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Windsor Castle (Windsor Castle), located in Windsor, the Royal Borough of Windsor-Maidenhead, Berkshire, southeast England, is the largest inhabited castle in the world. The castle's floor area is approximately 45,000 square meters (484,000 square feet)1. Like Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Windsor Castle is the main administrative residence of the British monarch. The current Queen Elizabeth II spends a considerable amount of time at Windsor Castle every year, conducting state or private entertainment activities here. Her other two mansions are the royal family's private residences, Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle.

Introduction

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle is located in the town of Windsor, 32 kilometers west of London, England. It is one of the palaces of the British royal family. As early as the 11th century, in order to prevent the British people from resisting, William I the Conqueror built nine large castles about 32 kilometers apart in the suburbs around London, forming a fortress defense line that could support each other. Windsor Castle is the largest of the nine castles. It is located on a hilltop on the bank of the Thames River. It was built in 1070 and has a history of nearly a thousand years. In 1110, King Henry I of England held a pilgrimage ceremony here. Since then, Windsor Castle has officially become the venue for palace activities. After continuous expansion by successive kings, by the first half of the 19th century, Windsor Castle had become a huge castle complex with many exquisite buildings. Windsor Castle covers an area of ??7 hectares and is currently the largest inhabited castle-style building in the world. All buildings are made of stone, with nearly a thousand rooms, surrounded by green lawns and dense forests. The castle is divided into two parts: east and west. The "upper area" to the east is the private residence of the royal family, including the king and queen's dining room, studio, ballroom, audience hall, living room, Waterloo Hall, St. George's Hall, etc. It is famous for its collection of royal paintings and treasures. The Waterloo Hall was built to celebrate the victory of the Battle of Waterloo. In the spacious and tall rectangular hall, the walls are covered with portraits of British generals who made achievements in the Battle of Waterloo, and a huge flower-shaped mercury chandelier hangs on the roof. The "Lower District" in the west refers to the entrance to Windsor Castle from the Thames River. There are two famous churches here. St. George's Church is located in the middle of the West End. It was built in 1475. It is a Gothic vertical building that was popular at the time. Its architectural artistic achievements are second only to Westminster Abbey in downtown London in the UK. Many major events in British history took place here. Since the 18th century, British monarchs have been buried here after their deaths. In addition, there are many tombs of queens, princes and other royal members. The nave is the venue for religious ceremonies and celebrations of the annual pilgrimage to the King by recipients of the Order of the Garter (marked as the Order of the Blue Velvet Garter). Knighthood of the Garter is Britain's highest honor. Each Garter knight has a fixed seat in the hall, and the armor, sword and flag of each knight are hung on the wall behind the seat. Albert's Church is located in the east of the West End. It was originally built as the cemetery of Henry VII. It was later converted by Queen Victoria into a church where the remains of her husband Albert were placed. There is a memorial tower to Prince Albert in the church.

1070-1350

Windsor Castle was originally built by William I, who ruled from 1066 until his death in 1087. The wooden castle built by William I at that time was located where the round tower now stands. The original wooden castle was part of a series of castles that defended London. This location was chosen because it was easier to defend. Early in the reign of William I he occupied a manor (possibly the Saxon royal residence) in what is now Old Windsor.

From 1070 to 1086, William I leased the site of Windsor Castle from the Manor of Clover and built the first Motte-and-Bailey Castle here. The hill is 50 feet high and is made of chalk excavated from a nearby channel (later a moat). At that time, the castle was defended by wooden fences instead of the thick stone walls seen today. It is unclear how William I designed the structure of the castle, and no early buildings have survived, but it is known that it was purely a military base. After William I, Windsor Castle continued to be used and was expanded or remodeled many times. William I's successor William II also expanded and renovated the castle, but William II's younger brother Henry I was the first king to live in Windsor Castle. Because Henry I's ruling power was still unstable and he was worried about his own safety, he used Windsor Castle as his official residence and celebrated Pentecost in the castle in 1110.[2] His wedding to Adeliza of Brabant (Henry I's second wedding) was also held at Windsor Castle in 1121. The earliest surviving buildings in Windsor date from the time of Henry II (who ascended the throne in 1154), who built stone walls to replace the wooden palisades surrounding the castle. More changes: the stone walls can now be seen from the east balcony. Henry II also built the first stone castle on the irregular hill in the center of Windsor Castle. Later, because the British barons were dissatisfied with the then British Prince John and rebelled, Windsor Castle was surrounded by rebels in 1189. The king's Welsh army (which was only slightly more numerous than the private mercenaries) fled, while Prince John fled France. Later, in 1215, King John, who had succeeded to the throne, was forced to sign the Magna Carta at Runnymede, close to the castle. The castle was once again besieged by rebels in 1216, but although this time the rebels caused serious damage to the buildings in the lower part of the castle, the King's troops still resisted to the end. The damage to the castle caused by this civil war was immediately repaired by John's successor Henry III in 1216. He built the west wall (most of which survives to this day) to further strengthen the defense capabilities of Windsor Castle. The Evening Bell Tower is also one of the oldest parts of the castle. It was built in 1227. The inner side of the Bell Tower contains the remains of the original prison and the Passage (a secret exit during a siege). The upper floor of the bell tower contains the bell installed in 1478 and the castle clock from 1689, but the French conical roof of the bell tower was only added in the 19th century. After Henry III's death in 1272, further construction was not carried out at Windsor Castle until the reign of Edward III (reigned 1327-1377).

1350-1500

Edward III was born in the castle on November 12, 1312, so he is often called "Edward of Windsor". Beginning in 1350, he began a 24-year reconstruction plan and decided to demolish the castle, the Evening Bell Tower and other small outbuildings. Edward III entrusted William of Wykeham with all the funding and design for the reconstruction of the castle. The blockhouse built under Henry II was replaced by the existing blockhouse, although it was not until the 19th century that the blockhouse was raised to its current height. The fortifications were further expanded, and St. George's Church was essentially enlarged, but plans to build a new church were not carried out, most likely due to a lack of manpower and resources in the aftermath of the Black Death pandemic. The Norman Gate also dates from this period, this large and imposing gate located beneath the round tower was the last defensive bastion before the upper quarters of the castle, where the royal residence is located. Edward III established the Order of the Garter in 1348, and the annual ceremony is still held in St. George's Church to this day. Between 1353 and 1343 he built a room for valuables at the entrance to the church. During the reign of Richard II in 1390, St George's Chapel was found to be on the verge of collapse, and reconstruction work was undertaken.

One of those who carried out the project was Richard II's confidant Geoffrey Chaucer (who served as a diplomat working exclusively for the king). His relationship with Richard II lasted until the end of the king's reign. In the ten years before Chaucer's death, Richard II made several gifts and annuities to Chaucer, including an annuity of ￡20 in 1394 and 252 gallons of wine per year in 1397. Chaucer later died on October 25, 1400. But regardless of Chaucer's skill as a builder or surveyor, less than 50 years after his restoration, St. George's Chapel collapsed again. Edward IV (reigned from 1461 to 1483, the first king of the York Dynasty) began the construction of the current St. George's Church. But in fact, when the construction of St. George's Church began in 1475, it was not so much a church as a small cathedral and a royal mausoleum. St. George's Church is a form of Gothic architecture. During the reign of Henry VII, part of the original St. George's Church was destroyed to build a road leading to Notre-Dame, but Henry VII later abandoned Notre-Dame. St. George's Chapel is also considered to be one of the earliest truly magnificent buildings in Windsor Castle. The construction of St. George's Chapel was a turning point in the architectural style of Windsor Castle. Because the political atmosphere was more stable after the Wars of the Roses, this meant that future castle architecture focused more on comfort and style than on defensive functions. As a result, Windsor Castle was transformed from a royal fortress into a royal residence, an example of which is the Horseshoe Cloister. Its construction began in 1480 near St. George's Church as a residence for the clergy. This ring-shaped brick building is in the shape of a horseshoe, as the horse's hoof is said to be one of the symbols of Edward IV. Extensive reconstruction work was carried out in 1871, so only part of the original ruins have been preserved.

From fortress to residence

Edward III began transforming Windsor Castle from a fortress into a comfortable residence. Compared with other royal residences such as the Palace of Whitehall or the Nonsuch Palace, Windsor Castle remains a very boring executive residence.[3] Henry VIII (reigned 1509-1547) rebuilt the main castle passage around 1510, locating it so that further invasions of the castle could join the battle uphill, and the entrance should have been lowered during the attack. The coat of arms on the arch and the pomegranate emblem engraved on the portcullis are symbols of Henry VIII's first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Henry VIII's successor, the young Edward VI (reigned 1547-1553), once wrote these thoughts while living at Windsor Castle: "I think I am a prisoner, and there are no promenades or gardens to wander here. Among them”[3]. Edward VI's sister Elizabeth I (reigned 1558-1603) spent a considerable amount of time at Windsor Castle. She believed that Windsor Castle was the safest place in the country and that she could retreat to it in times of crisis. As Elizabeth I described: "Windsor Castle can withstand a siege if need be" [3], her account indicates that the castle is still very much like a fortress. Elizabeth I's contribution to the transformation of the castle was the construction of the north balcony as a place for exercise, and above it she built a covered gallery, a very early conservatory. The building has been largely preserved and still retains a large Tudor fireplace, which currently houses the Royal Library.

Civil War

The British kings after Elizabeth I were James I and Charles I. They did not make major modifications to the castle. However, as Charles I was deposed during the English Civil War, Windsor Castle became the headquarters of Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army. The castle fell to Cromwell's Roundheads early in the Civil War due to the rebellion of the treacherous member of Parliament John Venn. Prince Rupert of Rhine arrived a few days after the capture in an attempt to retake Windsor Castle and the town.

But despite a vigorous attack on the town, he was ultimately unable to recapture Windsor Castle. John Venn served as governor of the castle until 1645. Under the Roundheads, Windsor Castle was destroyed, but as a symbol of the expected monarchy, it was more damaged in meaning than in substance. However, because the garrison was not fully paid, they were allowed to plunder the treasures in the castle[4]. During the days of the Commonwealth of England, Windsor Castle remained a military headquarters and a prison for important Royalists. Charles I was imprisoned in Windsor Castle for a brief period before his execution in 1649. In today's terms, the term house arrest is more appropriate for his situation. After the execution of Charles I, England was ruled by Cromwell until the Restoration in 1660. On the snowy night of Charles I's death, his body was secretly transported back to the castle and later buried in the choir crypt of St. George's Church, next to the coffins of Henry VIII and his wife Jane Seymour. .

Restoration

The restoration of Charles II in 1660 is considered the first period of major changes in Windsor Castle. Charles II reorganized and restored the castle, which had been damaged during the civil war. Also at this time, France began building the Palace of Versailles, and Charles II designed a road that is now known as the Long Path. The Long Path stretches 3 kilometers south from Windsor Castle and is 240 feet wide. These elms planted by the king were now replaced by chestnut and shinobi trees. The Long Walk was not the only part of the palace inspired by the Palace of Versailles; Charles II commissioned the architect Hugh May to rebuild the royal suites and St. George's Hall. Hugh replaced the Plantagenet Suite on the north balcony with a cube-like star-shaped building. The interior ceilings of these new suites were designed by Antonio Verrio and decorated with Grinling Gibbons carvings. The king also requested that the room be decorated with embroidered curtains and paintings. These works of art became the core of the Royal Collection. The three preserved rooms are relatively unchanged, namely the Queen's Presence Chamber, the Queen's Audience Chamber and the King's Dining Room. The Queen's Presence Chamber and the Queen's Audience Chamber were built by Charles II's wife Catherine. Designed by Catherine of Braganza. These rooms still retain ceilings designed by Bellio and paneling made by Gibbons. Originally, there were a total of 20 rooms with this style. Some of Gibbons's sculptures survived the various alterations made by the Restoration and Kingships, and in the 19th century they were incorporated into the Garter Throne Room and Waterloo Chamber. In a brand new design theme.

18th and 19th centuries

After the death of Charles II in 1685, Windsor Castle gradually fell into neglect. Needless to say, the castle and gardens remain traditional inhabited royal residences, although the king prefers to live elsewhere. During the reigns of William III and Mary II (1689-1702), Hampton Court Palace was expanded and turned into a large, modern official residence. During the later years of Queen Anne's reign she preferred to live in a small house close to the city walls. It was not until 1804, when George III, who had 13 children, that he needed a larger residence than elsewhere, that Windsor Castle became fully inhabited again. The more classic buildings built by Charles II became very popular at this time. The British architect Inigo Jones introduced the Palladian architectural style to England during the reign of Charles I. However, George III believed that it was not suitable for Windsor Castle, so he redesigned the windows of Charles II with ribbons. There is a Gothic style, so the castle once again became the style of the medieval era.

During this period, Windsor Castle once again became a place of imprisonment for the royal family. In 1811, George III was imprisoned in the castle due to mental illness and safety concerns. During the last nine years of his life, George III rarely left his rooms at Windsor Castle. Between 1820 and 1830 (during the reign of George IV), Windsor Castle underwent the greatest transformation in its history. During the reign of George IV, known for the luxury of Carlton House and the Royal Pavilion, he persuaded the British Parliament to support the ￡300,000 reconstruction of Windsor Castle. Architect Jeffry Wyatville began reconstruction of the castle in 1824. The reconstruction project took 12 years to complete and included the reconstruction of the lower area, Private Apartments, Round Tower and South Wing. The reconstruction of the south wing allows people to see the castle from the long path showing a nearly symmetrical facade. Atwell was the first architect to view the castle as a single building rather than a collection of buildings from different eras and styles. As an architect, he favored majestic symmetry, but the castle was built gradually over the centuries, so there was no symmetry at all. Atwill then added a symmetrical style to the buildings in the upper area of ??Windsor Castle. He increased the height of the round tower and decorated the battlements of the upper area of ??the castle in Gothic style to fit in with St. George's including the lower area of ??the castle. Medieval buildings including churches. The round tower has always been low and is accentuated by the height of the buildings in the upper section. Atwell solved this problem by adding a hollow stone roof above the round tower, which was basically a virtual floor. The approximately 33-meter-high tower gives the entire Windsor Castle a striking silhouette from several kilometers away. Much of the landscaping inside the castle was the same as on the outside, and many of the state suites of Charles II were redesigned in the Gothic style by George III, most notably St. George's Hall, which was extended to twice its original length. Atwell also added a roof to the courtyard, creating Waterloo Hall. The high side windows above this hall were designed to celebrate the victory at the Battle of Waterloo, and hang portraits of the Allied monarchs and commanders during the campaign against Napoleon Bonaparte. The huge dining table in the center of the hall can accommodate 150 people. The work was still unfinished when George IV died in 1830, but was nearly completed by the time of Atwell's death in 1840.

Victorian Era

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert always regarded Windsor Castle as their royal residence, and many of the changes they made centered around the gardens rather than in the gardens. on the building. In fact, the British Parliament passed the Windsor Castle and Town Approaches Act in 1948, which allowed the closure and alteration of some ancient roads that originally led from Windsor to Datchet and Ancient Windsor through the gardens. . This change allowed the royal family to enclose a large area of ??the garden into a private "family garden" that would not have an open road through it. Queen Victoria used Windsor Castle as her retreat after the death of Prince Albert in 1861, and she actually died in the castle. Prince Albert is buried in Frogmore's mausoleum, located in the family gardens. Queen Victoria was later buried next to him. Windsor Castle was Queen Victoria's residence from the death of Prince Albert until Queen Victoria's death in 1901, and she rarely visited Buckingham Palace. Prince Albert's room has always remained as it was when he died. Although the melancholy atmosphere settled in the 19th-century castle, it did not prevent the castle from being updated and rebuilt. Anthony Salvin designed the Grand Staircase in the State Diplomatic Hall in 1866. This stone Gothic-style staircase doubled the height of the hall and could be illuminated by an arched lantern tower.

The hall is decorated with arms and armor, including a suit of armor worn by Henry VIII and made in 1540. On both sides of the top of the stairs are statues of knights in armor riding horses. This decorative style also extends to the Queen's Guard Chamber and the Grand Vestibule. Salvin also added a castle-like conical roof to the top of the Evening Bell Tower at this time.

20th Century

With the accession of Edward VII to the throne in 1901, Windsor Castle remained unused for a long time as Edward VII preferred other places as his residence. He enjoyed visiting Ascot Racecourse and the Easter celebrations. One of the changes made by Edward VII was the installation of a golf course at the castle. Edward VII was succeeded by George V, who ruled Britain from 1910 until his death in 1936. George V also preferred his country residence, and his wife, Queen Mary of Teck, was an excellent connoisseur of art. Queen Mary not only found and bought back the scattered furniture that originally belonged to the castle, but also bought many new ones to decorate the rooms. She also restyled the castle and furnished the state room on the main floor with baroque furniture to accommodate important guests. The upper bedrooms, now more comfortable and with modern bathrooms, provide entertainment and gathering functions to the country room below. The State Bedroom is still preserved, but more closely resembles a historical monument. It was used as a bedroom until 1909. During World War I, members of the British royal family felt the need to change the name of the dynasty from the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to something else. They later used the name of the castle, so it became the House of Windsor. Queen Mary liked all kinds of models, so she built a huge dolls' house (Queen Mary's Dolls' House) on the noble's apartment, designed by Edwin Lutyens. The interior furniture and portraits were also designed by him in the 1930s, and now this dollhouse attracts the attention of many tourists. George VI became King of the United Kingdom after Edward VIII abdicated in 1936. Edward VIII was expected to deliver his abdication speech to the British Empire at Windsor Castle on December 11, 1936, but he preferred to live in Fort Belvedere in the Great Windsor Gardens during this short reign. King George VI and his wife, Princess Elizabeth, liked to live in the Royal Lodge, their original home. After the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Windsor Castle resumed its role as a royal fortress, while George VI and his wife, Princess Elizabeth (the current Queen Elizabeth II of England) and Princess Margaret (Princess Margaret) lives safely in the castle. During this period, George VI and his wife drove to London every day and returned to Windsor to rest in the evening. Although this was an undisclosed secret at the time, and in order to promote publicity and boost morale, George VI was reported to still live in Buckingham Palace full time. As the war ended in 1945, the royal family left Windsor Castle and returned to Royal Lodge. Queen Elizabeth II decided to make Windsor Castle her main retreat after she ascended the throne as Queen of England (1952). The private suites in the castle had not been inhabited since the time of Queen Mary, so they had to be renovated and further modernized. Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and their two children moved into the official residence. The arrangement of these castles continues to this day. On October 20, 1992, a fire spread from the Queen's private chapel. The fire lasted for 15 hours and burned down nine major state diplomatic halls. An area of ??15 Windsor Castle, approximately 9,000 square meters, was burned down. The reconstruction took 5 years to complete, 70% of which came from the decision to open the State Hall of Buckingham Palace to the public at the first time, with a total cost of ￡37 million. This redevelopment comes at no additional cost to taxpayers.

The reconstruction was quite successful and according to the original plan and decoration, the difference from before the fire is difficult to detect. Although some rooms were completely gutted by fire and re-designed in a modern style, this time the design was very organic and Gothic, known as "Downesian Goethe" after the designer Giles Downes. Named after him, he was also a partner of Sidell Gibson. These new rooms include a new private chapel, a new Lantern Hall and a new ceiling in St. George's Chapel. The new ceiling of St. George's Chapel is made of green oak, a technique used in medieval times. What is less obvious to the eye, however, is that the reconstruction resulted in significant updates, especially in the public rooms and service areas. Queen Elizabeth II has used Windsor Castle as the royal family's official residence and weekend residence in recent years. The castle is also often used for state banquets and official receptions, just like Buckingham Palace. During the 1992 Windsor Castle fire, Prince Andrew said in a television interview that the royal family considered Windsor Castle a place like home. The castle underwent a lot of construction during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, which not only rebuilt and preserved the structure of the castle, but also made the castle one of the major tourist attractions in the UK. This was mainly due to the fact that the castle was treated as a functioning royal residence in conjunction with the castle's specifications. Oil was discovered on the grounds of Windsor Castle in 1994, and Queen Elizabeth II agreed to insert an exploration well to determine the content of the oil, which experts later estimated to be worth more than $1 billion. All benefits are shared between the state and oil companies. The BBC reported in June 1999 that Prince Charles was considering moving the royal residence to Windsor Castle to replace Buckingham Palace when he ascended the throne. The report infers that Prince Charles is trying to gain more independence from the traditional royal family at Buckingham Palace. The royal family has not commented on the news so far, but Prince Charles and other members of the royal family are said to love Windsor Castle.

The 21st Century

On September 30, 2006, due to the Castle's equal opportunities policy and the request of a staff member, the Queen granted an office in the Castle where needed. Can serve as a prayer room for Muslims.