Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the Official Residence of the Queen of Britain. Over a period of nearly 1,000 years it has been inhabited continuously, and altered and refurbished[1] by successive monarchs. Some were great builders, strengthening the Castle against uprising and rebellion; others, living in more peaceful times, created a palatial[2] Royal residence.

William the Conqueror chose the site, high above the river Thames and on the edge of a Saxon hunting ground.[3] It was a day’s march from the Tower of London[4] and intended to guard the western approaches to the capital. The outer walls of today’s structure are in the same position as those of the original castle built by William the Conqueror in the 1070s.

The Queen uses the Castle both as a private home, where she usually spends the weekend, and as a Royal residence at which she undertakes certain formal duties. Windsor Castle is often used by The Queen to host State Visits from overseas monarchs and presidents. Every year The Queen takes up official residence in Windsor Castle for a month over Easter (March-April).

The Castle is huge, so people tend to head for the most spectacular bits—the State Apartments, St. George’s Chapel, the Gallery and the delightful Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. Works of art, antique furniture, curiosities and impressive architecture reflect the tastes of many different royal generations.

The State Apartments are lavishly decorated formal rooms still used for state and official functions. The treasures in the Apartments include works of art by Canaletto, Holbein, Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Rubens and Van Dyck, as well as the ceilings and woodwork of the rooms themselves.[5] Also on display is a large collection of armor, including an etched gold suit of armor made for prince Hal.

The magnificent and beautiful St. George’s Chapel was started in 1475 by Edward IV and was completed fifty years later by Henry VIII. It ranks among the finest examples of late medieval architecture in the UK. Ten monarchs are buried in the Chapel, including Henry VIII with his wife. Many Royal weddings have been celebrated in St. George’s Chapel, including that of Prince Edward and Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones in June 1999. In 2005 a service of dedication and prayer was held in the Chapel following the marriage of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall.

The Drawings Gallery features the exhibition “The Queen: Sixty Photographs for Sixty Years” from 4 February to 28 October this year. Sixty photographs of The Queen, including the work of leading press photographers of the past six decades, will go on display to celebrate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee[6]. The exhibition presents a portrait of The Queen as captured in fleeting moments on both official occasions and at relaxed family gatherings.

Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House is an amazing dolls’ house built on a scale of 1 to 12. It contains working lifts, running water and electricity, and took 1,500 craftsmen three years to complete. Queen Mary was known as a collector of miniature objects including Fabergé[7] animals, children’s silver furniture and other examples of “tiny craft”. Princess Marie Louise was the King’s cousin. After returning home from a visit to the King and Queen at Windsor Castle, during which they had shown her much kindness, she announced to her family that she would commission a dolls’ house as a present for the Queen.

The Changing of the Guard is one of the highlights of a visit to Windsor. A band usually accompanies the Guards, although this is subject to weather conditions. Windsor Castle gives you the good chance to snoop around[8] a royal residence and track the history of the English monarchy.