Windsor Castle

Last weekend we headed to Windsor Castle, the Queen's primary residence. We had the most beautiful weather and there were hardly any other tourists.

Windsor has been the home of monarchs since the time of Henry I and is therefore the longest occupied palace in Europe. Some of the rooms in the State Apartments were designed by King George IV, the man behind the elaborate decor at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Unfortunately, they have a strict no photography policy inside the castle. 

Jackie and I loved this bench designed for Queen Elizabeth's silver jubilee and a nice security guard took our photo. 

There was a terrible fire at the castle in 1992 which destroyed nine of the principal state rooms and damaged over 100 additional rooms. The castle has undergone £36.5 million in restoration work and is now fully repaired.

St George is the patron saint of England and there are renditions of him slaying the dragon all over this lovely country. This one is located over St George's Gate inside the castle. 

I was able to get a quick photo of the walls and ceiling inside the Waterloo Room in the State Apartments which is covered in paintings of the key players in defeating Napoleon. 

Anytime there is a big event involving the royal family (specifically weddings and births) they make dishes commemorating it. This is the cup made for the birth of Prince George. It is on sale now so it is only £70!

St George's Chapel is considered one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England. 

Within the chapel are the tombs of Henry VIII, his third (and favourite) wife Jane Seymour, Charles I and ten other sovereigns. There have also been loads of royal weddings here including many of Queen Victoria's children's weddings. 

Inside the nave, they have a mirror so that you can look more closely at the detail on the ceiling without straining your neck. I thought that was a very clever idea. 

There isn't too much else to see in Windsor besides the castle. Our favourite fudge shop has a location near the castle and the train station had some lovely shops.

Tickets to the castle are good for one year when purchased through the Royal Collection Trust and validated before leaving. I can't wait to come back!