Windsor Castle

The last time we were in Windsor the main attraction was closed and we were not able to see the inside, so today's visit was a treat. After a light lunch we headed for the castle, where we were just in time to catch a short guided tour of the grounds.

Windsor Castle's first incarnation was built by William the Conqueror as a wooden fort (called a "keep"); Richard II started replacing it with stone buildings; Edward III expanded it greatly. Windsor was the residence of British kings for many centuries but in recent years it has been a secondary home. Elizabeth II lives in Buckingham palace in London and spends a lot of time at Balmoral in Scotland, although she often spends weekends at Windsor.

The Castle consists of many buildings which have been added over the centuries. Our first stop was St. George's Chapel, a beautiful Gothic church which is still used for services today and is the center of the ceremonies for the Order of the Garter.














The first exhibit in the main part of the castle is the famous Queen Mary's Dollhouse (actually an architectural model designed and built by Edward Lutyens) which is delightfully complete with exquisite miniature furniture and accessories, perfect down to the smallest detail. In the next room are dolls which were presented to the young Elizabeth and Margaret by visiting royalty; each doll has its own complete wardrobe created by Paris designers. A third room is dedicated to items from the royal art collections and an exhibit featuring Prince Charles photos and memorabilia; a fourth is dedicated to china.

The most impressive thing about the Great Hall is the huge display of armor and weapons. The many remaining rooms are pretty much as expected, with gorgeous plaster and wood work, and luxurious furnishings, accessories and art work. Toward the end we pretty much shut things down as we had gotten a late start, and then spent quite a bit of time in the chapel. We had just enough time to add a few items to our ever-burgeoning collection of souvenirs before turning in our audio units and snapping a few last photos of the colorfully-uniformed guard.








We had such a great time at the Rainbow last night we decided to go there again for dinner. This evening we met a group of rowing enthusiasts here for the Regatta, who shared some of their experiences rowing in the U.S. After dinner (and sharing two helpings of sticky toffee pudding), we waddled to the car and returned home full and happy.