Windsor

I was not really sure what to expect from our sojourn to Windsor but was not to be disappointed. Much to the kids delight we parked for the day near a playground so things got off to a great start. After a quick play we headed towards the large brick wall (must say the Castle really did dominate the scene) and followed this around into the village itself. I was later to discover that the village of Old Windsor, just over two miles to the south, predates what is now called Windsor by around 300 years; in the past Windsor was formally referred to as New Windsor to distinguish the two.

Feeling peckish, as we had arrived right on lunchtime, we checked out our meal options, of which there were many, and decided on the Italian restaurant Zizis. Turned out to be a fantastic choice complete with authentic Italian waiters and a nice glass of red.

After a leisurely lunch it was time for the Castle. Windsor is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and the Official Residence of Her Majesty The Queen. Its rich history spans almost 1000 years being founded by William the Conqueror at the end of the 11^th century. It has been the home of 39 monarchs, and is the oldest royal residence in the British Isles to have remained in continuous use.

Four monarch’s in particular have left their mark: William the Conqueror (r.1066-87), who founded the castle and established its outline plan and extent; Edward III (r.1327-77), who rebuilt it in a magnificent Gothic style and established the royal apartments in the Upper Ward; Charles II (r.1660-85), who transformed the medieval castle into a baroque palace; and George IV (r.1820-30), who entirely restored the exterior to conform with romantic ideals of castle architecture, and created sumptuous and richly furnished palace interiors within the ancient fabric.

The Castle covers an area of about 5 hectares (13 acres) and contains magnificent State Apartments furnished with treasures from the Royal Collection, St George's Chapel (one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings in England and the burial place of 10 monarchs), and Queen Mary's Dolls House, a masterpiece in miniature.

On entry to the grounds we were able to catch glimpses of the Quadrangle in the Upper Ward complete with symbolic guard. We were then funneled around past the Middle Ward ranged around the Norman motte (mound) crowned by the Round Tower to the North Terrace and into the State Apartments.

The Quadrangle

The Round Tower

Abbey’s eyes nearly popped out of her head when we wandered through the display of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House. Built in 1924, it was never intended as a plaything. The house provides an accurate record of an aristocratic London house of the times complete with running water and electricity. My favourite display was of the dolls France and Marianne who had been presented to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth for their daughters, the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose by the French Government during the 1938 State Visit to France.

The State Apartments themselves were incredibly opulent with gold gilding and suits of armour in abundance. We were unfortunately not allowed to take photos so you will just have to see it for yourselves some day! We wandered through such rooms as the King’s Drawing Room, once used by Charles II and it was here that in 1830 George IV’s body lay in state. We saw the King’s Bedchamber and Dressing Room, the Queen’s Drawing Room and Ballroom both designed for Catherine of Braganza, Queen Consort of Charles II. Probably one of the most impressive was St George’s Hall which displays the coats of arms of all the Knights of the Garter since the foundation of the Order in 1348. Abbey took to it with her usual attitude of ‘get me out of here quickly’ while Zac showed his ever increasing love of history pointing out Monarchs he recognised and asking 1000s of questions.

And they complain in Sydney about living under a flight path!

As we were there on a Sunday we were not able to access St George’s Chapel in the Lower Ward so will have to make a return trip. To mark the occasion though I took a trip of my own, spectacularly stumbling over and ended up with a severely bruised left hand and collarbone (and sense of pride when the shock wore off!). I certainly hope a Robb taking a tumble will not become a fixture on future sightseeing tours.

North Terrace

St George's Chapel

After a quick photo with the poor guard whose unfortunate duty seemed to be tourist prop it was time to head out for a final look around the village. Abbey managed to have her photo taken with ‘the pink lady’ (her words), we treated ourselves to ice creams, wandered down to have a look at the Thames then it was time to return to the car.