A Quick Visit to Windsor Castle, the Oldest Royal Home

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Windsor Castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1070. Windsor is both the oldest and the largest occupied Castle on the planet. It is still used as a royal residence by the royal family of England.

Kings and Queens Who Lived at Windsor Castle

Henry VIII lived here at one time, along with 38 other Kings and Queens of England. Charles I was held here against his will shortly before he was executed and James IV, who was the father of the famous Princes in the Tower and brother of Richard III, built the beautiful St. George’s Chapel on the palace grounds.

It is the final resting place of many British monarchs, including Elizabeth II. It is also where Prince Harry married Megan Markle and where the then-future Charles III married his mistress, Camilla Parker Bowles.

Windsor was the primary residence of Queen Victoria, and Elizabeth II played here as a child. Not bad, right?

How to Visit Windsor Castle

Windsor is on the outskirts of London, somewhat near Heathrow Airport, and it is definitely worth going to see. Some parts of the castle are inaccessible to us non-royals, but the areas you can visit are stunning. 

Tickets are about $35 per person, which gives you access to all visitor areas, including St. George's chapel when the royal family is not at home. When they are at home, some parts of the castle, including the chapel, may be closed to visitors. 

You can always tell whether or not the monarch is present by looking for the royal standard. If you see this flag soaring high on the roof of the castle, the monarch is present. 

What You Can Do at the Castle

In the castle itself, you can visit the state apartments. This area of the castle includes ceremonial and historic state rooms, where past monarchs entertained important guests and lived their lives. 

It is, as the British would say, quite posh. From floor to ceiling, these rooms are incredibly lavish. There is art everywhere. Paintings on display at the castle include the famous equestrian portrait of Charles I, artworks by Dutch masters like Van Dyck, portraits from the famed royal painter Hans Holbein and works by Italian Renaissance artists. 

It is incredible, and it's only one part of the attractions. St. George's Chapel is also immensely impressive. Construction began on it in 1475 and 11 former monarchs are buried here. Along with Elizabeth II, you can pay your respects to her father George VI, Henry VIII and the ill-fated Charles I.

A Quick History of the Royal Palace

Windsor is, in a word, stunning. It is also the castle from which the current royal family took its name. They changed their name from Hanover to Windsor shortly after WWI, because Hanover is a German name and Windsor sounds as British as British gets. The strong anti-German sentiment of the day at the time prompted the royals to make the change, so as not to remind the world of their own German heritage.

If you are here on the right day and at the right time, you can witness the Changing of the Guard. They do a ceremony here similar to the most famous change at Buckingham Palace and I actually got a much better view of the ceremony at Windsor than Buckingham, so I do recommend seeing this.

Getting to the Castle

Windsor is about 45 minutes away from Buckingham Palace, which is right in the heart of London. You can take the subway, also known as the Underground and the Tube, to go find it on your own. There are also many day trip and half day trip packages that include Windsor Castle, so you have many options to get out here.

It's well worth it.