Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world and has been the family
home of British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years. It is an official residence of
Her Majesty The Queen and is still very much a working royal palace today, home to around
150 people. The castle is used regularly for ceremonial and state occasions, including state
visits from overseas monarchs and presidents.
Some of the greatest treasures in the Royal Collection can be seen in the Castle’s magnificent
State Apartments. The Royal Archives, the Royal Photograph Collection, the Print Room, and
the Royal Library are all based here.
Windsor Castle is also home to St George’s Chapel, the spiritual home of the Order of the
Garter – the oldest order of chivalry in the world, founded by Edward III in 1348. Today, the
Order consists of The Queen, The Prince of Wales and 24 Knight Companions.
The Queen spends most of her private weekends at Windsor Castle and takes up official
residence for a month in the spring for Easter Court, and for a week each June, when she
attends Royal Ascot and the service of the Order of the Garter.
The Kings and Queens who shaped the Castle
William the Conqueror (r. 1066- William the Conqueror (r. 1066-1087)
He was the king who first chose the site for Windsor Castle, high above the Thames and on
the edge of a Saxon hunting ground. He began building at Windsor around 1070, and 16 years
later his castle was complete. It was originally built to secure the western approach to
London, but easy access from the capital and proximity to a royal hunting forest
recommended it early on as a royal residence.
Henry I (r.1100- Henry I (r.1100-1135)
Henry had domestic quarters within the castle by 1110; his grandson Henry II Henry II Henry II (r.1154-89)
replaced the outer timber fortifications with stone. Henry III Henry III Henry III (r.1216-1272) continued the
work, rebuilding many buildings and improving the royal apartments.
Edward III (r.1327- Edward III (r.1327-1377)
100 years after Henry III’s substantial programme at Windsor, Edward III eclipsed it. The
King transformed Windsor from a military fortification to a gothic palace, spending £50,000 in
the process. The gothic style of building with pointed arches has remained the predominant
architectural style at Windsor for 800 years. His aim was to create one large palace which
contained both the state apartments for official and ceremonial business, and the King and
Queen’s own private apartments, in a single unified residence. The work was not completed
by the time of Edward III’s death, and continued for another six years into the reign of his
grandson and successor Richard II (r.1377-1399).