A short day of travel to London - not downtown but in the suburbs. On our way we stopped at Windsor Castle.
Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. The castle is notable for its
long association with the English and later British royal family and also for its architecture. The original
castle
was built in the 11th century after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I, it
has been used by succeeding monarchs and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. The castle's lavish,
early 19th-century State Apartments are fantastic.
Windsor Castle survived the tumultuous period of the English Civil War, when it was used as a military
headquarters
for Parliamentary forces and a prison for Charles I. During the Restoration, Charles II rebuilt much of Windsor
Castle with the help of architect Hugh May, creating a set of extravagant, Baroque interiors that are still
admired.
After a period of neglect during the 18th century, George III and George IV renovated and rebuilt Charles II's
palace at
colossal expense, producing the current design of the State Apartments, full of Rococo, Gothic, and Baroque
furnishings
Victoria made minor changes to the castle, which became the center for royal entertainment for much of her reign.
Windsor Castle was used as a refuge for the royal family during the Luftwaffe bombing campaigns of the Second
World War,
and survived a fire in 1992. It is a popular tourist attraction, a venue for hosting state visits, and the
preferred weekend home of Elizabeth II.
More than 500 people live and work in Windsor Castle - here is one of them on guard duty.
The Long Walk, a double-lined avenue of trees, runs for 2.65 miles south of the castle, and is 240 ft
wide. The original 17th-century elms were replaced with alternating chestnut and plane trees.
The impact of Dutch elm disease led to large-scale replanting after 1945.
Castle tower
Guards moving on the castle grounds from post to post -
Castle garden
Castle tower and garden
Queen Elizabeth II loves the Corgi so it is a favorite in the gift shop
Detail of one of the carvings on the castle wall
Garden statue - looks like St George
St George's Chapel is the spiritual home of the Order of the Knights of the Garter and dates
from the late 15th and early 16th century, designed in the Perpendicular Gothic style. The ornate
wooden choir stalls are of 15th-century design, having been restored and extended by Henry Emlyn at the
end of the 18th century, and are decorated with a unique set of brass plates showing the arms of the Knights
of the Garter over the last six centuries
On the west side, the chapel has a grand Victorian door and staircase, used on ceremonial occasions.
The east stained-glass window is Victorian, and the oriel window to the north side of it was built by Henry VIII
for Catherine of Aragon. The vault in front of the altar houses the remains of Henry VIII, Jane Seymour,
and Charles I, with Edward IV buried nearby.
A long day being a tourist in England. We stopped at a Starbucks for some energy, and this is the view from the
Starbucks entrance
of the castle wall.