entrance to private apartments is left-centre in the corner, and the gateway near centre leads to the Long Walk in the Home Park. A statue of Charles II on horseback is at right.
A photograph of a grey Gothic building stretching across the picture; the nearest parts have windows in a white stone, the furthest parts in a yellow stone. Three soldiers in grey uniforms and black hats are marching past the building.
The State Apartments in the Upper Ward – (l to r) King's Audience and Presence Chambers, the Official Entrance, St George's Hall, the Guest's Entrance [ 22 ]
A photograph of a large room with a long red carpet stretching through the middle of it and windows on the right hand side. Furniture fills both sides of the room. The ceiling contains ornate plasterwork and a chandelier hangs down from the middle of the picture.
The Crimson Drawing Room in 2007, following the 1992 fire and subsequent remodelling
Two designs for a ceiling, one showing a side view of structure and decoration; the bottom showing how it would appear from below. The ceiling is decorated with a network of gothic arches in gold on a blue background.
A presentation drawing for the new Private Chapel, showing a Gothic design by Giles Downes
A photograph of a large Gothic chapel on the left, with tall thin windows. On the right is a line of stone buildings, pointing towards a circular tower in the middle of the picture. In the centre are two paths surrounded by grass, with a number of people walking around.
The Lower Ward, (l to r) St George's Chapel , the Lady Chapel, the Round Tower, the lodgings of the Military Knights , the residence of the Governor of the Military Knights
A close-up photograph of a building made with black timbers and red brick. The building has four tall, brick chimneys. A relatively modern drainpipe comes down the middle of the building.
The Horseshoe Cloister, built in 1480 and reconstructed in the 19th century
A photograph showing the left hand side of a circular stone tower made of grey stone and with small windows.
The Round Tower in the Middle Ward was built by Henry II and remodelled in the 19th century.
A photograph of a castle tower, the tower is pierced by small windows and has a coned, red-tiled roof, with a clock built into one side. The sky behind the wall is pale blue.
The Curfew Tower in the Lower Ward was built by Henry III and remodelled in the 19th century.
A photograph of a stone gatehouse, with two large, circular towers on each side of the gateway dominating the picture. A stone wall stretches alongside the left hand side of the picture.
The Norman Gate in the Middle Ward was built by Edward III and remodelled in the 19th century.
A drawing of the front of a castle hall, with two towers at either end and a row of high windows running along with the middle. The drawing is in shades of grey.
A reconstruction of the St George's Hall range built by Edward III : (l to r) the Spicerie Gatehouse, the chapel, the hall, and the Kitchen Gatehouse
A photograph of a huge stone chapel, with tall stained glass windows and stone detailing. A patch of green grass can be seen in the foreground with several people walking by the door of the chapel.
St George's Chapel , begun in 1475 by Edward IV
A photograph of a stone gatehouse, with angular octagonal towers and windows picked out in white stone. The weather is good, with the sky behind the gatehouse a bright blue.
The Henry VIII gateway in the Lower Ward
A black and white sketch of a river scene. A river runs across the foreground of the picture, with a sail boat moving along it. In the middle ground, beyond the river, is a small town, and beyond that, on the top of a ridge, is a castle stretching across the back of the picture.
Windsor Castle in the 1670s from across the River Thames , showing the North Terrace (left) built by Elizabeth I in the 16th century and the steep, protective ground to the north of the castle
A detailed engraving of a castle, seen from the air. The castle is divided in three pieces, with a domed mound in the middle, upon which is a keep. The castle and walls look stubby and short from this angle.
A bird's-eye view of Windsor Castle in 1658, by Wenceslas Hollar , shown before Hugh May 's reconstruction of the Upper Ward
An engraving of a castle, with four square towers running along the face of it. Numerous windows can be seen in the castle walls and towers, and a long, flat terrace runs outside the castle.
The Upper Ward seen from the east, after Hugh May 's reconstruction work. May's new East Terrace is in the foreground.
A painting of a terrace at sunset. On the left, the outer facing of a castle; on the right, the ground drops away sharply showing only the distant landscape. A handful of figures in 18th century dress walk or mingle along the terrace.
The North Terrace at sunset, watercolour by Paul Sandby , c. 1790
A painting showing a stone chapel on the left, with a timber built entrance, out of which are parading a number of white clad individuals. In the middle of the painting is a grassy area, across which are marching various red-uniformed soldiers. On the right hand side is a line of stone buildings, with a circular tower on a mound in the far distance.
The Lower Ward in 1840, by Joseph Nash , showing the Military Knights attending chapel on a Sunday morning
A black and white photograph of an elderly Victoria sat alongside a younger woman (Beatrice) reading a newspaper. The room is ornately decorated, with a number of photographs, paintings and a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Queen Victoria and Princess Beatrice in the Queen's Sitting Room in 1895, photographed by Mary Steen
A photograph focusing on a large wooden sculpture of a unicorn, rearing on its hind legs. Behind it part of a wall and ceiling can be seen, the latter decorated with heraldic shields.
A unicorn , one of four Queen's Beasts carved by Ben Harms and Ray Gonzalez to replace carvings destroyed in the 1992 fire
A photograph of a grey stone castle, stretching alongside the left of the picture. A road makes up the centre, along which a number of people walk.
Windsor Castle is one of Britain's major tourist attractions .
A photograph of a white-grey stone castle, running left to right; trees are in the foreground, with a large white tower the most prominent part of the castle in the middle of the shot.
Windsor Castle, seen from the north; (l to r) Upper Ward, Middle Ward, Round Tower, St George's Chapel, Lower Ward and Curfew Tower