Windsor Castle, London, is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world, one of the official residences of the Queen, and represents 900 years of British history.
How big is Windsor Castle?
Windsor Castle is the biggest house in the world, comprising more than 1,000 rooms, 13 acres of land, and more than 45,000 square metres of floor space.
The castle was built by William the Conqueror following the Battle of Normandy and was originally made out of wood in a traditional motte-and-bailey style. In 1100, the castle became home to Henry VII, who set about extending the castle, replacing the wood with stone and turning it into a palace fit for a king.
Which monarchs have lived in the castle?
The castle has been home to some of England's most famous monarchs, including Henry VIII and his father, Henry VII, both of whom were buried in the castle's Lady Chapel. In total, 39 English royals have officially lived at the palace.
Windsor was the favourite residence of Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. Following Albert's death, Victoria took to wearing only black and was often referred to as the Widow of Windsor.
Today, the castle is home to Queen Elizabeth II and is occupied by the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, every year during the Easter period. The castle is also the Queen’s residence of choice during her private weekends, along with Holyrood Palace.
Visiting Windsor Castle
The castle is open to visitors throughout the year, opening at 09:30 and closing at 17:30. In the winter months (November to February), the castle opens slightly later at 09:45 and closes at 16:15.
The Changing of the Guard happens every morning between 11:00 and 11:30. Tours of the castle are extremely popular, particularly in the summer time, and usually take around 2-3 hours to complete.
The Royal Wedding
In May 2018, Windsor Castle will host the royal wedding of Prince Harry and his bride, Megan Markle.
The wedding will be officiated in St George's Chapel, the castle's official place of worship. Located in the Lower Ward, the Chapel was originally built in the 14th century by Edward VIII, before being significantly extended in the 15th century. The Church is now able to hold more than 800 guests and has been the location of many royal weddings, christenings and funerals, including the wedding of Prince Charles of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowles, as well as the christening of Prince Harry.
In autumn 2018, the chapel will also play host to the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.
Parking at Windsor Castle
Working out where to park can be daunting, but there are plenty of car parks in Windsor's town centre, as well as a park-and-ride service offering lifts to key attractions in the area.
Bear in mind when driving into the town that traffic is temporarily stopped every morning while the guards make their way between the barracks.
Please note: Windsor Castile will be open Easter Sunday, from 13:00.
What to look out for at Windsor Castle
There’s so much to see at Windsor Castle, it’s hard to know where to begin! Here are some of our favourite attractions from the tour:
The State Apartments: Windsor Castle’s lavishly decorated State Apartments hold a large collection of fine art and paintings that are stunning to behold. If you visit between September and March, you’ll be able to explore the Semi-State Rooms, which were created for George VI and are now used by The Queen for official entertaining.
St George’s Chapel: In the grounds of Windsor Castle, you’ll find St. George’s Chapel, an active centre of worship, where Prince Edward was married and Henry VIII was laid to rest.
Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House: Another must-see attraction at Windsor Castle is Queen Mary’s world-famous Dolls’ House, complete with working lifts, water and electricity supply! It has its own library, full of original works by the top literary names of the day, as well as a beautiful garden and a wine cellar.
Changing the Guard: This spectacular ceremony begins as the Windsor Castle Guard line up outside the Guard Room, until a regimental band, corps of drums or pipe band heralds the entrance of the new Guard. This 45-minute ceremony is part of London’s patriotic culture and is the ultimate spectacle to witness when you visit Windsor Castle.
Windsor Castle facts
Windsor Castle was Queen Victoria’s main place of residence. After Prince Albert passed away, she was often referred to as ‘the Widow of Windsor’.
During World War II, the Royal Family secretly slept in Windsor Castle. The public believed they were sleeping in Buckingham Palace during this time.
There was a huge fire at Windsor Castle in November 1992, damaging more than 100 rooms. The restoration cost almost £40 million.
16 hours to move every clock forward when British Summer Time begins, and 18 hours to move them back again in the winter!clock makerThe Windsor Castle estate has more than 450 clocks. It takes the
The castle’s Great Kitchen is home to a whisk that can hold up to 250 eggs at a time, and the cellar holds around 18,000 bottles of wine.
The clocks in the Great Kitchen are always 5 minutes fast, so that the Queen’s food is never served late.
Tickets purchased through 365 Tickets cannot be upgraded to yearly passes
Windsor Castle, the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, is one of the official residences of Her Majesty The Queen. The Castle's dramatic site encapsulates 900 years of British history. It covers an area of 26 acres and contains, as well as a royal palace, a magnificent chapel and the homes and workplaces of a large number of people.
What there is to see:
The magnificent State Apartments are furnished with some of the finest works of art from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and the famous triple portrait of Charles I by Sir Anthony van Dyck. In 1992 fire destroyed or damaged more than 100 rooms at the Castle. By good fortune the rooms worst affected were empty at the time, and as a result, few of the Castle's artistic treasures were destroyed. The highly acclaimed restoration work, completed in 1997, is a testament to the extraordinary skills of some of the finest craftsmen in Europe. From October to March visitors can also enjoy George IV's private apartments (the Semi-State Rooms), among the most richly decorated interiors in the Castle.
St George's Chapel is one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England. It is the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter, the senior order of British Chivalry established in 1348 by Edward III. Within the chapel are the tombs of ten sovereigns, including Henry VIII and his third wife Jane Seymour, and Charles I. Among the highlights of a visit to Windsor is Queen Mary's Dolls' House, the most famous dolls' house in the world.
Photographer Credits:
Image 1: Photographer: Mark Fiennes, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013
Image 2: Photographer: Dennis Gilbert, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013
Image 3: Photographer: Ian Jones, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013
Image 4: Photographer: John Freeman, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2013
Windsor Castle
Opening Hours:
| |
Opening time |
Last admission |
Closing time |
| 1 November - 28 February |
09:45 |
15:00 |
16:15 |
| 1 March - 31 October |
09:30 |
16:00 |
17:15 |
The Admission Centre is busiest from opening until 11:30, so you may want to consider arriving after this time.
Windsor Castle closures
As Windsor Castle is a working royal palace, sometimes the entire Castle or the State Apartments within the Castle need to be closed at short notice.
- 29 - 30 March 2018
- 20 April 2018
- 17 - 19 May 2018
- 18 June 2018
The State Apartments will be closed on:
- 22 March 2018
- 19 - 21 April 2018
- 25 April 2018
- 17-19 June 2018
The Semi-State Rooms are open until 25 March 2018, are closed during the summer, and then reopen on 29 September 2018. The Semi-State Rooms are not open on days when the State Apartments are closed.
The Castle will have different opening times on:
- 22 April (Last admission 12.00. Castle closes at 14.00)
- 5 May (Last admission 15.00. Castle closes at 16.00)
- 24 May (Last admission 15.00. Castle closes at 16.00)
- 15 June (Last admission 15.00. Castle closes at 16.00)
St George's Chapel
Daily closing time
St George’s Chapel closes at 16:00, although visitors are welcome to attend the evensong service at 17:15.
Sundays
St. George’s Chapel is closed to visitors on Sundays as services are held throughout the day. Worshippers are welcome to attend the services at:
- 08:30 – Holy Communion
- 10:45 – Mattins and Sermon
- 12:00 – Sung Eucharist
- 17:15 – Evensong
Chapel closures
The Chapel will be closed on:
The Chapel will have different opening times on:
- 31 March 2018 - closed until 11:00
- 21 April 2018 - closing at 13:00
- 28 April 2018 - closing at 12:30
- 26 May 2018 - closing at 13:00
The schedule is set by the British Army and we advise visitors to check the Army website before visiting: http://www.householddivision.org.uk/changing-the-guard-calendar
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