Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Castle Hill, Windsor. &   01753/831118 for recorded information. Admission is included in the entrance
fee to Windsor Castle (see below). Mar-Oct daily 9:45am-5:15pm; Nov-Feb daily 9:45am-4:15pm. As
with Windsor Castle, it's best to call ahead to confirm opening times.
St. George's Chapel CHURCH A perfect expression of the Medieval
Perpendicular style, this chapel contains the tombs of 10 sovereigns. The present St.
George's was founded in the late 15th century by Edward IV, on the site of the original
Chapel of the Order of the Garter. You first enter the nave, which contains the tomb of
George V (1936) and Queen Mary (1953). Off the nave in the Urswick Chapel, the
Princess Charlotte memorial provides an ironic touch; if she had survived childbirth in
1817, she, and not her cousin Victoria, would have ruled the British Empire. In the
north nave aisle is the tomb of George VI (1952), the speech-impaired monarch fea-
tured in the movie The King's Speech, while the altar contains the remains of Edward
IV (1483) and Edward VII (1910). The Edward IV “Quire,” with its imaginatively
carved 15th-century choir stalls, evokes the pomp and pageantry of medieval days. In
the center is a flat tomb, containing the vault of the beheaded Charles I (1649), along
with Henry VIII (1547) and his third wife, Jane Seymour (1537; she provided him a
son). The latest royal burials here (in the King George VI Memorial Chapel) were
Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret in 2002.
Castle Hill, Windsor. &   01753/848885. www.stgeorges-windsor.org. Admission is included in the
entrance fee to Windsor Castle (see below). Mon-Sat 10am-4pm (last admission 4pm). Closed for a
few days in June and Dec.
Windsor Castle CASTLE Looming high above the town on a chalk ridge,
Windsor Castle is an awe-inspiring site, an enormous hulk of stone dating back to the
days of William the Conqueror. The history and art here are undeniably impressive, but
what really draws the crowds is the association with the royal family; this is no ruin or
museum, but one of the three homes of Queen Elizabeth II. Indeed, Windsor is the
world's largest inhabited castle and the Queen is often in residence, especially at week-
ends (when the royal standard flies). Getting a glimpse is not that hard, as the town's
hoteliers often have advance warning of when Her Majesty comes and goes. Even if you
don't see the Queen, the Windsor Changing of the Guard offers more pageantry
than the London version. The guard marches through the town, stopping traffic as it
wheels into the castle to the tunes of a full regimental band; when the Queen is not
here, a drum-and-pipe band is mustered. From April to July, the ceremony takes place
Monday to Saturday at 11am. The rest of the year, the guard is changed every 48 hours
Monday to Saturday. It's best to call &   020/7766-7304 for a schedule.
The castle was originally constructed in wood in the 1080s; Henry II started to
rebuild it in stone in the 12th century and was the first monarch to live at Windsor.
Today many parts of the castle are open to the public, including the precincts and the
State Apartments. On display in the latter are many works of art, armor, three Ver-
rio ceilings, and several 17th-century Gibbons carvings. Several works by Rubens
adorn the King's Drawing Room. In the relatively small King's Dressing Room is a
Dürer, along with Rembrandt's portrait of his mother and Van Dyck's triple portrait of
Charles I. Of the apartments, the grand reception room, with its Gobelin tapestries,
is the most spectacular.
The elegant Semi-State Rooms are open only from the end of September
until the end of March. They were created by George IV in the 1820s as part of a
series of royal apartments designed for his personal use. Seriously damaged by fire in
1992, they have been returned to their former glory, with lovely antiques, paintings,
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