Windsor Castle: The Most Romantic Castle in the World

Windsor Castle’s upperward area where state rooms for ceremonial occasions can be found. This quadrangle is a private strolling park of the British Royal family and not open to the public.

Windsor Castle is the oldest inhabited castle in the world, dating back from the Norman Conquest in 11th century. After the successful invasion of the Norman Duke, William of Normandy he was crowned as King William I and earned him the title “The Conqueror”. He then chose the site as his royal court. The ancient fortress, dubbed by Diarist Samuel Pepys as “The Most Romantic Castle in the World”, is a 13 acres chalk cliff located in Berkshire, England above the placid Thames River. It is the favorite royal residence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, where she made it as her permanent weekend residence. It is also the official set of court of the British royal family during New Year and Easter celebrations and Royal Ascot party in June.

It housed most of the royal family collections of priceless paintings, fine tapestries, porcelains and sculptures. Within the castle, visitors are allowed to wander in many galleries, extensive suites, beautiful garden, orchards and state apartments. There is a place for worship within the cobbled stone wall, the 14th century St. George’s chapel, where the royal family attended Sunday mass when staying at Windsor. The chapel is used also for intimate royal weddings, the Queen’s youngest child Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, chose the medieval chapel for his June 1999 wedding to the former Sophie Rhys-Jones. It is also the burial place of 10 British Kings (Edward IV, Henry VI, Charles I, George III, George IV, William IV, Edward VII, George V and George VI).

The Round Tower of the castle, which stood imposingly for many centuries, was rebuilt during the reign of King Henry II, great grandson of William the Conqueror and the founder of the Plantagenet royal house. The exterior of the wall, though renovated and remodeled by many monarchs, remained its original feature. Military leader, Oliver Cromwell, lead the English Civil War in 1648 and made King Charles I his prisoner, for a while he detained the Stuart monarch in the Castle. On the following year, he ordered the beheading of the King and made Windsor Castle a prison site of his enemies during the duration of the Civil war.