Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In the corner, take in the melodramatic monument to the popular Princess Charlotte,
the only child of King George IV. Heir to the throne, her death (at 21, in childbirth) devast-
ated the nation. Farther along, find the simple chapel containing the tombs of the current
Queen's parents, King George VI and “Queen Mum” Elizabeth; the ashes of her younger
sister, Princess Margaret, are also kept here (see the marble slab against the wall).
Stepping into the choir area, you're immediately aware that you are in the inner sanc-
tum of the Order of the Garter. The banners lining the nave represent the knights, as do
the fancy helmets and half-drawn swords at the top of each wood-carved seat. These sym-
bols honor only living knights; on the seats are some 800 golden panels memorializing
departed knights. As you walk up the aisle, notice the marker in the floor: You're walking
over the burial site of King Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Henry's favorite wife (perhaps
because she was the only one who died before he could behead her). The body of King
Charles I, who was beheaded by Oliver Cromwell's forces at the Banqueting House (see
here
), was also discovered here...with its head sewn back on.
On your way out, you can pause at the door of the sumptuous 13th-century
Albert
Memorial Chapel,
redecorated in 1861 after the death of Queen Victoria's husband,
Prince Albert, and dedicated to his memory.
Lower Ward:
You'll exit the chapel into the castle's Lower Ward. This area is a living
town where some 160 people who work for the Queen reside; they include clergy, milit-
