View source for Windsor Castle

{{short description|Official country residence of British monarch}}
{{About|the castle in Windsor, Berkshire}}
{{pp-pc1}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{featured article}}
{{Infobox military installation
| name          = Windsor Castle
| location      = [[Windsor, Berkshire]],
| country       = England
| image         = Windsor Castle at Sunset - Nov 2006.jpg
| caption       = Round Tower and Upper Ward viewed from the Long Walk in [[Windsor Great Park]]
| pushpin_map   = Berkshire
| pushpin_label = Windsor Castle
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within [[Berkshire]]
| coordinates   = {{Coord|51|29|0|N|00|36|15|W|region:GB_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| type          = Three [[Bailey (castle)|bailey]] wards with a round [[keep]]
| ownership     = [[Charles III]] in right of [[the Crown]]
| operator      = [[Royal Households of the United Kingdom|Royal Household]]
| open_to_public = Limited access
| used          = Late 11th century – present
| materials     = [[Bagshot Heath]] stone
| events        = {{plainlist|
* [[First Barons' War]]
* [[English Civil War]]
}}
{{Infobox designation list
| designation1            = Scheduled Monument
| designation1_offname    = Windsor Castle
| designation1_number     = {{Listed building England|1006996}}
| designation2            = Grade I Listed Building
| designation2_offname    = Windsor Castle Including All The Buildings Within The Walls
| designation2_date       = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1975|10|2}}
| designation2_number     = {{Listed building England|1117776}}
| embed                   = yes
| designation3            = National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens
| designation3_offname    = The Royal Estate, Windsor: Windsor Castle and Home Park
| designation3_date       = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1999|8|31}}
| designation3_number     = {{Listed building England|1001434}}
}}
| past_commanders = <!-- past notable commander(s) -->
}}

'''Windsor Castle''' is a [[List of British royal residences|royal residence]] at [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]] in the English county of [[Berkshire]], about {{convert|25|miles|km}} west of central London. It is strongly associated with the [[Kingdom of England|English]] and succeeding [[British royal family]], and embodies almost a millennium of [[architectural history]].

The original castle was built in the 11th&nbsp;century, after the [[Norman invasion of England]] by [[William the Conqueror]]. Since the time of [[Henry I of England|Henry&nbsp;I]] (who reigned 1100–1135), it has been used by the reigning monarch and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. The castle's lavish early 19th-century [[state apartment]]s were described by the art historian [[Hugh Roberts (art historian)|Hugh Roberts]] as "a superb and unrivalled sequence of rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste".<ref name="Hugh Roberts p. 79">Hugh Roberts, ''Options Report for Windsor Castle'', cited Nicolson, p. 79.</ref> Inside the castle walls is the 15th-century [[St&nbsp;George's Chapel]], considered by the historian [[John Martin Robinson]] to be "one of the supreme achievements of English [[Perpendicular Gothic]]" design.<ref name="Robinson, p.27">Robinson, p. 27.</ref>

Originally designed to project [[Norman dynasty|Norman]] dominance around the outskirts of London and oversee a strategically important part of the [[River Thames]], Windsor Castle was built as a [[motte-and-bailey]], with three wards surrounding a central mound. Gradually replaced with stone [[fortification]]s, the castle withstood a prolonged siege during the [[First Barons' War]] at the start of the 13th&nbsp;century. [[Henry III of England|Henry&nbsp;III]] built a luxurious royal palace within the castle during the middle of the century, and [[Edward&nbsp;III]] went further, rebuilding the palace to make an even grander set of buildings in what would become "the most expensive secular building project of the entire Middle Ages in England".<ref name=BrindleKerrP39/> Edward's core design lasted through the [[Tudor period]], during which [[Henry&nbsp;VIII]] and [[Elizabeth&nbsp;I]] made increasing use of the castle as a royal court and centre for diplomatic entertainment.

Windsor Castle survived the tumultuous period of the [[English Civil War]], when it was used as a military headquarters by [[Roundhead|Parliamentary]] forces and a prison for [[Charles I of England|Charles&nbsp;I]]. At the [[Restoration (England)|Restoration]] of the monarchy in 1660, [[Charles II of England|Charles&nbsp;II]] rebuilt much of Windsor Castle with the help of the architect [[Hugh May]], creating a set of extravagant [[Baroque]] interiors. After a period of neglect during the 18th&nbsp;century, [[George&nbsp;III]] and [[George&nbsp;IV]] renovated and rebuilt Charles II's palace at colossal expense, producing the current design of the state apartments, full of [[Rococo architecture|Rococo]], [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] and Baroque furnishings. [[Queen Victoria]] made a few minor changes to the castle, which became the centre for royal entertainment for much of her reign. During the [[First World War]], the historic estate inspired the naming of the royal [[House of Windsor]]. In the reign of [[George&nbsp;VI]], it was used as a refuge by the royal family during the [[The Blitz|Luftwaffe bombing campaigns]] of the [[Second World War]]. An extensive restoration of several state rooms took place after the castle survived a [[1992 Windsor Castle fire|fire in 1992]]. It is a popular tourist attraction, a venue for hosting [[state visit]]s, and was the main residence of [[Elizabeth&nbsp;II]] from 2011 to 2022.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/queen-elizabeth-II/12056883/Buckingham-Palace-could-become-Queens-third-home-as-she-opts-for-more-time-at-Windsor-and-Balmoral.html|title=Buckingham Palace could become Queen's 'third home' as she opts for more time at Windsor and Balmoral|author=Gordon Rayner|date=26 December 2015|work=The Telegraph|quote=The Queen spent 10 more nights at Windsor Castle than Buckingham Palace in 2011, 35 in 2012, 59 in 2013, 52 in 2014, and 71 in 2015}}</ref>

== Architecture ==
[[File:Windsorcastleplan.png|thumb|upright=1.5|alt=A schematic map, with dark green parts of the castle on a light green background, individual locations marked out in red letters.|Plan of Windsor Castle:
{{image key
|'''A''': The Round Tower
|'''B''': The Upper Ward, The Quadrangle
|'''C''': The State Apartments
|'''D''': Private Apartments*
|'''E''': South Wing
|'''F''': Lower Ward
|'''G''': [[St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle|St George's Chapel]]
|'''H''': Horseshoe Cloister
|'''K''': King Henry VIII Gate
|'''L''': The Long Walk
|'''M''': Norman Gate
|'''N''': North Terrace
|'''O''': Edward III Tower
|'''T''': The Curfew Tower
|*to the right of "D" (not shown) is the East Terrace created in the 17th century
}}]]

Windsor Castle grounds cover {{convert|13|acres|abbr=off}}<ref name="RCT fact sheet">{{cite web |url=https://www.rct.uk/sites/default/files/Windsor_Castle_Fact_Sheet.pdf |title=Windsor Castle Fact Sheet|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |work=[[Royal Collection Trust]] |access-date=10 January 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112005454/https://www.rct.uk/sites/default/files/Windsor_Castle_Fact_Sheet.pdf |archive-date=12 January 2021}}</ref> and combines the features of a fortification, a palace, and a small town.<ref>Robinson, pp. 7, 156.</ref> The present-day castle was created during a sequence of phased building projects, culminating in the reconstruction work after a [[1992 Windsor Castle fire|fire in 1992]].<ref>Nicolson, pp. 3–4.</ref> It is in essence a [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]] and [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] design based on a medieval structure, with [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] features reinvented in a modern style. Since the 14th century, architecture at the castle has attempted to produce a contemporary reinterpretation of older fashions and traditions, repeatedly imitating outmoded or even antiquated styles.<ref name="Nicolson, p.123">Nicolson, p. 123.</ref> As a result, architect Sir [[William Whitfield (architect)|William Whitfield]] has pointed to Windsor Castle's architecture as having "a certain fictive quality", the [[Picturesque]] and Gothic design generating "a sense that a theatrical performance is being put on here", despite late 20th century efforts to expose more of the older structures to increase the sense of authenticity.<ref>Nicolson, p.78; Brindle and Kerr, p. 61.</ref> Although there has been some criticism, the castle's architecture and history lends it a "place amongst the greatest European palaces".<ref>Robinson, p. 156.</ref>

=== Middle Ward ===
At the heart of Windsor Castle is the Middle Ward, a bailey formed around the [[motte-and-bailey|'motte']] (artificial hill) in the centre of the ward. The motte is {{convert|50|ft|m}} high and made from [[chalk]] originally excavated from the surrounding ditch. The [[keep]], called the Round Tower, on the top of the motte is based on an original 12th-century building, extended upwards by {{convert|30|ft|m}} in the early 19th century under architect [[Jeffry Wyatville]], to produce a more imposing height and silhouette.<ref name=RobinsonP142>Robinson, p. 142.</ref> The interior of the Round Tower was further redesigned between 1991 and 1993 to provide additional space for the [[Royal Archives]], an additional room being built in the space left by Wyatville's originally hollow extension.<ref name=RobinsonP142/> The Round Tower is in reality [[Epitrochoid|far from cylindrical]] because of the shape and structure of the motte beneath it. The current height of the tower has been criticised as being disproportionate to its width; archaeologist Tim Tatton-Brown, for example, has described it as a mutilation of the earlier medieval structure.<ref>Tatton-Brown, p. 14.</ref>

The western entrance to the Middle Ward is now open, and a gateway leads north from the ward onto the North Terrace.<ref name=MackworthYoungP1>Mackworth-Young, p. 1.</ref> The eastern exit from the ward is guarded by the Norman Gatehouse.<ref name=MackworthYoungP1/> Despite its name, this [[gatehouse]] dates from the 14th century; it is heavily vaulted and decorated with carvings – including surviving medieval [[lion mask]]s, which are traditional symbols of majesty – to form an impressive entrance to the Upper Ward.<ref>Nicolson, p. 120.</ref> Wyatville redesigned the exterior of the gatehouse, and later in the 19th century the interior was heavily converted for residential use.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 234.</ref>

=== Upper Ward ===
[[File:Windsor Castle Upper Ward Quadrangle Corrected 2- Nov 2006.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|alt=A photograph of a grey Gothic quadrangle with a green grass square in the middle. On the left, a block of the building makes up the near ground. A gatehouse is in the middle of the right-hand part of the quadrangle.|The South Wing of the Upper Ward; the Official Entrance to the State Apartments is on the left, the monarch's entrance to private apartments is left-centre in the corner, and the gateway near centre leads to the Long Walk in the Home Park. A statue of Charles II on horseback is at right.]]
The Upper Ward of Windsor Castle comprises a number of major buildings enclosed by the upper bailey wall, forming a central quadrangle. The State Apartments run along the north of the ward, with a range of buildings along the east wall, the private royal apartments and the King George IV Gate to the south, and the Edward III Tower in the southwest corner. The motte and the Round Tower form the west edge of the ward. Beneath the Round Tower sits [[Equestrian statue of Charles II, Windsor Castle|a bronze statue of Charles&nbsp;II]] on horseback, which was inspired by [[Hubert Le Sueur]]'s [[Equestrian statue of Charles I, Charing Cross|statue of Charles&nbsp;I]] in London; the Charles&nbsp;II statue at Windsor was cast by Josias Ibach in 1679, with a marble plinth featuring carvings by [[Grinling Gibbons]].<ref name=RobinsonP55>Robinson, p. 55.</ref> The Upper Ward adjoins the North Terrace, overlooking the [[River Thames]], and the East Terrace, overlooking the Home Park; both terraces were constructed by [[Hugh May]] in the 17th century.<ref>Brindle and Kerr, p. 31.</ref> The East Terrace has a private formal rose garden, first laid out by George&nbsp;IV in the 1820s. The present garden was updated by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, after being used for [[victory garden]] production during World War II, tended in part by Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. It was announced in 2020 that, for the first time in 40 years, the garden would be open to the public for a limited time.<ref>{{Cite news |date=6 August 2020 |title=Windsor Castle's East Terrace Garden opens to public for first time in decades |last=Aligh |first=Radhika |work=Evening Standard |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/uk-holidays/windsor-castle-s-east-terrace-garden-opens-to-public-a4518156.html |archive-date=6 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106004811/https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/uk-holidays/windsor-castle-s-east-terrace-garden-opens-to-public-a4518156.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

Traditionally, the Upper Ward was judged to be "to all intents and purposes a nineteenth century creation [which] stands as the image of what the early nineteenth-century thought a castle should be", as a result of the extensive redesign of the castle by Wyatville under [[George&nbsp;IV]].<ref>Colvin, p. 392, cited Brown (1984), p. 230.</ref> The walls of the Upper Ward are built of [[Bagshot Heath]] stone faced on the inside with regular bricks, the gothic details in yellow [[Bath stone]].<ref name=RobinsonP92>Robinson, p. 92.</ref> The buildings in the Upper Ward are characterised by the use of small pieces of [[flint]] in the mortar for [[galleting]], originally started at the castle in the 17th century to give a similar appearance to stonework from disparate periods. The skyline of the Upper Ward is designed to be dramatic when seen from a distance or silhouetted against the horizon, an image of tall towers and battlements influenced by the [[picturesque]] movement of the late 18th century.<ref name=RobinsonP92/> Archaeological and restoration work following the 1992 fire has shown the extent to which the current structure represents a survival of elements from the original 12th-century stone walls onwards, presented within the context of Wyatville's final remodelling.<ref>Brindle and Kerr, p. 61.</ref>

==== State Apartments ====
[[File:Windsor Castle Upper Ward Quadrangle 2 - Nov 2006.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|alt=A photograph of a grey Gothic building stretching across the picture; the nearest parts have windows in a white stone, the furthest parts in a yellow stone. Three soldiers in grey uniforms and black hats are marching past the building.|The State Apartments in the Upper Ward – (l to r) King's Audience and Presence Chambers, the Official Entrance, St George's Hall, the Guest's Entrance<ref>Emery, p. 200.</ref>]]
The State Apartments form the major part of the Upper Ward and lie along the north side of the quadrangle. The modern building follows the medieval foundations laid down by [[Edward&nbsp;III]], with the ground floor comprising service chambers and cellars, and the much grander first floor forming the main part of the palace. On the first floor, the layout of the western end of the State Apartments is primarily the work of architect [[Hugh May]], whereas the structure on the eastern side represents Jeffry Wyatville's plans.<ref group="nb">The Queen's Drawing Room, Queen's Ballroom, Queen's Audience Chamber, Queen's Presence Chamber, Queen's Guard Chamber, King's Presence Chamber, King's Audience Room, King's Drawing Chamber and King's Dining Chamber residing in May's 17th-century structure; Wyatville transformed the layout of the eastern end of the State Apartments, forming the Grand Reception Room, White Drawing Room, Green Drawing Room, Crimson Drawing Room, the Waterloo Chamber, State Dining Room and Octagonal Dining Room.</ref>

The interior of the State Apartments was mostly designed by Wyatville in the early 19th century. Wyatville intended each room to illustrate a particular architectural style and to display the matching furnishings and fine arts of the period.<ref>Nicolson, p. 79.</ref> With some alterations over the years, this concept continues to dominate the apartments. Different rooms follow the [[Neoclassical architecture|Classical]], [[Gothic Revival|Gothic]] and [[Rococo]] styles, together with an element of [[Jacobethan]] in places.<ref>Nicolson, pp. 79, 172–173.</ref> Many of the rooms on the eastern end of the castle had to be restored following the 1992 fire, using "equivalent restoration" methods&nbsp;– the rooms were restored so as to appear similar to their original appearance, but using modern materials and concealing modern structural improvements.<ref name=NicholsonP78>Nicolson, p. 78.</ref>{{refn|"Authentic restoration" involves using original materials and methods; "equivalent restoration", as at Windsor, can integrate modern "fire compartmentation, service ducting, hygienic materials and strengthened floors", provided they cannot be seen.<ref name=NicholsonP78/>|group="nb"}} These rooms were also partially redesigned at the same time to more closely match modern tastes. Art historian [[Hugh Roberts (art historian)|Hugh Roberts]] has praised the State Apartments as "a superb and unrivalled sequence of rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste."<ref name="Hugh Roberts p. 79" /> Others, such as architect Robin Nicolson and critic [[Hugh Pearman (architecture critic)|Hugh Pearman]], have described them as "bland" and "distinctly dull".<ref>Nicolson, p. 70.</ref>

[[File:Windsor Castle Crimson Drawing Room.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|alt=A photograph of a large room with a long red carpet stretching through the middle of it and windows on the right hand side. Furniture fills both sides of the room. The ceiling contains ornate plasterwork and a chandelier hangs down from the middle of the picture.|The Crimson Drawing Room in 2007, following the [[1992 Windsor Castle fire|1992 fire]] and subsequent remodelling]]
Wyatville's most famous work are those rooms designed in a Rococo style. These rooms take the fluid, playful aspects of this mid-18th century artistic movement, including many original pieces of [[Louis XV style]], but project them on a "vastly inflated" scale.<ref>Ireland, p. 93; Nicolson, p. 191.</ref> Investigations after the 1992 fire have shown though that many Rococo features of the modern castle, originally thought to have been 18th-century fittings transferred from [[Carlton House]] or France, are in fact 19th-century imitations in plasterwork and wood, designed to blend with original elements.<ref>Nicolson, p. 176.</ref> The Grand Reception Room is the most prominent of these Rococo designs, {{convert|100|ft|m}} long and {{convert|40|ft|m}} tall and occupying the site of Edward&nbsp;III's great hall.<ref>Nicolson, pp. 123, 174; Brindle and Kerr, p. 28.</ref> This room, restored after the fire, includes a huge French Rococo ceiling, characterised by Ian Constantinides, the lead restorer, as possessing a "coarseness of form and crudeness of hand&nbsp;... completely overshadowed by the sheer spectacular effect when you are at a distance".<ref name=NicholsonP190>Nicolson, p. 190.</ref> The room is set off by a set of restored [[Gobelins Manufactory|Gobelins French tapestries]].<ref name=NicholsonP190/> Although decorated with less gold leaf than in the 1820s, the result remains "one of the greatest set-pieces of Regency decoration".<ref>Brindle and Kerr, p. 28; Nicolson, p. 184.</ref> The White, Green and Crimson Drawing Rooms include a total of 62 [[Trophy (architectural)|trophies]]: carved, gilded wooden panels illustrating weapons and the spoils of war, many with [[Masonic]] meanings.<ref name=NicolsonPP197-8>Nicolson, pp. 197–198.</ref> Restored or replaced after the fire, these trophies are famous for their "vitality, precision and three-dimensional quality", and were originally brought from Carlton House in 1826, some being originally imported from France and others carved by Edward Wyatt.<ref name=NicolsonPP197-8/> The soft furnishings of these rooms, although luxurious, are more modest than the 1820s originals, both on the grounds of modern taste and cost.<ref>Nicolson, pp. 206–207.</ref>

Wyatville's design retains three rooms originally built by May in the 17th century in partnership with the painter [[Antonio Verrio]] and carver [[Grinling Gibbons]]. The Queen's Presence Chamber, the Queen's Audience Chamber and the King's Dining Room are designed in a Baroque, Franco-Italian style, characterised by "gilded interiors enriched with florid murals", first introduced to England between 1648 and 1650 at [[Wilton House]].<ref>Watkin, p. 345.</ref> Verrio's paintings are "drenched in medievalist allusion" and classical images.<ref>Nicolson, p. 128.</ref> These rooms were intended to show an innovative English "baroque fusion" of the hitherto separate arts of architecture, painting and carving.<ref>Rowse, p. 95.</ref>

[[File:Windsor Castle Private Chapel.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=Two designs for a ceiling, one showing a side view of structure and decoration; the bottom showing how it would appear from below. The ceiling is decorated with a network of gothic arches in gold on a blue background.|A [[Architectural drawing#Presentation drawings|presentation drawing]] for the new Private Chapel, showing a Gothic design by [[Giles Downes]]]]
A handful of rooms in the modern State Apartments reflect either 18th-century or Victorian Gothic design. The State Dining Room, for example, whose current design originates from the 1850s but which was badly damaged during the 1992 fire, is restored to its appearance in the 1920s, before the removal of some of the gilded features on the pilasters.<ref>Nicolson, p. 191.; Brindle and Kerr, p. 56.</ref> [[Anthony Salvin]]'s Grand Staircase is also of mid-Victorian design in the Gothic style, rising to a double-height hall lit by an older 18th-century Gothic [[Vault (architecture)|vaulted]] lantern tower called the Grand Vestibule, designed by [[James Wyatt]] and executed by [[Francis Bernasconi]].<ref>Robinson, p. 74.</ref> The staircase has been criticised by historian [[John Martin Robinson|John Robinson]] as being a distinctly inferior design to the earlier staircases built on the same site by both Wyatt and May.<ref>Robinson, p. 118.</ref>

Some parts of the State Apartments were completely destroyed in the 1992 fire and this area was rebuilt in a style called "Downesian Gothic", named after the architect [[Giles Downes]].<ref>Nicolson, p. 212.</ref><ref group="nb">The rooms completely or largely destroyed in the fire were St George's Hall, the Lantern Lobby, the Octagonal Dining Room, the Private Chapel, and the Great Kitchen.</ref> The style comprises "the rather stripped, cool and systematic coherence of modernism sewn into a reinterpretation of the Gothic tradition".<ref>Nicolson, p. 233.</ref> Downes argues that the style avoids "florid decoration", emphasising an organic, flowing Gothic structure.<ref>Nicolson, p. 234.</ref> Three new rooms were built or remodelled by Downes at Windsor. Downes' new [[hammer-beam roof]] of St George's Hall is the largest green-oak structure built since the Middle Ages, and is decorated with brightly coloured shields celebrating the heraldic element of the [[Order of the Garter]]; the design attempts to create an illusion of additional height through the gothic woodwork along the ceiling.<ref>Nicolson, pp. 211, 214, 218.</ref> The Lantern Lobby used to welcome guests features flowing oak columns forming a vaulted ceiling, imitating an [[arum lily]], and is where the pre-fire chapel built for Queen Victoria was located.<ref>Nicolson, p. 235.</ref><ref name=ITV>{{Cite news |date=6 July 2019 |title=Private chapel for Archie's christening was rebuilt after Windsor Castle fire |work=ITV News |url=https://www.itv.com/news/2019-07-06/private-chapel-for-archies-christening-was-rebuilt-after-windsor-castle-fire/ |access-date=26 May 2020 |url-status=live |archive-date=8 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708113347/https://www.itv.com/news/2019-07-06/private-chapel-for-archies-christening-was-rebuilt-after-windsor-castle-fire/}}</ref> The new Private Chapel is relatively intimate, only able to fit thirty worshippers, but combines architectural elements of the St George's Hall roof with the Lantern Lobby and the stepped arch structure of the Henry VIII chapel vaulting at [[Hampton Court]].<ref>Nicolson, pp. 244–246.</ref> The result is an "extraordinary, continuous and closely moulded net of tracery", complementing the new stained glass windows commemorating the fire, designed by Joseph Nuttgen<ref>Nicolson, pp. 246, 264.</ref> and [[Prince Philip]].<ref name=ITV/> The Great Kitchen, with its newly exposed 14th-century roof lantern sitting alongside Wyatville's fireplaces, chimneys and Gothic tables, is also a product of the reconstruction after the fire.<ref>Nicolson, p. 146; Brindle and Kerr, p. 26.</ref>

The ground floor of the State Apartments retains various famous medieval features. The 14th-century Great Undercroft still survives, some {{convert|193|ft|m}} long by {{convert|31|ft|m}} wide, divided into 13 bays.<ref>Emery, p. 197.</ref> At the time of the 1992 fire, the Undercroft had been divided into smaller rooms; the area is now opened up to form a single space in an effort to echo the undercrofts at [[Fountains Abbey]] and [[Rievaulx Abbey]], although the floor remains artificially raised for convenience of use.<ref>Nicolson, pp. 166–167.</ref> The "beautifully vaulted" 14th-century Larderie passage runs alongside the Kitchen Courtyard and is decorated with carved royal roses, marking its construction by Edward&nbsp;III.<ref>Nicolson, pp. 125, 152.</ref><ref group="nb">"Larderie" means "meat passage".</ref>

=== Lower Ward ===
[[File:Windsor Lower Ward.jpg|thumb|upright=1.55|alt=A photograph of a large Gothic chapel on the left, with tall thin windows. On the right is a line of stone buildings, pointing towards a circular tower in the middle of the picture. In the centre are two paths surrounded by grass, with a number of people walking around.|The Lower Ward, (l to r) [[St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle|St George's Chapel]], the Lady Chapel, the Round Tower, the lodgings of the [[Military Knights of Windsor|Military Knights]], the residence of the [[Governor of the Military Knights of Windsor|Governor of the Military Knights]]]]
The Lower Ward lies below and to the west of the Round Tower, reached through the Norman Gate. Originally largely of medieval design, most of the Lower Ward was renovated or reconstructed during the mid-Victorian period by [[Anthony Salvin]] and [[Edward Blore]], to form a "consistently Gothic composition".<ref name="Robinson, p.121">Robinson, p. 121.</ref> The Lower Ward holds [[St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle|St George's Chapel]] and most of the buildings associated with the Order of the Garter.

On the north side of the Lower Ward is St George's Chapel. This huge building is the spiritual home of the [[Order of the Garter]] and dates from the late 15th and early 16th century, designed in the [[Perpendicular Gothic]] style.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 20.</ref> The ornate wooden [[Choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle|choir stalls]] are of 15th century design, having been restored and extended by [[Henry Emlyn]] at the end of the 18th century, and are decorated with a unique set of brass plates showing the arms of the Knights of the Garter over the last six centuries.<ref>Robinson, pp. 18, 28.</ref> On the west side, the chapel has a grand Victorian door and staircase, used on ceremonial occasions.<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP80>Mackworth-Young, p. 80.</ref> The east stained glass window is Victorian, and the [[oriel window]] to the north side of it was built by [[Henry&nbsp;VIII]] for [[Catherine of Aragon]].<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 22.</ref> The vault in front of the altar houses the remains of Henry&nbsp;VIII, [[Jane Seymour]] and [[Charles I of England|Charles&nbsp;I]], with [[Edward&nbsp;IV]] buried nearby.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 22; Rowse, p. 37.</ref> The chapel is considered by historian John Robinson to be "one of the supreme achievements of English Perpendicular Gothic" design.<ref name="Robinson, p.27"/>

[[File:Windsor horseshoe cloister 01.JPG|thumb|left|upright=0.8|alt=A close-up photograph of a building made with black timbers and red brick. The building has four tall, brick chimneys. A relatively modern drainpipe comes down the middle of the building.|The Horseshoe Cloister, built in 1480 and reconstructed in the 19th century]]
At the east end of St George's Chapel is the Lady Chapel, originally built by [[Henry III of England|Henry&nbsp;III]] in the 13th century and converted into the Albert Memorial Chapel between 1863 and 1873 by [[George Gilbert Scott]].<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP80/> Built to commemorate the life of [[Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha|Prince Albert]], the ornate chapel features lavish decoration and works in marble, glass mosaic and bronze by [[Henri de Triqueti]], [[Susan Durant]], [[Alfred Gilbert]] and [[Antonio Salviati]].<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP80/> The east door of the chapel, covered in ornamental ironwork, is the original door from 1246.<ref name="Tatton-Brown, p.26">Tatton-Brown, p. 26.</ref>

At the west end of the Lower Ward is the Horseshoe Cloister, originally built in 1480, near to the chapel to house its clergy. It houses the vicars-choral, or [[lay clerk]]s of the chapel.<ref name=RobinsonP26P121>Robinson, pp. 26, 121.</ref> This curved brick and timber building is said to have been designed to resemble the shape of a [[fetlock]], one of the [[livery badge|badges]] used by Edward&nbsp;IV. Gilbert Scott heavily restored the building in 1871 and little of the original structure remains.<ref name=RobinsonP26P121/> Other ranges originally built by Edward&nbsp;III sit alongside the Horseshoe, featuring stone perpendicular [[tracery]].<ref name=RobinsonP26>Robinson, p. 26.</ref> As of 2011, they are used as offices, a library and as the houses for the Dean and [[Canon (priest)|canons]].<ref name=RobinsonP26/>

Behind the Horseshoe Cloister is the Curfew Tower, one of the oldest surviving parts of the Lower Ward and dating from the 13th century.<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP80/> The interior of the tower contains a former dungeon, and the remnants of a [[sally port]], a secret exit for the occupants in a time of siege.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 81.</ref> The upper storey contains the castle bells placed there in 1478, and the castle clock of 1689. The French-style [[conical]] roof is a 19th-century attempt by Anthony Salvin to remodel the tower in the fashion of [[Eugène Viollet-le-Duc]]'s recreation of [[Carcassonne]].<ref>Robinson, pp. 14, 121.</ref>

On the opposite side of the chapel is a range of buildings including the lodgings of the [[Military Knights of Windsor|Military Knights]], and the residence of the [[Governor of the Military Knights of Windsor|Governor of the Military Knights]].<ref>Robinson, p. 30.</ref> These buildings originate from the 16th century and are still used by the Knights, who represent the Order of the Garter each Sunday.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 27.</ref> On the south side of the Ward is King Henry VIII's gateway, which bears the coat of arms of [[Catherine of Aragon]] and forms the secondary entrance to the castle.

=== Park and landscape ===
Windsor Castle's position on top of steep ground has meant that the castle's gardens are limited in scale.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 42.</ref> The castle gardens stretch east from the Upper Ward across a 19th-century terrace.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 72.</ref> Windsor Castle is surrounded by extensive parkland. The immediate area stretching to the east of the castle is a 19th-century creation known as the [[Home Park, Windsor|Home Park]].<ref name=RobinsonP122/> The Home Park includes parkland and two working farms, along with many estate cottages mainly occupied by employees and the [[Frogmore]] estate. The Long Walk, a double lined avenue of trees, runs for {{convert|2.65|mi|km|}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.windsor-berkshire.co.uk/the-long-walk/ |title=The Long Walk |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=Windsor Berkshire UK |publisher=WordPress |access-date=25 March 2015}}</ref> south of the castle, and is {{cvt|240|ft}} wide.<ref>Cantor, p. 105.</ref> The original 17th century elms were replaced with alternating [[chestnut]] and [[Platanus|plane]] trees. The impact of [[Dutch elm disease]] led to large-scale replanting after 1945.<ref>Robinson, pp. 55, 122.</ref>

The Home Park adjoins the northern edge of the more extensive [[Windsor Great Park]], occupying some {{convert|2020|ha|acre|order=flip}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/windsor/windsor-great-park/ |title=Windsor Great Park |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |year=2014 |work=The Crown Estate |access-date=25 March 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627211824/http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/windsor/windsor-great-park/}}</ref> and including some of the oldest [[Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests|broadleaved woodlands]] in Europe.<ref>Brown (1989), p. 230; Cantor, p. 105.</ref> In the Home Park, to the north of the castle, stands a private school, [[St George's School, Windsor Castle|St George's]], which provides [[chorister]]s to the chapel. [[Eton College]] is located about half a mile from the castle, across the [[River Thames]], reflecting the fact that it was a royal foundation of [[Henry VI of England|Henry&nbsp;VI]].

{{wide image|cmglee_Windsor_Castle_aerial_view.jpg|600px|Aerial view of the castle from the south, '''from left to right''': the Lower Ward and St George's Chapel, the Middle Ward and Round Tower, the Upper Ward and East Terrace garden, with the Long Walk, lower right. The [[River Thames]] can be seen in the upper left of the picture.}}

== History ==

=== 11th and 12th centuries ===
[[File:Windsor round tower 03.JPG|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=A photograph showing the left hand side of a circular stone tower made of grey stone and with small windows.|The Round Tower in the Middle Ward was built by [[Henry II of England|Henry&nbsp;II]] and remodelled in the 19th century.]]
Windsor Castle was originally built by [[William the Conqueror]] in the decade after the [[Norman Conquest]] of 1066.<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP6>Mackworth-Young, p. 6.</ref> William established a defensive ring of [[motte-and-bailey castle]]s around London; each was a day's march&nbsp;– about {{convert|20|mi}}&nbsp;– from the [[City of London|City]] and from the next castle, allowing for easy reinforcements in a crisis.<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP6/> Windsor Castle, one of this ring of fortifications, was strategically important because of its proximity to both the [[River Thames]], a key medieval route into London, and [[Windsor Forest]], a royal hunting preserve previously used by the Saxon kings.<ref>Rowse, p. 12; Robinson, p. 13.</ref> The nearby settlement of Clivore, or [[Clewer]], was an old [[Anglo-Saxons|Saxon]] residence. The initial wooden castle consisted of a [[keep]] on the top of a man-made 'motte', or mound, protected by a small [[Bailey (castle)|bailey]] wall, occupying a chalk [[Inliers and outliers (geology)|inlier]], or bluff, rising {{cvt|100|ft}} above the river.<ref>Emery, p. 193; Tatton-Brown, p. 18; Robinson, p. 11.</ref> A second wooden bailey was constructed to the east of the keep, forming the later Upper Ward.<ref name=EmeryP193>Emery, p. 193.</ref> By the end of the century, another bailey had been constructed to the west, creating the basic shape of the modern castle.<ref name=EmeryP193/>{{refn|Tim Tatton-Brown argues that only the initial, middle bailey was built by William I, suggesting a later construction date for the two larger baileys.<ref>Tatton-Brown, p. 18.</ref>|group="nb"}} In design, Windsor most closely resembled [[Arundel Castle]], another powerful early Norman fortification, but the double bailey design was also found at [[Rockingham Castle|Rockingham]] and [[Alnwick Castle]].<ref>Brown (1989), p. 227; Robinson, p. 11.</ref>

Windsor was not initially used as a royal residence. The early Norman kings preferred to use the former palace of [[Edward the Confessor]] in the village of [[Old Windsor]].<ref>Brindle and Kerr, p. 32.</ref> The first king to use Windsor Castle as a residence was [[Henry I of England|Henry&nbsp;I]], who celebrated [[Pentecost|Whitsuntide]] at the castle in 1110 during a period of heightened insecurity.<ref name="asc">South, p. 35.</ref> Henry's marriage to [[Adeliza of Louvain|Adela]], the daughter of [[Godfrey of Louvain]], took place in the castle in 1121. During this period the keep suffered a substantial collapse&nbsp;– archaeological evidence shows that the southern side of the motte [[Subsidence|subsided]] by over 6&nbsp;ft (2&nbsp;m).<ref>Brindle and Kerr, pp. 32–33.</ref> Timber piles were driven in to support the motte and the old wooden keep was replaced with a new stone [[shell keep]], with a probable gateway to the north-east and a new stone well.<ref name=BrindleKerrP33>Brindle and Kerr, p. 33.</ref> A [[Chemise (wall)|chemise]], or low protective wall, was subsequently added to the keep.<ref name=BrindleKerrP33/>

[[Henry II of England|Henry II]] came to the throne in 1154 and built extensively at Windsor between 1165 and 1179.<ref name=EmeryP193/> Henry replaced the wooden palisade surrounding the upper ward with a stone wall interspersed with square towers and built the first King's Gate.<ref name=EmeryP193/> The first stone keep was suffering from subsidence, and cracks were beginning to appear in the stonework of the south side.<ref name=BrindleKerrP33/> Henry replaced the keep with another stone shell keep and chemise wall, but moved the walls in from the edge of the motte to relieve the pressure on the mound, and added massive foundations along the south side to provide additional support.<ref name=BrindleKerrP33/> Inside the castle Henry remodelled the royal accommodation.<ref name=EmeryP193/> [[Bagshot Heath]] stone was used for most of the work, and stone from [[Bedfordshire]] for the internal buildings.<ref>Robinson, p. 14.</ref>

=== 13th century ===
[[File:Curfew Tower, Windsor Castle.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=A photograph of a castle tower, the tower is pierced by small windows and has a coned, red-tiled roof, with a clock built into one side. The sky behind the wall is pale blue.|The Curfew Tower in the Lower Ward was built by [[Henry III of England|Henry&nbsp;III]] and remodelled in the 19th century.]]
[[John, King of England|King John]] undertook some building works at Windsor, but primarily to the accommodation rather than the defences.<ref name=Tatton-BrownP24>Tatton-Brown, p. 24.</ref> The castle played a role during the [[First Barons' War|revolt of the English barons]]: the castle was besieged in 1214, and John used the castle as his base during the negotiations before the signing of [[Magna Carta]] at nearby [[Runnymede]] in 1215.<ref name=Tatton-BrownP24/> In 1216 the castle was besieged again by baronial and French troops under the command of the [[Hervé IV of Donzy|Count of Nevers]], but John's [[Constable#United Kingdom|constable]], [[Engelard de Cigogné]], successfully defended it.<ref name=Tatton-BrownP24/>

The damage done to the castle during the second siege was immediately repaired in 1216 and 1221 by Cigogné on behalf of John's successor [[Henry III of England|Henry&nbsp;III]], who further strengthened the defences.<ref name="Brindle and Kerr, p.34">Brindle and Kerr, p. 34.</ref> The walls of the Lower Ward were rebuilt in stone, complete with a gatehouse in the location of the future Henry VIII Gate, between 1224 and 1230.<ref name=EmeryP193/> Three new towers, the Curfew, Garter and the Salisbury towers, were constructed.<ref name=Tatton-BrownP24/> The Middle Ward was heavily reinforced with a southern stone wall, protected by the new Edward&nbsp;III and Henry&nbsp;III towers at each end.<ref name=EmeryP193/>

Windsor Castle was one of Henry III's three favourite residences and he invested heavily in the royal accommodation, spending more money at Windsor than in any other of his properties.<ref>Brindle and Kerr, p. 34; Robinson, p. 15.</ref>{{refn|The other two residences favoured by Henry III were the [[Palace of Westminster]] and [[Clarendon Palace]].<ref name="Brindle and Kerr, p.34"/>|group="nb"}} Following his marriage to [[Eleanor of Provence]], Henry built a luxurious palace in 1240–1263, based around a court along the north side of the Upper Ward.<ref>Nicolson, p. 123; Emery, p. 193.</ref> This was intended primarily for the queen and Henry's children.<ref name=EmeryP193/> In the Lower Ward, the king ordered the construction of a range of buildings for his own use along the south wall, including a 70&nbsp;ft (21&nbsp;m) long chapel, later called the [[Lady Chapel]].<ref name=Tatton-BrownP25>Tatton-Brown, p. 25.</ref> This was the grandest of the numerous chapels built for his own use, and comparable to the [[Sainte-Chapelle]] in Paris in size and quality.<ref>Robinson, p. 15.</ref> Henry repaired the Great Hall that lay along the north side of the Lower Ward, and enlarged it with a new kitchen and built a covered walkway between the Hall and the kitchen.<ref name=Tatton-BrownP25/> Henry's work was characterised by the religious overtones of the rich decorations, which formed "one of the high-water marks of English medieval art".<ref>Robinson, p. 17.</ref> The conversion cost more than £10,000.<ref name="Brindle and Kerr, p.34"/> The result was to create a division in the castle between a more private Upper Ward and a Lower Ward devoted to the public face of the monarchy.<ref name="Tatton-Brown, p.26"/> Little further building was carried out at the castle during the 13th century; the Great Hall in the Lower Ward was destroyed by fire in 1296, but it was not rebuilt.<ref name=SteaneP110>Steane, p. 110.</ref>

=== 14th century ===
[[File:Puerta normanda del castillo de Windsor.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|alt=A photograph of a stone gatehouse, with two large, circular towers on each side of the gateway dominating the picture. A stone wall stretches alongside the left hand side of the picture.|The Norman Gate in the Middle Ward was built by [[Edward&nbsp;III]] and remodelled in the 19th century.]]

[[Edward III]] was born at Windsor Castle and used it extensively throughout his reign.<ref name=SteaneP110/> In 1344 the king announced the foundation of the new Order of the Round Table at the castle.<ref name=BrindleKerrP39>Brindle and Kerr, p. 39.</ref> Edward began to construct a new building in the castle to host this order, but it was never finished.<ref name=BrindleKerrP39/> Chroniclers described it as a round building, 200&nbsp;ft (61&nbsp;m) across, and it was probably in the centre of the Upper Ward.<ref>Tatton-Brown, p. 23; Barber, p. 41.</ref> Shortly afterwards, Edward abandoned the new order for reasons that remain unclear, and instead established the [[Order of the Garter]], again with Windsor Castle as its headquarters, complete with the attendant [[Poor Knights of Windsor]].<ref name=BrindleKerrP39/> As part of this process Edward decided to rebuild Windsor Castle, in particular Henry III's palace, in an attempt to construct a castle that would be symbolic of royal power and chivalry.<ref name=NicolsonPP118-9>Nicolson, pp. 118–119.</ref> Edward was influenced both by the military successes of his grandfather, Edward&nbsp;I, and by the decline of royal authority under his father, Edward&nbsp;II, and aimed to produce an innovative, "self-consciously aesthetic, muscled, martial architecture".<ref name=NicolsonP121>Nicolson, p. 121.</ref>

Edward placed [[William of Wykeham]] in overall charge of the rebuilding and design of the new castle and while work was ongoing Edward stayed in temporary accommodation in the Round Tower.<ref name=SteaneP110/> Between 1350 and 1377 Edward spent £51,000 on renovating Windsor Castle; this was the largest amount spent by any English medieval monarch on a single building operation, and over one and a half times Edward's typical annual income of £30,000.<ref name="Nicolson, p.106">Nicolson, p. 106.</ref> Some of the costs of the castle were paid from the results of ransoms following Edward's victories at the battles of [[Crécy]], [[Siege of Calais (1346)|Calais]] and [[Battle of Poitiers (1356)|Poitiers]].<ref name=SteaneP110/> Windsor Castle was already a substantial building before Edward began expanding it, making the investment all the more impressive, and much of the expenditure was lavished on rich furnishings.<ref>Brown (1984), p. 91; Nicolson, p. 122.</ref> The castle was "the most expensive secular building project of the entire Middle Ages in England".<ref name=BrindleKerrP39/>

Edward's new palace consisted of three courts along the north side of the Upper Ward, called Little Cloister, King's Cloister and the Kitchen Court.<ref name=EmeryP196>Emery, p.196.</ref> At the front of the palace lay the St George's Hall range, which combined a new hall and a new chapel. This range had two symmetrical gatehouses, the Spicerie Gatehouse and the Kitchen Gatehouse. The Spicerie Gatehouse was the main entrance into the palace, while the Kitchen Gatehouse simply led into the kitchen courtyard.<ref>Nicolson, p. 121; Emery, p. 196.</ref> The great hall had numerous large windows looking out across the ward.<ref>Nicolson, p. 124.</ref> The range had an unusual, unified roof-line and, with a taller roof than the rest of the palace, would have been highly distinctive.<ref>Nicolson, p.120; Brindle and Ward, p. 40.</ref> The Rose Tower, designed for the king's private use, set off the west corner of the range.<ref name=EmeryP196/> The result was a "great and apparently architecturally unified palace&nbsp;... uniform in all sorts of ways, as to roof line, window heights, cornice line, floor and ceiling heights".<ref>Steven Brindle, cited Nicolson, p. 125.</ref> With the exception of the Hall, Chapel and the Great Chamber, the new interiors all shared a similar height and width.<ref name=BrindleKerrP44>Brindle and Kerr, p. 44.</ref>{{refn|The interiors were approximately 22&nbsp;ft 11 in (7&nbsp;m) in height, and 23&nbsp;ft 7 in (7.2&nbsp;m) wide.<ref name=BrindleKerrP44/>|group="nb"}} The defensive features, however, were primarily for show, possibly to provide a backdrop for jousting between the two-halves of the Order of the Garter.<ref name=NicolsonP121/>

[[File:Windsor Castle Edwardian Frontage.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.25|alt=A drawing of the front of a castle hall, with two towers at either end and a row of high windows running along with the middle. The drawing is in shades of grey.|A reconstruction of the St George's Hall range built by [[Edward&nbsp;III]]: (l to r) the Spicerie Gatehouse, the chapel, the hall, and the Kitchen Gatehouse]]
Edward built further luxurious, self-contained lodgings for his court around the east and south edges of the Upper Ward, creating the modern shape of the quadrangle.<ref name="Nicolson, p.123"/> The Norman gate was built to secure the west entrance to the Ward.<ref name=SteaneP110/> In the Lower Ward, the chapel was enlarged and remodelled with grand buildings for the canons built alongside.<ref name=SteaneP110/> The earliest weight-driven [[Clock#Fully_mechanical|mechanical clock]] in England was installed by Edward&nbsp;III in the Round Tower in 1354.<ref>Brown (1989), p. 230.</ref> William of Wykeham went on to build [[New College, Oxford]] and [[Winchester College]], where the influence of Windsor Castle can easily be seen.<ref name=SteaneP110/>

The new castle was used to hold French prisoners taken at the [[Battle of Poitiers]] in 1357, including [[John II of France|King John&nbsp;II]], who was held for a [[Ransom of King John II of France|considerable ransom]].<ref>Ritchie, p. 100.</ref> Later in the century, the castle also found favour with [[Richard&nbsp;II]]. Richard conducted restoration work on St George's Chapel, the work being carried out by [[Geoffrey Chaucer]], who served as a diplomat and Clerk of The King's Works.

=== 15th century ===
[[File:St. Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle (2).jpg|thumb|alt=A photograph of a huge stone chapel, with tall stained glass windows and stone detailing. A patch of green grass can be seen in the foreground with several people walking by the door of the chapel.|[[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle|St George's Chapel]], begun in 1475 by [[Edward&nbsp;IV]]]]
Windsor Castle continued to be favoured by monarchs in the 15th century, despite increasing political violence.<ref name=RowseP28>Rowse, p. 28.</ref> [[Henry IV of England|Henry&nbsp;IV]] seized the castle during his coup in 1399, although failing to catch [[Richard&nbsp;II]], who had escaped to London.<ref name=RowseP28/> Under [[Henry V of England|Henry&nbsp;V]], the castle hosted a visit from the [[Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor|Holy Roman Emperor]] in 1417, a massive diplomatic event that stretched the castle's accommodation to its limits.<ref>Rowse, p. 29.</ref>

By the middle of the 15th century England was increasingly divided between the rival royal factions of the [[House of Lancaster|Lancastrians]] and the [[Yorkists]]. Castles such as Windsor did not play a decisive role during the resulting [[Wars of the Roses]] (1455–1485), which were fought primarily in the form of pitched battles between the rival factions.<ref>Pounds, p. 249.</ref> [[Henry VI of England|Henry&nbsp;VI]], born at Windsor Castle and known as Henry of Windsor, became king at the young age of nine months.<ref>Wolffe, pp. 27–28</ref> His long period of minority, coupled with the increasing tensions between Henry's Lancastrian supporters and the Yorkists, distracted attention from Windsor.<ref name=RowseP30>Rowse, p. 30.</ref> The Garter Feasts and other ceremonial activities at the castle became more infrequent and less well attended.<ref name=RowseP30/>

[[Edward IV]] seized power in 1461. When Edward captured Henry's wife, [[Margaret of Anjou]], she was brought back to be detained at the castle.<ref>Rowse, p. 31.</ref> Edward began to revive the Order of the Garter, and held a particularly lavish feast in 1472.<ref>Rowse, p. 39.</ref> Edward began the construction of the present [[St. George's Chapel, Windsor|St. George's Chapel]] in 1475, resulting in the dismantling of several of the older buildings in the Lower Ward.<ref>Rowse, p. 34.</ref> By building the grand chapel Edward was seeking to show that his new dynasty were the permanent rulers of England, and may also have been attempting to deliberately rival the similar chapel that Henry VI had ordered to be constructed at nearby [[Eton College]].<ref name=RowseP30/> [[Richard&nbsp;III]] made only a brief use of Windsor Castle before his defeat at the [[Battle of Bosworth Field]] in 1485, but had the body of Henry VI moved from [[Chertsey Abbey]] in Surrey to the castle to allow it to be visited by pilgrims more easily.<ref>Rowse, p. 41; Rubin, p. 284.</ref>

Henry VII made more use of Windsor. In 1488, shortly after succeeding to the throne, he held a massive feast for the Order of the Garter at the castle.<ref name=RowseP43>Rowse, p. 43.</ref> He completed the roof of St George's Chapel, and set about converting the older eastern [[Lady Chapel]] into a proposed shrine to Henry&nbsp;VI, whose canonisation was then considered imminent.<ref name=RowseP43/> In the event, Henry&nbsp;VI was not canonised and the project was abandoned, although the shrine continued to attract a flood of pilgrims.<ref>Rowse, p. 43; Knox and Leslie pp. 3–7, cited Hoak p. 72.</ref> Henry&nbsp;VII appears to have remodelled the King's Chamber in the palace, and had the roof of the Great Kitchen rebuilt in 1489.<ref name=BrindleKerrP46>Brindle and Kerr, p. 46.</ref> He also built a three-storied tower on the west end of the palace, which he used for his personal apartments.<ref>Brindle and Kerr, p. 46; Rowse, p. 43.</ref> Windsor began to be used for international diplomatic events, including the grand visit of [[Philip I&nbsp;of Castile]] in 1506.<ref name=RowseP43/> [[Edmund de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk|Edmund de la Pole]], one of the surviving Yorkist claimants to the throne, was imprisoned at Windsor Castle during Henry's reign, before his execution in 1513.<ref>Rowse, p. 46.</ref>

=== 16th century ===
[[File:Windsor Castle Henry VIII Gateway.jpg|thumb|alt=A photograph of a stone gatehouse, with angular octagonal towers and windows picked out in white stone. The weather is good, with the sky behind the gatehouse a bright blue.|The [[Henry VIII]] gateway in the Lower Ward]]
[[Henry VIII]] enjoyed Windsor Castle, as a young man "exercising himself daily in shooting, singing, dancing, wrestling, casting of the bar, playing at the recorders, flute, virginals, in setting of songs and making of ballads".<ref>Rowse, p. 47.</ref> The tradition of the Garter Feasts was maintained and became more extravagant; the size of the royal retinue visiting Windsor had to be restricted because of the growing numbers.<ref>Rowse, p. 48.</ref> During the [[Pilgrimage of Grace]], a huge uprising in the north of England against Henry's rule in 1536, the king used Windsor as a secure base in the south from which to manage his military response.<ref>Rowse, pp. 52–53.</ref> Throughout the Tudor period, Windsor was also used as a safe retreat in the event of plagues occurring in London.<ref>Rowse, p. 61.</ref>

Henry rebuilt the principal castle gateway in about 1510 and constructed a tennis court at the base of the motte in the Upper Ward.<ref>Brindle and Kerr, p. 46; Rowse, p. 47.</ref> He also built a long terrace, called the North Wharf, along the outside wall of the Upper Ward; constructed of wood, it was designed to provide a commanding view of the [[River Thames]] below.<ref name=BrindleKerrP46/> The design included an outside staircase into the king's apartments, which made the monarch's life more comfortable at the expense of considerably weakening the castle's defences.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 25.</ref> Early in his reign, Henry had given the eastern Lady Chapel to [[Cardinal Wolsey]] for Wolsey's future mausoleum.<ref>Rowse, p. 55.</ref> [[Benedetto Grazzini]] converted much of this into an Italian Renaissance design, before Wolsey's fall from power brought an end to the project, with contemporaries estimating that around £60,000 (£295&nbsp;million in 2008 terms) had been spent on the work.<ref>Rowse, p. 55; Hoak, p. 101.</ref> Henry continued the project, but it remained unfinished when he himself was buried in the chapel, in an elaborate funeral in 1547.<ref>Rowse, p. 56.</ref>

[[File:Windsor Castle Hollar View From River.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|left|alt=A black and white sketch of a river scene. A river runs across the foreground of the picture, with a sail boat moving along it. In the middle ground, beyond the river, is a small town, and beyond that, on the top of a ridge, is a castle stretching across the back of the picture.|Windsor Castle in the 1670s from across the [[River Thames]], showing the North Terrace (left) built by [[Elizabeth&nbsp;I]] in the 16th century and the steep, protective ground to the north of the castle]]
By contrast, the young [[Edward&nbsp;VI]] disliked Windsor Castle.<ref name=Williams1860P69>Williams (1860), p. 69.</ref> Edward's Protestant beliefs led him to simplify the Garter ceremonies, to discontinue the annual Feast of the Garter at Windsor and to remove any signs of Catholic practices with the Order.<ref>Rowse, p. 57.</ref> During the rebellions and political strife of 1549, Windsor was again used as a safe-haven for the king and the [[Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset|Duke of Somerset]].<ref>Rowse, pp. 57–60.</ref> Edward famously commented while staying at Windsor Castle during this period that "Methink I am in a prison, here are no galleries, nor no gardens to walk in".<ref name=Williams1860P69 /> Under both Edward and his sister, [[Mary&nbsp;I]], some limited building work continued at the castle, in many cases using resources recovered from the English abbeys.<ref>Rowse, p. 60.</ref> Water was piped into the Upper Ward to create a fountain.<ref name=BrindleKerrP46/> Mary also expanded the buildings used by the Knights of Windsor in the Lower Ward, using stone from [[Reading Abbey]].<ref name=BrindleKerrP46/>

[[Elizabeth I]] spent much of her time at Windsor Castle and used it a safe haven in crises, "knowing it could stand a siege if need be".<ref>Williams (1971), p. 25.</ref> Ten new [[brass]] cannons were purchased for the castle's defence.<ref>Rowse, p. 67.</ref> It became one of her favourite locations and she spent more money on the property than on any of her other palaces.<ref name=RowseP64>Rowse, p. 64.</ref> She conducted some modest building works at Windsor, including a wide range of repairs to the existing structures.<ref>Brindle and Kerr, pp. 46–47.</ref> She converted the North Wharf into a permanent, huge stone terrace, complete with statues, carvings and an octagonal, outdoor banqueting house, raising the western end of the terrace to provide more privacy.<ref>Rowse, pp. 64, 66.</ref> The chapel was refitted with stalls, a gallery and a new ceiling.<ref name=BrindleKerrP47>Brindle and Kerr, p. 47.</ref> A bridge was built over the ditch to the south of the castle to enable easier access to the park.<ref name=RowseP64/> Elizabeth built a gallery range of buildings on the west end of the Upper Ward, alongside Henry VII's tower.<ref>Brindle and Kerr, p. 47; Rowse, pp. 64–65.</ref> Elizabeth increasingly used the castle for diplomatic engagements, but space continued to prove a challenge as the property was simply not as large as the more modern royal palaces.<ref>Rowse, p. 66.</ref> This flow of foreign visitors was captured for the queen's entertainment in [[William Shakespeare]]'s play, ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]''.<ref name=RowseP69>Rowse, p. 69.</ref>{{refn|[[Falstaff]]'s role in [[The Merry Wives of Windsor]], for example, is believed to represent [[Frederick I, Duke of Württemberg|Frederick&nbsp;I]]; the duke became an unpopular figure of fun at [[Elizabeth&nbsp;I]]'s court for his unwillingness, or inability, to pay his bills and his constant attempts to join the [[Order of the Garter]]. Various parts of the park surrounding Windsor are also represented in the play.<ref name=RowseP69/>|group="nb"}}

=== 17th century ===
[[File:Windsor Castle Hollar Birds Eye view.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|alt=A detailed engraving of a castle, seen from the air. The castle is divided in three pieces, with a domed mound in the middle, upon which is a keep. The castle and walls look stubby and short from this angle.|A [[bird's-eye view]] of Windsor Castle in 1658, by [[Wenceslas Hollar]], shown before [[Hugh May]]'s reconstruction of the Upper Ward]]
[[James VI and I|James I]] used Windsor Castle primarily as a base for hunting, one of his favourite pursuits, and for socialising with his friends.<ref>Rowse, p. 74; MacGregor, p. 86.</ref> Many of these occasions involved extensive [[Drinking#Alcoholic beverages|drinking]] sessions, including one with [[Christian&nbsp;IV of Denmark]] in 1606 that became infamous across Europe for the resulting drunken behaviour of the two kings.<ref name=RowseP74>Rowse, p. 74.</ref> The absence of space at Windsor continued to prove problematic, with James' English and Scottish retinues often quarrelling over rooms.<ref name=RowseP74/>

[[Charles I of England|Charles I]] was a connoisseur of art, and paid greater attention to the aesthetic aspects of Windsor Castle than his predecessors.<ref>Rowse, p. 76.</ref> Charles had the castle completely surveyed by a team including [[Inigo Jones]] in 1629, but little of the recommended work was carried out.<ref name=BrindleKerrP47/> Nonetheless, Charles employed [[Nicholas Stone]] to improve the chapel gallery in the [[Northern Mannerism|Mannerist]] style and to construct a gateway in the North Terrace.<ref name=BrindleKerrP47/> Christian van Vianen, a noted Dutch goldsmith, was employed to produce a [[baroque]] gold service for the St George's Chapel altar. In the final years of peace, Charles demolished the fountain in the Upper Ward, intending to replace it with a classical statue.<ref name=RowseP77>Rowse, p. 77.</ref>

In 1642 the [[English Civil War]] broke out, dividing the country into the [[Cavalier|Royalist]] supporters of Charles, and the [[Roundheads|Parliamentarians]]. In the aftermath of the [[battle of Edgehill]] in October, Parliament became concerned that Charles might advance on London.<ref name=RowseP79>Rowse, p. 79.</ref> [[John Venn (regicide)|John Venn]] took control of Windsor Castle with twelve companies of foot soldiers to protect the route along the Thames river, becoming the governor of the castle for the duration of the war.<ref name=RowseP79/> The contents of St George's Chapel were both valuable and, to many Parliamentary forces, inappropriately [[high church]] in style.<ref name=RowseP79/> Looting began immediately: Edward&nbsp;IV's bejewelled coat of mail was stolen; the chapel's organs, windows and books destroyed; the Lady Chapel was emptied of valuables, including the component parts of Henry VIII's unfinished tomb.<ref>Rowse, pp. 56, 79; Hoak, p. 98.</ref> By the end of the war, some {{convert|3580|oz|kg}} of gold and silver [[Household silver|plate]] had been looted.<ref name=RowseP79/>

[[Prince Rupert of the Rhine]], a prominent Royalist general, attempted to relieve Windsor Castle that November.<ref name=RowseP79/> Rupert's small force of cavalry was able to take the town of Windsor, but was unable to overcome the walls at Windsor Castle&nbsp;– in due course, Rupert was forced to retreat.<ref name=RowseP80>Rowse, p. 80.</ref> Over the winter of 1642–1643, Windsor Castle was converted into the headquarters for the [[Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex|Earl of Essex]], a senior Parliamentary general.<ref name=RowseP80/> The Horseshoe Cloister was taken over as a prison for captured Royalists, and the resident [[Canon (priest)|canons]] were expelled from the castle.<ref name=RowseP80/> The Lady Chapel was turned into a [[Magazine (artillery)|magazine]].<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 36.</ref> Looting by the underpaid garrison continued to be a problem; 500&nbsp;royal deer were killed across the Windsor Great Park during the winter, and fences were burned as firewood.<ref name="RowseP80"/>

In 1647 Charles, then a prisoner of Parliament, was brought to the castle for a period under arrest, before being moved to [[Hampton Court]].<ref name=RowseP80/> In 1648 there was a Royalist plan, never enacted, to seize Windsor Castle.<ref name=RowseP84>Rowse, p. 84.</ref> The Parliamentary [[Army Council (1647)|Army Council]] moved into Windsor in November and decided to try Charles for treason.<ref name=RowseP84/> Charles was held at Windsor again for the last three weeks of his reign; after his execution in January 1649, his body was taken back to Windsor that night through a snowstorm, to be interred without ceremony in the [[Tomb|vault]] beneath [[St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle|St George's Chapel]].<ref>Rowse, p. 85.</ref>
{{wide image|Windsor Castle Hollar Panoramic view.jpg|1000px|alt=An engraving of a castle, with stone walls and square towers running along them. In the middle, a mound can be seen with a stone keep on it. A low, long wall runs outside the castle to the left and right, with a gateway close to the castle on each side.|Windsor Castle in 1658, as seen from the south-east, by [[Wenceslas Hollar]]; (l to r) the Lower Ward, the Middle Ward and Round Tower, the Upper Ward}}

[[Restoration (England)|The Restoration]] of the monarchy in 1660 saw the first period of significant change to Windsor Castle for many years. The civil war and the years of the [[Interregnum (England)|Interregnum]] had caused extensive damage to the royal palaces in England.<ref name=ThurleyP214>Thurley, p. 214.</ref> At the same time the shifting "functional requirements, patterns of movement, modes of transport, aesthetic taste and standards of comfort" among royal circles was changing the qualities being sought in a successful palace.<ref name=ThurleyP214/> Windsor was the only royal palace to be successfully fully modernised by Charles II in the Restoration years.<ref name=ThurleyP214/>

During the Interregnum, however, squatters had occupied Windsor Castle. As a result, the "King's house was a wreck; the fanatic, the pilferer, and the squatter, having been at work&nbsp;... Paupers had squatted in many of the towers and cabinets".<ref>Dixon, p. 269.</ref> Shortly after returning to England, Charles appointed [[Prince Rupert]], one of his few surviving close relatives, to be the [[Constable of Windsor Castle]] in 1668.<ref>Spencer, p. 326.</ref> Rupert immediately began to reorder the castle's defences, repairing the Round Tower and reconstructing the [[real tennis]] court.<ref>Spencer, pp. 327–329.</ref> Charles attempted to restock Windsor Great Park with deer brought over from Germany, but the herds never recovered their pre-war size.<ref name=RowseP80/> Rupert created apartments for himself in the Round Tower, decorated with an "extraordinary" number of weapons and armour, with his inner chambers "hung with tapisserie, curious and effeminate pictures".<ref name="Spencer, p.331">Spencer, p. 331.</ref>

[[File:Windsor Castle East View Pote.jpg|thumb|upright=1.7|alt=An engraving of a castle, with four square towers running along the face of it. Numerous windows can be seen in the castle walls and towers, and a long, flat terrace runs outside the castle.|The Upper Ward seen from the east, after [[Hugh May]]'s reconstruction work. May's new East Terrace is in the foreground.]]
Charles was heavily influenced by [[Louis XIV Style]] and imitated French design at his [[King's House, Winchester|palace at Winchester]] and the [[Royal Hospital Chelsea|Royal Hospital]] at [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]].<ref name=WatkinsP335>Watkin, p. 335.</ref> At Windsor, Charles created "the most extravagantly Baroque interiors ever executed in England".<ref name=WatkinsP335/> Much of the building work was paid for out of increased royal revenues from Ireland during the 1670s.<ref>Barnard, p. 257.</ref> French court etiquette at the time required a substantial number of [[Enfilade (architecture)|enfiladed]] rooms to satisfy court protocol; the demand for space forced architect [[Hugh May]] to expand out into the North Terrace, rebuilding and widening it in the process.<ref name=BrindleKerrP50>Brindle and Kerr, p. 50.</ref> This new building was called the Star Building, because Charles II placed a huge gilt Garter star on the side of it.<ref name=BrindleKerrP50/> May took down and rebuilt the walls of Edward&nbsp;III's hall and chapel, incorporating larger windows but retaining the height and dimensions of the medieval building.<ref name=BrindleKerrP50/> Although Windsor Castle was now big enough to hold the entire court, it was not built with chambers for the King's Council, as would be found in [[Whitehall]].<ref name=ThurleyP229>Thurley, p. 229.</ref> Instead Charles took advantage of the good road links emerging around Windsor to hold his council meetings at [[Hampton Court]] when he was staying at the castle.<ref name=ThurleyP229/> The result became an "exemplar" for royal buildings for the next twenty-five years.<ref>Newman, p. 81.</ref> The result of May's work showed a medievalist leaning; although sometimes criticised for its "dullness", May's reconstruction was both sympathetic to the existing castle and a deliberate attempt to create a slightly austere 17th-century version of a "neo-Norman" castle.<ref>Nicolson, pp. 128–129; Rowse, p. 95.</ref>

[[William III of England|William III]] commissioned [[Nicholas Hawksmoor]] and Sir [[Christopher Wren]] to conduct a large, final classical remodelling of the Upper Ward, but the king's early death caused the plan to be cancelled.<ref name=RobinsonMackworth-YoungP55P45>Robinson, p. 55; Mackworth-Young, p. 45.</ref> [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]] was fond of the castle, and attempted to address the lack of a formal garden by instructing [[Henry Wise (gardener)|Henry Wise]] to begin work on the Maestricht Garden beneath the North Terrace, which was never completed.<ref name=RobinsonMackworth-YoungP55P45/> Anne also created the racecourse at [[Ascot Racecourse|Ascot]] and began the tradition of the annual [[Royal Ascot|Royal Ascot procession]] from the castle.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 45.</ref>

=== 18th century ===
[[File:Paul Sandby 001.jpg|thumb|alt=A painting of a terrace at sunset. On the left, the outer facing of a castle; on the right, the ground drops away sharply showing only the distant landscape. A handful of figures in 18th century dress walk or mingle along the terrace.|The North Terrace at sunset, [[watercolour]] by [[Paul Sandby]], {{circa}} 1790]]
[[George I of Great Britain|George&nbsp;I]] took little interest in Windsor Castle, preferring his other palaces at [[St James's Palace|St James's]], [[Hampton Court]] and [[Kensington Palace|Kensington]].<ref name="Tite, p.110">Tite, p. 110.</ref> [[George II of Great Britain|George&nbsp;II]] rarely used Windsor either, preferring Hampton Court.<ref>Tite, p. 24; Robinson, p. 57.</ref> Many of the apartments in the Upper Ward were given out as "[[grace and favour]]" privileges for the use of prominent widows or other friends of the Crown.<ref name=RobinsonP57>Robinson, p. 57.</ref> The [[Prince William, Duke of Cumberland|Duke of Cumberland]] made the most use of the property in his role as the [[Ranger of Windsor Great Park]].<ref>Robinson, pp. 57–58.</ref> By the 1740s, Windsor Castle had become an early tourist attraction; wealthier visitors who could afford to pay the castle keeper could enter, see curiosities such as the castle's [[narwhal]] horn, and by the 1750s buy the first guidebooks to Windsor, produced by [[George Bickham the Younger|George Bickham]] in 1753 and Joseph Pote in 1755.<ref>Tite, p. 110; Robinson, p. 60; Bickham; Pote.</ref>{{Refn|The Windsor narwhal horn had been kept since medieval times, when it was first believed to be a [[unicorn]]'s horn. It narrowly escaped being lost during the Interregnum after the Civil War.<ref>Rowse, p. 86.</ref>|group="nb"}} As the condition of the State Apartments continued to deteriorate, even the general public were able to regularly visit the property.<ref name="Robinson, p.59">Robinson, p. 59.</ref>

[[George III]] reversed this trend when he came to the throne in 1760.<ref name=RobinsonP57/> George disliked Hampton Court and was attracted by the park at Windsor Castle.<ref name=RobinsonP57/> George wanted to move into the Ranger's House by the castle, but his brother, [[Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn|Henry]] was already living in it and refused to move out.<ref name=RobinsonP58>Robinson, p. 58.</ref> Instead, George had to move into the Upper Lodge, later called the Queen's Lodge, and started the long process of renovating the castle and the surrounding parks.<ref name=RobinsonP58/> Initially the atmosphere at the castle remained very informal, with local children playing games inside the Upper and Lower Wards, and the royal family frequently seen as they walked around the grounds.<ref name="Robinson, p.59"/> As time went by, however, access for visitors became more limited.<ref name="Tite, p.110"/>

George's architectural taste shifted over the years.<ref>Robinson, p. 71.</ref> As a young man, he favoured Classical, in particular [[Palladian]] styles, but the king came to favour a more Gothic style, both as a consequence of the Palladian style becoming overused and poorly implemented, and because the Gothic form had come to be seen as a more honest, national style of English design in the light of the [[French Revolution]].<ref>Robinson, p. 72.</ref> Working with the architect [[James Wyatt]], George attempted to "transform the exterior of the buildings in the Upper Ward into a Gothic palace, while retaining the character of the Hugh May state rooms".<ref name=RobinsonP76>Robinson, p. 76.</ref> The outside of the building was restyled with Gothic features, including new battlements and turrets.<ref name=RobinsonP76/> Inside, conservation work was undertaken, and several new rooms constructed, including a new Gothic staircase to replace May's 17th-century version, complete with the Grand Vestibule ceiling above it.<ref>Robinson, pp. 74–75.</ref> New paintings were purchased for the castle, and collections from other royal palaces moved there by the king.<ref>Robinson, p. 81.</ref> The cost of the work came to over £150,000 (£100&nbsp;million in 2008 terms).<ref>Robinson, p. 75.</ref><ref name=MeasuringWorthAE/> The king undertook extensive work in the castle's Great Park as well, laying out the new Norfolk and Flemish farms, creating two dairies and restoring [[Virginia Water Lake]], and its [[grotto]] and [[folly|follies]].<ref>Robinson, pp. 60–62.</ref>

At the end of this period Windsor Castle became a place of royal confinement. In 1788 the king first became ill during a dinner at Windsor Castle; diagnosed as suffering from madness, he was removed for a period to the [[Kew Palace#Augusta and George III|White House]] at Kew, where he temporarily recovered.<ref>Clarke and Ridley, p. 46.</ref> After relapses in 1801 and 1804, his condition became enduring from 1810 onwards and he was confined in the State Apartments of Windsor Castle, with building work on the castle ceasing the following year.<ref>Clarke and Ridley, p. 48; Robinson, p. 71.</ref>

=== 19th century ===
[[File:WindsorLowerBaileyJosephNash1848 edited.jpg|thumb|upright=1.05|alt=A painting showing a stone chapel on the left, with a timber built entrance, out of which are parading a number of white clad individuals. In the middle of the painting is a grassy area, across which are marching various red-uniformed soldiers. On the right hand side is a line of stone buildings, with a circular tower on a mound in the far distance.|The Lower Ward in 1840, by [[Joseph Nash]], showing the [[Military Knights of Windsor|Military Knights]] attending chapel on a Sunday morning]]
[[George IV]] came to the throne in 1820 intending to create a set of royal palaces that reflected his wealth and influence as the ruler of an increasingly powerful Britain.<ref name=RobinsonP85>Robinson, p.85.</ref> George's previous houses, [[Carlton House]] and the [[Brighton Pavilion]] were too small for grand court events, even after expensive extensions.<ref name=RobinsonP85/> George expanded the [[Royal Lodge]] in the castle park while he was Prince Regent, and then began a programme of work to modernise the castle itself once he became king.<ref name=RobinsonP85/>

George persuaded [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] to vote him [[Pound sterling|£]]300,000 for restoration (£245&nbsp;million in 2008 terms).<ref name="Nicolson, p.106"/><ref name=MeasuringWorthAE>Financial comparison based on average earnings; using the [http://www.measuringworth.com/index.php Measuring Worth] website. Retrieved 15 November 2010.</ref> Under the guidance of George's advisor, [[Charles Long, 1st Baron Farnborough|Charles Long]], the architect [[Jeffry Wyatville]] was selected, and work commenced in 1824.<ref>Robinson, p. 90.</ref><ref group="nb">Jeffry Wyatville was the nephew of [[James Wyatt]] who had worked for George III; he changed his name to distinguish himself from his other relatives working in architecture.</ref>
Wyatville's own preference ran to Gothic architecture, but George, who had led the reintroduction of the French [[Rococo]] style to England at Carlton House, preferred a blend of periods and styles, and applied this taste to Windsor.<ref>Ireland, p. 92; Nicolson, p. 79, 172–173.</ref> The terraces were closed off to visitors for greater privacy and the exterior of the Upper Ward was completely remodelled into its current appearance.<ref>Robinson, p. 89.</ref> The Round Tower was raised in height to create a more dramatic appearance; many of the rooms in the State Apartments were rebuilt or remodelled; numerous new towers were created, much higher than the older versions.<ref>Robinson, pp. 91, 93.</ref> The south range of the ward was rebuilt to provide private accommodation for the king, away from the state rooms.<ref name=RobinsonP96>Robinson, p. 96.</ref> The statue of [[Charles II of England|Charles&nbsp;II]] was moved from the centre of the Upper Ward to the base of the motte.<ref name=RobinsonP96/> Sir [[Walter Scott]] captured contemporary views when he noted that the work showed "a great deal of taste and feeling for the Gothic architecture"; many modern commentators, including [[Charles&nbsp;III]], have criticised Wyatville's work as representing an act of vandalism of May's earlier designs.<ref>Robinson, p. 92; Prince Charles, quoted Nicolson, p. 126.</ref> The work was unfinished at the time of George&nbsp;IV's death in 1830, but was broadly completed by Wyatville's death in 1840. The total expenditure on the castle had soared to the colossal sum of over one million pounds (£817&nbsp;million in 2008 terms) by the end of the project.<ref name="Nicolson, p.106"/><ref name=MeasuringWorthAE/>

[[File:Mary Steen Victoria Beatrice Windsor 1895.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|alt=A black and white photograph of an elderly Victoria sat alongside a younger woman (Beatrice) reading a newspaper. The room is ornately decorated, with a number of photographs, paintings and a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling.|[[Queen Victoria]] and [[Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom|Princess Beatrice]] in the Queen's Sitting Room in 1895, photographed by [[Mary Steen]]]]
[[Queen Victoria]] and [[Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha|Prince Albert]] made Windsor Castle their principal royal residence, despite Victoria complaining early in her reign that the castle was "dull and tiresome" and "prison-like", and preferring [[Osborne House|Osborne]] and [[Balmoral Castle|Balmoral]] as holiday residences.<ref>Robinson, p. 117; Rowse, p. 207; Mackworth-Young, p. 75.</ref> The growth of the [[British Empire]] and Victoria's close dynastic ties to Europe made Windsor the hub for many diplomatic and state visits, assisted by the new railways and [[Steamboat|steamships]] of the period.<ref>Robinson, pp. 117, 126.</ref> Indeed, it has been argued that Windsor reached its social peak during the Victorian era, seeing the introduction of invitations to numerous prominent figures to "dine and sleep" at the castle.<ref>Rowse, p. 207.</ref> Victoria took a close interest in the details of how Windsor Castle was run, including the minutiae of the social events.<ref>Rowse, p. 209.</ref> Few visitors found these occasions comfortable, both due to the design of the castle and the excessive royal formality.<ref name=RobinsonP126>Robinson, p. 126.</ref> Prince Albert died in the [[Blue Room (Windsor Castle)|Blue Room]] at Windsor Castle in 1861 and was buried in the Royal Mausoleum built at nearby [[Frogmore]], within the [[Home Park, Windsor|Home Park]].<ref>Rowse, p. 221.</ref> The prince's rooms were maintained exactly as they had been at the moment of his death and Victoria kept the castle in a state of mourning for many years, becoming known as the "[[The Widow at Windsor|Widow of Windsor]]", a phrase popularised in the famous poem by [[Rudyard Kipling]].<ref>Robinson, p. 129.</ref> The Queen shunned the use of [[Buckingham Palace]] after Albert's death and instead used Windsor Castle as her residence when conducting official business near London.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 75.</ref> Towards the end of her reign, plays, operas, and other entertainments slowly began to be held at the castle again, accommodating both the Queen's desire for entertainment and her reluctance to be seen in public.<ref>Rowse, p. 237; Mackworth-Young, p. 75.</ref>

Several minor alterations were made to the Upper Ward under Victoria. [[Anthony Salvin]] rebuilt Wyatville's grand staircase, with [[Edward Blore]] constructing a new private chapel within the State Apartments.<ref>Robinson, pp. 118–119.</ref> Salvin also rebuilt the State Dining Room following a serious fire in 1853.<ref name=BrindleKerrP56>Brindle and Kerr, p. 56.</ref> [[Ludwig Gruner]] assisted in the design of the Queen's Private Audience Chamber in the south range.<ref>Robinson, p. 124.</ref> Blore and Salvin also did extensive work in the Lower Ward, under the direction of Prince Albert, including the Hundred Steps leading down into Windsor town, rebuilding the Garter, Curfew and Salisbury towers, the houses of the Military Knights and creating a new Guardhouse.<ref>Robinson, pp. 119–121.</ref> [[George Gilbert Scott]] rebuilt the Horseshoe Cloister in the 1870s.<ref name="Robinson, p.121"/> The Norman Gatehouse was turned into a private dwelling for Sir [[Henry Ponsonby]].<ref name=RowseP234>Rowse, p. 234.</ref> Windsor Castle did not benefit from many of the minor improvements of the era, however, as Victoria disliked [[gaslight]], preferring candles; electric lighting was only installed in limited parts of the castle at the end of her reign.<ref name=RobinsonP126/> Indeed, the castle was famously cold and draughty in Victoria's reign,<ref name=RowseP234/> but it was connected to a nearby reservoir, with water reliably piped into the interior for the first time.<ref name=TigheDavisP656>Tighe and Davis, p. 656.</ref>

Many of the changes under Victoria were to the surrounding parklands and buildings. The Royal Dairy at Frogmore was rebuilt in a [[Elizabethan architecture|mock Tudor]] style in 1853; George III's Dairy rebuilt in a [[Renaissance]] style in 1859; the Georgian Flemish Farm rebuilt, and the Norfolk Farm renovated.<ref>Robinson, pp. 122–123.</ref> The Long Walk was planted with fresh trees to replace the diseased stock.<ref name=RobinsonP122>Robinson, p. 122.</ref> The [[Windsor Castle Act 1848|Windsor Castle and Town Approaches Act]], passed by Parliament in 1848, permitted the closing and re-routing of the old roads which previously ran through the park from Windsor to [[Datchet]] and [[Old Windsor]].<ref>Tighe and Davis, p. 655.</ref> These changes allowed the royal family to undertake the enclosure of a large area of parkland to form the private "Home Park" with no public roads passing through it.<ref name=TigheDavisP656/> The Queen granted additional rights for public access to the remainder of the park as part of this arrangement.<ref name=TigheDavisP656/>

=== 20th century ===
{{Multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| align             = right
| image1            = St George's Hall Windsor from W.H. Payne's Royal Residences (1819).jpg
| image2            = WindsorStGeorgesHallJosephNashPub1848 edited.jpg
| image3            = Windsor Castle - St George's Hall.jpg
| width             = 240
| alt1              = Three pictures show a changing room over time; in the first painting the room is characterised by tall, curved windows and elaborate painted ceilings. In the second painting, the room has been almost doubled in length, with arches and a wooden beamed ceiling. In the third photograph, the ceiling is made of fresh oak and a large red carpet has been installed.
| header            = Changing style of St George's Hall since the 1600s
| caption1          = [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] style under [[Charles II of England|Charles&nbsp;II]]
| caption2          = Gothic alterations made by Sir [[Jeffry Wyatville]] for [[George IV]]
| caption3          = [[Giles Downes|Downesian Gothic]] reconstruction after the 1992 fire
}}

[[Edward VII]] came to the throne in 1901 and immediately set about modernising Windsor Castle with "enthusiasm and zest".<ref>Robinson, p. 135; Hibbert, p. 191.</ref> Many of the rooms in the Upper Ward were de-cluttered and redecorated for the first time in many years, with Edward "peering into cabinets; ransacking drawers; clearing rooms formerly used by the Prince Consort and not touched since his death; dispatching case-loads of relics and ornaments to a special room in the Round Tower&nbsp;... destroying statues and busts of [[John Brown (servant)|John Brown]]&nbsp;... throwing out hundreds of 'rubbishy old coloured photographs'&nbsp;... [and] rearranging pictures".<ref>Robinson, p. 135; Hibbert, pp. 191–192.</ref> Electric lighting was added to more rooms, along with [[central heating]]; telephone lines were installed, along with garages for the newly invented automobiles.<ref>Robinson, p. 135; Hibbert, p. 192.</ref> The [[marathon]] was run from Windsor Castle at the [[1908 Olympics]],<ref group="nb">This resulted in a change to the official distance to the race; the previous length of a marathon had been around 24&nbsp;miles; since 1908, the distance has been set at 26&nbsp;miles and 385&nbsp;yards, the distance between Windsor Castle and the main stadium.</ref> and in 1911 the pioneering aviator [[Thomas Sopwith]] landed an aircraft at the castle for the first time.<ref>Senn, p. 24; Rowse, p. 247.</ref>

[[George V]] continued a process of more gradual modernisation, assisted by his wife, [[Mary of Teck]], who had a strong interest in furniture and decoration.<ref>Robinson, p. 136.</ref> Mary sought out and re-acquired items of furniture that had been lost or sold from the castle, including many dispersed by Edward&nbsp;VII, and also acquired many new works of art to furnish the state rooms.<ref>Robinson, pp. 136–137; Rowse, p. 247.</ref> Queen Mary was also a lover of all things miniature, and a famous [[Queen Mary's Dolls' House|dolls' house]] was created for her at Windsor Castle, designed by the architect [[Edwin Lutyens]] and furnished by leading craftsmen and designers of the 1930s.<ref name=RobinsonP138>Robinson, p. 138.</ref> George&nbsp;V was committed to maintaining a high standard of court life at Windsor Castle, adopting the motto that everything was to be "of the best".<ref>Robinson, p. 137.</ref> A large staff was still kept at the castle, with around 660&nbsp;servants working in the property during the period.<ref name=RobinsonP138/> Meanwhile, during the First World War, anti-German feeling led the members of the [[British royal family|royal family]] to change their dynastic name from the German [[House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]]; George decided to take the new name from the castle, and the royal family became the [[House of Windsor]] in 1917.<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP85>Mackworth-Young, p. 85.</ref>

[[Edward VIII]] did not spend much of his reign at Windsor Castle.<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP85/> He continued to spend most of his time at [[Fort Belvedere, Surrey|Fort Belvedere]] in the [[Windsor Great Park|Great Park]], where he had lived while Prince of Wales.<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP85/> Edward created a small [[aerodrome]] at the castle on Smith's Lawn, now used as a golf-course.<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP85/> Edward's reign was short-lived and he broadcast his abdication speech to the [[British Empire]] from the castle in December 1936, adopting the title of [[Duke of Windsor]].<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP85/> His successor, [[George&nbsp;VI]], also preferred his own original home, the [[Royal Lodge]] in the Great Park, but moved into Windsor Castle with his wife, [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Elizabeth]].<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP85/> As king, George revived the annual [[Order of the Garter#Investiture and installation|Garter Service]] at Windsor, drawing on the accounts of the 17th-century ceremonies recorded by [[Elias Ashmole]], but moving the event to [[Ascot Racecourse|Ascot Week]] in June.<ref>Robinson, pp. 139–140.</ref>

On the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 the castle was readied for war-time conditions. Many of the staff from Buckingham Palace were moved to Windsor for safety, security was tightened and windows were blacked-out.<ref>Shawcross, p. 487.</ref> There was significant concern that the castle might be damaged or destroyed during the war; the more important art works were removed from the castle for safe-keeping, the valuable chandeliers were lowered to the floor in case of bomb damage, and a sequence of paintings by [[John Piper (artist)|John Piper]] were commissioned from 1942 to 1944 to record the castle's appearance.<ref>Robinson, pp. 138–139; Shawcross, p. 487.</ref> The king and queen and their children Princesses [[Elizabeth II|Elizabeth]] and [[Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon|Margaret]] lived for safety in the castle, with the roof above their rooms specially strengthened in case of attack.<ref name=ShawcrossP527>Shawcross, p. 527.</ref> The king and queen drove daily to London, returning to Windsor to sleep, although at the time this was a well-kept secret, as for propaganda and morale purposes it was reported that the king was still residing full-time at Buckingham Palace.<ref name=ShawcrossP527/> The castle was also used as a storage facility; for example, the only purified [[heavy water]] at the time was rescued from France in the face of the imminent [[Battle of France|French defeat]] in 1940, and most of it was sent to the castle to be stored in the basement alongside the [[Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom|Crown Jewels]].<ref>Freeman, p. 145.</ref> After the war the king revived the "dine and sleep" events at Windsor, following comments that the castle had become "almost like a vast, empty museum"; nonetheless, it took many years to restore Windsor Castle to its pre-war condition.<ref>Shawcross, pp. 604–605, 594.</ref>

In February 1952, Elizabeth II came to the throne and decided to make Windsor her principal weekend retreat.<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP88>Mackworth-Young, p. 88.</ref> The private apartments which had not been properly occupied since the era of [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]] were renovated and further modernised, and the Queen, [[Prince Philip]] and their two children took up residence.<ref name=Mackworth-YoungP88/> By the early 1990s, however, there had been a marked deterioration in the quality of the Upper Ward, in particular the State Apartments.<ref>Robinson, p. 151.</ref> Generations of repairs and replacements had resulted in a "diminution of the richness with which they had first been decorated", a "gradual attrition of the original vibrancy of effect, as each change repeated a more faded version of the last".<ref>Nicolson, p. 183; Robinson, p. 151.</ref> A programme of repair work to replace the heating and the wiring of the Upper Ward began in 1988.<ref>Nicolson, p. 4.</ref> Work was also undertaken to underpin the motte of the Round Tower after fresh subsidence was detected in 1988, threatening the collapse of the tower.<ref>Emery, p. 193; Brindle and Kerr, p. 5.</ref>

==== 1992 fire ====
{{Main|1992 Windsor Castle fire}}
[[File:Carved unicorn212334.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=A photograph focusing on a large wooden sculpture of a unicorn, rearing on its hind legs. Behind it part of a wall and ceiling can be seen, the latter decorated with heraldic shields.|A [[unicorn]], one of four [[Queen's Beasts]] carved by [[Ben Harms]] and Ray Gonzalez to replace carvings destroyed in the [[1992 Windsor Castle fire|1992 fire]]]]
On 20 November 1992, a major fire occurred at Windsor Castle, lasting for 15 hours and causing widespread damage to the Upper Ward.<ref>Robinson, p. 143; Nicolson, p. 30.</ref> The Private Chapel in the north-east corner of the State Apartments was being renovated as part of a long term programme of work within the castle, and it is believed that one of the spotlights being used in the work set fire to a curtain by the altar during the morning.<ref name=RobinsonP114>Robinson, p. 144.</ref> The fire spread quickly and destroyed nine of the principal state rooms and severely damaged more than 100 others.<ref name=RobinsonP114/> Fire-fighters applied water to contain the blaze, while castle staff attempted to rescue the precious artworks from the castle.<ref>Nicolson, p. 11.</ref> Many of the rooms closest to the fire had been emptied as part of the renovation work, and this contributed to the successful evacuation of most of the collection.<ref name=RobinsonP114/>

The fire spread through the roof voids and efforts continued through the night to contain the blaze, at great risk to the 200 fire-fighters involved.<ref>Nicolson, pp. 23, 25.</ref> It was not until late afternoon that the blaze began to come under control, although the fire continued during the night before being officially declared extinguished the next morning.<ref>Nicolson, p. 30.</ref> Along with the fire and smoke damage, one of the unintended effects of the fire-fighting was the considerable water damage to the castle; more than 1.5&nbsp;million gallons of water were used to extinguish it, which in many ways caused more complex restoration problems than the fire.<ref name="RCT fact sheet" /><ref>Nicolson, p. 110</ref>

Two major issues for Windsor Castle emerged following the fire. The first was a political debate in Britain as to who should pay for the repairs.<ref name=NicholsonP55>Nicolson, p. 55.</ref> Traditionally, as the property of [[the Crown]], Windsor Castle was maintained, and if necessary repaired, by the British government in exchange for the profits made by the [[Crown Estate]].<ref>Bogdanor, p. 190; ''[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130129110402/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/leg_sovereign_grant_faq.htm Sovereign Grant Act: Frequently Asked Questions Relating to the Act and on General Issues]'', HM Treasury. Retrieved 22 May 2016.</ref> Furthermore, like other occupied royal palaces, it was not [[insured]] on grounds of economy.<ref>{{Hansard|url=1992/dec/01/windsor-castle-1|title=Windsor Castle|house=written|access-date=22 May 2016}}</ref> At the time of the fire, however, the British press strongly argued in favour of the Queen herself being required to pay for the repairs from her private income.<ref name=NicholsonP55/> A solution was found in which the restoration work would be paid for by opening [[Buckingham Palace]] to the public at selected times of the year, and by introducing new charges for public access to the parkland surrounding Windsor.<ref>Nicolson, p. 58.</ref> The second major issue concerned how to repair the castle. Some suggested that the damaged rooms should be restored to their original appearance, but others favoured repairing the castle so as to incorporate modern designs.<ref>Robinson, p. 145; Nicolson, p. 71.</ref> The decision was taken to largely follow the pre-fire architecture with some changes to reflect modern tastes and cost, but fresh questions emerged over whether the restoration should be undertaken to "authentic" or "equivalent" restoration standards.<ref name="NicholsonP78"/> Modern methods were used at Windsor to reproduce the equivalent pre-fire appearance, partially due to the cost.<ref>Nicolson, pp. 78–79.</ref> The restoration programme was completed in 1997 at a total cost of £37&nbsp;million (£67&nbsp;million in 2015 terms).<ref name=MeasuringWorthAE/><ref>Nicholson, p. 260.</ref>

=== 21st century ===
[[File:windsorcastlevisitors.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|alt=A photograph of a grey stone castle, stretching alongside the left of the picture. A road makes up the centre, along which a number of people walk.|Windsor Castle is one of [[Tourist attractions in the United Kingdom|Britain's major tourist attractions]].]]
Windsor Castle, part of the [[List of British royal residences#Private residences|Occupied Royal Palaces Estate]], is owned by [[Charles&nbsp;III]] in right of [[the Crown]],<ref>{{Hansard|url=1995/jan/16/royal-property|title=Royal Property|house=written|access-date=22 June 2016}}</ref> and day-to-day management is by the [[Royal Households of the United Kingdom|Royal Household]].<ref name=HouseOfCommonsP3>House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, p. 3.</ref> In terms of population, Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world and the longest-occupied palace in Europe, but it also remains a functioning royal home.<ref>Robinson, p. 7; Mackworth-Young, p. 88.</ref> As of 2006, around 500 people were living and working in the castle.<ref>Emery, p. 192.</ref> Elizabeth II had increasingly used the castle as a royal palace as well as her weekend home before her death.<ref>Robinson, p. 7.</ref> In recent years, Windsor Castle has hosted visits from [[President Mbeki]] of South Africa, [[King Abdullah&nbsp;II]] of Jordan and presidents [[Obama]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalResidences/WindsorCastle/WindsorCastle.aspx |website=The Official Website of the British Monarchy |title=Windsor Castle |access-date=28 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202215604/http://www.royal.gov.uk/TheRoyalResidences/WindsorCastle/WindsorCastle.aspx}}; {{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-36113984/president-obama-touches-down-in-windsor |title=President Obama touches down in Windsor |work=BBC News |date=22 April 2016 |access-date=2 June 2017 |type=video clip}}</ref> [[Donald Trump|Trump]], and [[Biden]] of the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last=Morton |first=Becky |title=Queen meets Joe Biden at Windsor Castle |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57461257 |access-date=13 June 2021 |work=BBC News |date=13 June 2021 |url-status=live |archive-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724071523/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57461257}}</ref> The castle remains an important ceremonial location. The [[Waterloo ceremony]] is carried out in the presence of the monarch each year, and the annual ceremony of the Order of the Garter takes place in [[St. George's Chapel, Windsor|St George's Chapel]].<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 92.</ref> When the Queen was in residence, the Guard Mounting ceremony occurred on a daily basis.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 90.</ref> The [[Royal Ascot|Royal Ascot procession]] leaves the castle each year during the annual meeting.<ref>Mackworth-Young, p. 95.</ref>

During Elizabeth II's reign much was done, not only to restore and maintain the fabric of the building, but also to transform it into a major [[Tourist attractions in the United Kingdom|British tourist attraction]], containing a significant portion of the [[Royal Collection]] of art. [[Archaeology of Windsor Castle|Archaeological work at the castle]] has continued, following on from limited investigations in the 1970s, the work on the Round Tower from 1988 to 1992 and the investigations following the 1992 fire.<ref>Brindle and Kerr, p. 4.</ref> During 2007, 993,000 tourists visited the castle.<ref>[http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/hlst/documents/resources/ispal/B24.pdf ISPAL Information Hub Fact Sheet B24] p. 5, the Institute for Sport, Parks and Leisure. Retrieved 21 December 2010.</ref> This has had to be achieved in co-ordination with [[Security of Windsor Castle|security issues]] and the castle's role as a working royal palace.<ref name=HouseOfCommonsP3/> In late 2011 two large [[water turbine]]s were installed upstream of the castle on the River Thames to provide [[Hydropower|hydroelectric]] power to the castle and the surrounding estate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-16276225 |title=Windsor Castle water turbine installed on River Thames |work=BBC News |date=20 December 2011 |access-date=21 December 2011 |url-status=live |archive-date=1 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401195234/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-16276225 }}</ref> In April 2016, the [[Royal Collection Trust]] announced a £27m project to reinstate the original entrance hall of the castle to visitors, as well as a new café in the 14th-century undercroft.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-35958283 |title=Queen's official residences to undergo £37m tourism revamp |work=BBC News |date=5 April 2016 |access-date=6 April 2016 |url-status=live |archive-date=6 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206062506/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-35958283 }}</ref> The new entrance was opened at the end of 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-50067263 |title=Windsor Castle's Inner Hall closed by Queen Victoria opens after revamp |work=BBC News |date=16 October 2019 |access-date=3 April 2020 |url-status=live |archive-date=19 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019031154/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-50067263 }}</ref> From March 2020, the Queen and her husband, [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]], shielded at Windsor during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] with a small staff in what became known as 'HMS Bubble' – a jocular reference to the UK Government's rules on household support 'bubbles' during the pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|date=10 April 2021|title=The Queen and Prince Philip: An enduring royal romance|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56252745|access-date=14 April 2021}}</ref> The pandemic also meant that they celebrated Christmas at Windsor Castle rather than [[Sandringham House]] for the first time since 1987.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2 December 2020|title=Queen and Prince Philip to skip Christmas in Sandringham for first time in 33 years|work=Sky News|url=https://news.sky.com/story/queen-and-duke-of-edinburgh-to-spend-christmas-at-windsor-12148166|access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref> Prince Philip died at Windsor Castle on 9&nbsp;April 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|date=9 April 2021|title=Prince Philip has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace announces|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-11437314|access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref>

On Christmas Day 2021, while Queen Elizabeth was staying at Windsor Castle, 19-year-old Jaswant Singh Chail broke into the gardens using a rope ladder and carrying a crossbow. Before he could enter any buildings Chail was arrested and later sectioned under the [[Mental Health Act 2007|Mental Health Act]]. He had posted a video on the internet threatening to assassinate the Queen.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/12/26/windsor-castle-armed-intruder-arrested-christmas-day-detained/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/12/26/windsor-castle-armed-intruder-arrested-christmas-day-detained/ |archive-date=10 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Windsor Castle: Video emerges of masked man threatening to 'assassinate the Queen'|author=Steve Bird|date=27 December 2021|work=The Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Chail later admitted that his aim was to take revenge for the [[Amritsar massacre]] of 1919. He pleaded guilty to charges under section two of the [[Treason Act 1842]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.sky.com/story/man-admits-trying-to-harm-queen-after-being-caught-in-grounds-of-windsor-castle-with-a-crossbow-12802059|title=Man admits treason after breaking into grounds of Windsor Castle with crossbow 'to kill Queen'|work=Sky News|date=3 February 2023|access-date=3 February 2023}}</ref>

On 7 May 2023, the lawn in the Home Park just beyond the East Terrace of the castle was the venue for the [[Coronation Concert]], in celebration of the [[coronation of Charles&nbsp;III and Camilla]]. It was the first open air concert to be staged at the castle and included performances by [[Lionel Richie]], [[Katy Perry]], [[Andrea Bocelli]], [[Sir Bryn Terfel]], [[Take That]] and [[Paloma Faith]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65275880|title=Katy Perry and Lionel Richie to perform at Coronation concert|work=BBC News|first=Annabel|last=Rackham|date=14 April 2023|access-date=14 April 2023|archive-date=14 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414212555/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-65275880|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Performances-Segments">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/bbcstudios/2023/bbc-announces-more-world-famous-names-for-coronation-concert-|title=BBC announces more world-famous names for Coronation Concert|work=BBC Media Centre|date=28 April 2023|access-date=28 April 2023|archive-date=28 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230428232423/https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/bbcstudios/2023/bbc-announces-more-world-famous-names-for-coronation-concert-|url-status=live}}</ref> The concert was attended by members of the royal family, alongside an audience of 20,000 members of the public.

On 18 November 2024, masked intruders breached security on the Windsor Castle estate, near [[Adelaide Cottage]], where the [[William, Prince of Wales|Prince]] and [[Catherine, Princess of Wales|Princess of Wales]], along with their children, were reportedly asleep. The men used a stolen truck to smash through a gate before stealing a pick-up truck and a quad bike from a barn on [[Shaw Farm, Windsor|Shaw Farm]]. The incident raised security concerns, as it occurred near a commonly used exit following the recent removal of armed officers from public entrances. [[Thames Valley Police]] are investigating, with no arrests yet made.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Burglars raid Windsor Castle estate while Prince and Princess of Wales sleep at home nearby |url=https://news.az/news/burglars-raid-windsor-castle-estate-while-prince-and-princess-of-wales-sleep-at-home-nearby |access-date=18 November 2024 |website=news.az |language=en}}</ref>

On 1 June 2025, a man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of trespassing after reportedly scaling a perimeter wall near the Town Gate shortly after 1:00 pm. He was in possession of [[Class A drugs]]. He did not enter the castle's inner precincts, and authorities stated there was no indication of intent to cause harm. He was released on [[bail]] pending investigation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Intruder Arrested After Windsor Castle Break-In Attempt Near Kate Middleton and Prince William’s Home |url=https://people.com/intruder-arrested-windsor-castle-break-in-attempt-kate-middleton-prince-william-home-11747218 |access-date=2025-06-03 |website=People.com}}</ref>

[[File:WindsorCastlePano-Wyrdlight.jpg|thumb|center|upright=3.55|alt=A photograph of a white-grey stone castle, running left to right; trees are in the foreground, with a large white tower the most prominent part of the castle in the middle of the shot.|Windsor Castle, seen from the north; (l to r) Upper Ward, Middle Ward, Round Tower, St George's Chapel, Lower Ward and Curfew Tower]]

== See also ==
{{Portal|England|Berkshire|Monarchy}}
* [[Constables and Governors of Windsor Castle]]
* [[The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter]]
* [[Windsor Festival International String Competition]]
{{Clear}}

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group="nb"}}

== References ==
{{reflist|20em}}

== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin|40em}}
* {{Cite book |last=Barber |first=Richard |chapter=The Round Table Feast of 1344 |date=2007 |title=Edward III's Round Table at Windsor: The House of the Round Table and the Windsor Festival of 1344 |editor-last=Munby |editor-first=Julian |ol=25968301M |editor-last2=Barber |editor-first2=Richard |editor-last3=Brown |editor-first3=Richard}}
* Barnard, Toby. (2009) "The Viceregal Court in Later Seventeenth-Century Ireland", in Cruickshanks (ed) 2009.
* Bickham, George. (1753) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=4p4HAAAAQAAJ&q=bickham+windsor+castle Deliciæ Britannicæ; or, the Curiosities of Kensington, Hampton Court, and Windsor Castle, Delineated]''. London: Owen. {{OCLC|181805261}}.
* Bogdanor, Vernon. (1997) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=mN6SzMefot4C&pg=PA190 The Monarchy and the Constitution].'' Oxford: Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-829334-7}}.
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* Brindle, Steven and Kerr, Brian. (1997) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=uIlJAAAACAAJ&q=Windsor+Revealed:+New+light+on+the+history+of+the+castle Windsor Revealed: New Light on the History of the Castle]''. London: English Heritage. {{ISBN|978-1-85074-688-1}}.
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* House of Commons Public Accounts Committee. (2009) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=d6TR-x_vlW0C&q=security+%22windsor+castle%22 Maintaining the Occupied Royal Palaces: Twenty-fourth Report of Session 2008–09, Report, Together with Formal Minutes, Oral and Written Evidence]''. London: The Stationery Office. {{ISBN|978-0-215-53049-3}}.
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* Tighe, Robert Richard and Davis, James Edward. (1858) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=ScRCAAAAYAAJ&q=%22annals+of+Windsor%22 Annals of Windsor, Being a History of the Castle and Town, with some Account of Eton and Places Adjacent, Volume II]''. London: Longman. {{OCLC|3813471}}.
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* Williams, Robert Folkestone. (1860) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=wrlCAAAAYAAJ&q=Domestic+memoirs+of+the+royal+family+and+of+the+court+of+England,+chiefly+at+Shene+and+Richmond Domestic Memoirs of the Royal Family and of the Court of England, Chiefly at Shene and Richmond, Volume 2]''. London: Hurst and Blackett. {{OCLC|8987461}}.
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* Wolffe, Bertram. (2001) ''Henry VI''. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-300-08926-4}}.
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Windsor Castle}}
* [https://www.royal.uk/royal-residences-windsor-castle Windsor Castle] at the Royal Family website
* [https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/visit/windsorcastle Windsor Castle] at the Royal Collection Trust
* [http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/ College of St George] – home to St George's Chapel
* {{National Heritage List for England |num=1117776|access-date=5 December 2016|ref=none}}

{{Royal palaces in the United Kingdom}}
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[[Category:Art museums and galleries in Berkshire]]
[[Category:Castles in Berkshire]]
[[Category:Country houses in Berkshire]]
[[Category:Edward Blore buildings]]
[[Category:Grade I listed buildings in Berkshire]]
[[Category:Grade I listed castles]]
[[Category:Historic house museums in Berkshire]]
[[Category:History museums in Berkshire]]
[[Category:Jeffry Wyatville buildings]]
[[Category:Palaces in England]]
[[Category:Royal residences in England]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Berkshire]]
[[Category:William the Conqueror]]
[[Category:Grade I listed palaces]]
[[Category:Motte-and-bailey castles]]
[[Category:11th-century establishments in England]]
[[Category:Former squats]]
[[Category:Burned buildings and structures in the United Kingdom]]