Windsor Castle

[royal-blue]

If I had the opition of living in London in a monstrous home with hardly any privacy, or at Windsor, in the country, near a (reasonably) small city, there wouldn't be a contest. Buckingham Palace would be used to kiss hands with the PM and recieve heads of state. I'd live at Windsor in the spring and earrly summer, Balmoral in the late summer, Walmer Castle in the fall (I know it's for the Lord Warden, but I'd take over as Sovereign again), and Sandringham from Christmas until March.

Sounds like an excellent improvement on the current routine.

 

[Molly2101]

I went to Windsor Castle yesterday with my mum. It really is a beautiful castle and I hadn't realised how much of it had been affected by the 1992 fire. The rooms have been fixed so well you would never know there had been a fire. The artwork in the State Apartments is lovely, especially those that are on the ceiling.

Queen Mary's Doll's House was lovely too. It looks so realistic! St George's Chapel was so beautiful and so quiet. The Garter flags on the ceiling were lovely, although I was surprised how much bigger on TV it looks. George VI's and the Queen Mother's tomb was so peaceful. I hadn't realised that so many members of the family were buried there. I had thought a lot were buried at Frogmore.

The memorial for Prince Leopold, Queen Victoria's youngest son, inside the chapel was really beautiful too. The statue memorial for Princess Charlotte, George IV's only child, was so moving. To think that if she had not died the entire Royal line would be different now.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Visit Windsor Castle: Official Video


Visit Windsor Castle: Official Video - YouTube

 

[Queen Camilla]

I enjoyed the pictures of Windsor Castle during the President of Ireland's visit.

The courtyard is beautiful.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/09/article-2600277-1CF000FC00000578-990_964x643.jpg

As it the dining hall.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/09/1397028829828_wps_Guests_listen_during_a_sp.jpg

 

[Queen Camilla]

More courtyard pics from the Irish President's visit.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/08/article-2599687-1CEF81E700000578-420_964x493.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/08/article-2599687-1CEF6C4000000578-886_962x522.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/08/article-2599687-1CEF7F7400000578-351_964x571.jpg (might be dup from previous post.)

 

[An Ard Ri]

I enjoyed the pictures of Windsor Castle during the President of Ireland's visit.

The courtyard is beautiful.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/09/article-2600277-1CF000FC00000578-990_964x643.jpg

As it the dining hall.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/04/09/1397028829828_wps_Guests_listen_during_a_sp.jpg

I did too and the airwaves here in Ireland have been talking about Windsor Castle and its rich history all week.I wouldn't be a bit surprised if there's a surge in Irish visitors to the castle this year!

 

[DukeOfPomerania]

Amazing old pictures that I found on Pinterest:

State Bedroom:

Queen private sitting room circa Queen Alexandra times:

Another photos of this room, when Queen Mary used it:

Queen Alexandra bedroom:

Queen Alexandra bodouir:

King George V study (HM Queen's dining room now):

Oak Room:

Rubens room:

 

[Dman]

Video:
The Welsh Cottage-
Video: The Welsh Cottage

It's every child's dream to have a little playhouse like this.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

It was in Windsor Castle where Prince James of Scotland (the future King James I) wrote "The King's Quair" about his love for Joan Beaufort.
Joan was the niece of the King of England, Henry IV.
James married Joan in 1424.
​

The Queen's Ballroom was known for many years as the Van Dyck Room because of the paintings of the artist Van Dyck.
​

 

[QueenJen]

Video:
The Welsh Cottage-
Video: The Welsh Cottage

It's every child's dream to have a little playhouse like this.

It would be this adult's dream to have a house like that! (Of course, I would have to update the appliances!)

 

[CyrilVladisla]

In H.R.H. The Man Who Will Be King, Tim Heald and Mayo Mohs wrote:

The Waterloo Chamber of Windsor Castle contains a carpet made for Queen Victoria in Agra, said to be the largest seamless carpet in Europe.
​

In Castles of Britain and Ireland, Rodney Castleden wrote:

King Edward III spent an incredible 50,000 pounds on Windsor, by far the largest sum any sovereign spent on any single building in the entire middle ages.
​

As part of Jeffry Wyatville's rebuilding, the Long Walk created by King Charles II to link the castle to Windsor Great Park was lengthened in 1823 to run right up to a new entranceway.
The entranceway was called the George IV Gateway.
​

King William II chose Windsor Castle for his Easter celebrations in 1097.
​

 

[Dman]

Richard Palmer @RoyalReporter · 15m 15 minutes ago
Windsor Castle is to mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo next year with an exhibition and themed visit featuring artefacts.

Richard Palmer @RoyalReporter · 11m 11 minutes ago
From Jan 31, the State apartments at Windsor will display battlefield trophies, historic documents and items that once belonged to Napoleon.

Richard Palmer @RoyalReporter · 11m 11 minutes ago
The Waterloo Chamber, briefly renamed the music room when Jacques Chirac visited in 2004, will be the centrepiece of the exhibition.

 

[Sun Lion]

Of all the photos I took on my visit to Windsor Castle, this is my favourite.

 

[PetticoatLane]

Those stuffed corgis are seriously adorable, Sun Lion!

 

[Dman]

Video:
Preview of the Royal Collection Trust's Waterloo at Windsor 1815-2015 exhibition. January 31 will mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Key features of the display will include Napoleon's red cloak, the Sevres table commissioned by the Emperor and the Waterloo Chamber which is hung with 38 portraits of those most closely associated with the overthrow of Napoleon. Shows: GVs exhibition and interview with curator Kate Heard-
Home - ITNSource News

 

[Curryong]

In Christmas 1940 the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret took part in a nativity play at Windsor Castle, organised by the headmaster of the primary school in Windsor Great Park.

Princess Elizabeth was one of the Three Kings. According to her governess she 'looked like Edward V in her Coronation coronet and tunic of pink and gold'. She walked the length of St George's Hall with her gift to the infant Jesus.

Princess Margaret was 'a child' whose gift was herself, and she sang 'Gentle Jesus' at the crib.

Her proud father recorded that she 'played her part remarkably well and was not shy'. He was overcome by the emotions the play evoked. 'I wept through most of it. It is such a wonderful story.'

Pantomimes at Windsor at Christmas time during the war were very much looked forward to and several members of the Royal Household took part.

The Queen (The Queen Mother) wrote 'Windsor is ringing with words like lights, cut it, greasepaint, Mother Hubbard, finale, opening chorus etc.' In 1944 the panto was 'Old Mother Riding Boots' and it was performed in the Waterloo Chamber just before Christmas.

The King thought the 1944 pantomime was 'better than ever and (the Princesses) both did their parts very well and enjoyed them'.

 

[Dman]

Staff at Windsor Castle to vote on industrial action-
Staff at Windsor Castle to vote on industrial action - ITV News

 

[cepe]

The staff in question do not work for the Queen, nor are they members of the royal household.

They work for Royal Collection Trust.

In a statement, the Royal Collection Trust said:
"Wardens at Windsor Castle are paid above market median based upon the Regional Living Wage and receive a range of benefits, including a 15% non-contributory pension and a free lunch.

"Royal Collection Trust continues to award wardens an annual performance-related pay increase of up to 2.5%, in addition to the cost of living increase (in line with treasury guidelines), as well as one-off payments to those who have reached the top of their pay scale.
"We don't anticipate any interruption to the running of tours for visitors to the Castle."

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

 

[Sun Lion]

Here are some photos I took at Windsor Castle. The last two photos in this group are of what was once the moat, but is now a really lovely garden.

 

[Sun Lion]

Some more photos of Windsor Castle. The top three photos in this group are again of what was once the moat, but now a garden.

 

[Sun Lion]

More Windsor Castle photos from my visit last year.

The two centre photos in this group are again of the garden that now sits in the former moat.

The fourth photo in this group is the part of the castle where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stay when they're at Windsor.

(There are wonderful guides position all over who tell these little snippets.)

 

[Sun Lion]

Some more Windsor Castle snaps. The third photo in this group shows the part of the castle where the Queen stays when in residence - the tower at the far left of the shot - and this is the garden she looks out on.

There is a wonderful rural view looking from the battlements in this part of the castle.

 

[Sun Lion]

And more photos, while I've got the chance to share them. (I'm normally on my tablet and can't upload from that.) The first two photos in this group are again of the area where the Queen resides.

The top photo in this group is the part of the castle that is the Queen's home.

 

[Sun Lion]

Visitors are not allowed to take photos inside Windsor Castle, which is probably just as well as it is so filled with objects - and has so much gold leaf and gilding everywhere - no-one would move along.

I was expecting a more severe interior as it is a castle - and it has suits of armour mounted on armoured, life-size horses, and rooms full of weaponry, but a lot of the rooms are more like a palace that a castle, they are so opulent. (And Queen Mary's doll-house and the present Queen and her sister's dolls and their, (the dolls that is), outfits, of course.)

At the end of the day we walked the Long Walk and had the view to ourselves before we headed back to the castle. Only a couple of deer came out of the trees near us to tackle a bush.

London is off to the right of the last two photos in this group.

The new modern buildings of the city can be seen from this spot under the super-sized statue at the end of the Walk. And the planes taking off from Heathrow.

The rocks on the right side of the final photo in this group are part of the base of the statue at the end of the Long Walk. The castle and town of Windsor are off in the far distance.

I highly recommend taking the local train if you're unsure about getting to Windsor.

Not only is it so much cheaper to travel independently, and your time is in your hands, but it was a real thrill to see the castle swing into sight as the train swept around the long last curve of the track from London.

(Sit on the left side of the train, facing forward, for this.)

 

[JR76]

Lovely pics Sun Lion. Thank you so much for sharing them with us!


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community mobile app

 

[eya]

Beautiful pictures Sun Lion. Great job.

 

[Sun Lion]

The "Daily Mail/Mail Online" has some absolutely stunning photos of various rooms at Windsor Castle decorated for Christmas, now on it's website.

 

[Spheno]

The "Daily Mail/Mail Online" has some absolutely stunning photos of various rooms at Windsor Castle decorated for Christmas, now on it's website.

It's a Windsor Wonderland! State Apartments at Windsor Castle are magically transformed for Christmas | Daily Mail Online

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Windsor Castle is without a doubt my favourite Royal Castle/Palace and I can recommend a visit to those of you who haven't been there.

 

[Rudolph]

State Apartments at Windsor Castle are transformed for Christmas | Daily Mail Online