Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is one of a number of official residences of the British monarchy. It is the largest occupied castle in the world. The majority of monarchs have used Windsor as a second home, preferring to stay rather in Buckingham Palace. However, some monarchs, including King George IV, have used it a primary residence.

The castle was originally built by William the Conqueror to act as a line of defence for the city of London and has since had many additions and improvements. King Edward III made its St. George's Chapel the home of the Order of the Garter in 1348.

Important events which took place at Windsor Castle:

• Marriage of Henry I of England and his second wife, Adeliza (1121)
• Birth of King Edward III of England (1312)
• Marriage of Edward, the Black Prince and Joan of Kent (1361)
• Burial of King Edward IV of England (1483)
• Marriage of the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Alexandra of Denmark (1863)
• Marriage of Edward Windsor, Earl of Wessex and Sophie Rhys-Jones, Countess of Wessex (1999)

One of the most popular tourist attractions at Windsor Castle is Queen Mary's Dolls' House, a 1:12 model of a house suitable for a monarch in the early 20th century. On November 20, 1992 a significant part of Windsor Castle was damaged by fire. The fire started in the Private Chapel room of the castle, raged for 15 hours and seriously damaged the northwest side of the building. An investigation found that the fire was ignited after a spotlight came into contact with a curtain over an extended period. In order to meet the 40 million pound repair bill several royal residences were opened up to tourists.

Related topics

• Palace
• UK topics

External links

• The Royal Windsor Web Site
• Official Windsor site