OMG Windsor Castle!

Before I dive into this blog post I think it is most important that I share this picture with you all. Meet Mime, a local kitty that hangs out around Windsor Castle!

Mime, The Windsor Castle Cat


 Our tour today was one of the tours that I was the most excited for - Windsor Castle! I was on the castle grounds for roughly four hours but I could have easily spent twelve hours there. We began the day by watching the changing of the guard. We got there early enough that we were able to be in the front row to see it. For my friends and family who think it is similar to the changing of the guard in Washington, DC - it's not. If there is one thing that England loves, it's their ceremonies. Over the past few days I have been able to learn about a lot of the grand ceremonies they do for things such as weddings, coronations, funerals and now the changing of the guard. 


During the changing of the guard. 

My second favorite part of the day (my first favorite was meeting Mime, of course) was touring the State Apartments. It felt very similar to touring The Biltmore or The Breakers. Unfortunately we were not permitted to take pictures inside of the State Apartments, but trust me when I tell you they were gorgeous. Though they were originally built for King Charles II and his wife, Queen Catherine of Braganza, many monarchs spent time living at the Windsor Castle. There were countless rooms that we could walk through but only a few really stood out to me. First was the Kings private living quarters. If you looked really close at the walls you could see hidden doors that one of the workers told us were used for sneaking his many mistresses in and out of his living quarters. There were many beautiful pieces of artwork in his living quarters as well. One thing I kept thinking about while touring the castle was that it felt similar to The White House in the way that monarchs can live here as well as complete their work here, yet people are able to tour the castle and the grounds. 


Another room, or series of rooms, that really stood out to me were the Queen's living quarters. On the ceilings of the rooms were the most breathtaking murals which combined both Roman mythology and modern day (at the time) monarchy. These really are a great representation of Renaissance era art. They reminded me a lot of paintings such as the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and The Birth of Venus. 

The Queen's Presence Chamber in the State Apartments at Wi… | Flickr
Image of ceiling mural. 
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The last and final room from the State Apartments that stuck with me was St. George's Hall which connects to the Royal Chapel. There was knight armor covering the walls down almost the entire length of the room. Unfortunately in 1992 there was a very large fire that destroyed many rooms in the State Apartments, including St. George's Hall. When I was learning about the fire that destroyed the rooms I couldn't help but remember the Great Fire of London which destroyed majority of the original city of London. Both instances seemed so similar yet so different to me, as they both destroyed such important pieces of London's history. I am unsure of what caused the fire inside the State Apartments, but I know that it was huge and devastating. 

This is the 180 foot long banquet room in St. George's Hall at Windsor Castle where the Queen will host the fir… | Windsor castle, Georges hall, Old victorian homes
Photo of St. George's Hall
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One thing I noticed about the room, but could not get a clear answer about, is that not every shelf on the walls contain human figured armor above it, with some having crossed swords on the walls and nothing else. I really am curious as to why that is!


I am a little bummed that we were not able to see the vault inside of the chapel that held the tombs of many monarchs from England's history, but I did get to see the tomb of Queen Elizabeth II, and it was beautiful. It honestly was such a privilege being able to witness that today. 

There was so much more I could have written about todays experience, but to keep this blog from becoming incredibly long I will tell you my questions of the day and leave it at that. I would also like to briefly mention that King Charles III (the current monarchy) was at Windsor Castle today when we arrived!  

1) How come not every shelf on the walls of St. George's Hall doesn't have human figured knight armor above it? Though the empty slots contain another empty slot directly across from it, does it symbolize anything in particular? Will there eventually be human figured armor above every shelf? 

2) Why did only some monarchs choose to live at Windsor Castle? Was it because it is further from London than other housing options such as Hampton Court Palace? For those that did choose to live here, did it cause issues being so far from the city? Was/is it considered one of the better places to live as a monarch? 


Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 11, 2024 at 5:07 PM

    This is fascinating! I love that you are sharing this

    ReplyDelete

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