It was
a great day to visit one of the oldest but still royally inhabited structures
in England, Windsor
Castle.
We entered through St. George's Gate. There we caught our first full
view of the magnificent Round Tower surrounded by a dry moat and topped
with a stoutly flying British flag shuttering high in the wind. Nonetheless,
Windsor Castle is typically home to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in April
and particularly in June for the Garter Service or knighting ceremonies.
Still the presence of the flag gave us all hopes of seeing royalty before
the day was done.
Moving
on, we wondered over to St. George's Chapel. The construction of
this building began with King
Edward
IV in the year 1475. King Henry VII added a stone-vaulted ceiling
to replace the wooded ceiling
before
it, and Henry VIII completed the structure in 1528. The Chapel, aside
from containing the burial
sites
of ten monarchs, is an exquisite example of the Perpendicular Gothic style
of English architecture.
Like
most structures of fortification, the grounds and castle building of Windsor
Castle are built high on a
mound,
high above the Thames River Valley. This castle was first erected
by William The Conquer in circa 1060 and was originally made out of wood.
Since then successive monarchs have added their own touch of taste and
style to alter the royal home. One of the most influential has been
the King nicknamed
"Farmer
George". Now the residence is used to welcome foreign dignitaries
and for matters of the state.
Beyond
our walking tour outside we discovered very fascinating objects and designs
inside. Here is a
summary
of our interests within the castle.
Upon
entering the castle we viewed an extensive display detailing the reconstruction
of the Upper Ward
after
the fire of 1992. The restoration had been completed in the 1997.
Next we gazed at Queen Mary's DollHouse. The Grand Staircase and Grand Vestibule held the bullet that killed Admiral Lord Nelson in the Battle of Trafalgar along with many forms of arms and amour.
The
King's Drawing Room held several painting by Rubens and his school and
also seventieth century
cornice
by Grinling Gibbons.
Next
door, in the King's BedChamber a bed designed with purple and green hangings
sat as a reminder of
the
visit of Emperor Napoleon II and also a transplanted fireplace originally
placed in Buckingham Palace in London.
In the
King's Dressing Room a spectacular display of masterpieces by Holbeins,
Rubens, Rembrandt, and
Van
Dyck particularly captured my interest. Plus, the Queen's Ballroom
exclusively held paintings by Van Dyke including The Five Children of Charles
I.
Neighboring
the Queens' Ballroom, the Queen's Presence Chamber charmed us with its
Verrio ceiling and
the
Gobelins tapestries. Further on, in the long hall of St George's
Room, displayed on the ceiling is all the coats of arms of the Knights
of the Garter. This is quite an impressive room used most often for
large
banquets.
In addition, the Green Drawing Room is also used for official entertainment.
Most of us will remember the Crimson Drawing Room for its portrait of Queen Elizabeth and George VI by Sir Gerald Kelly.
Last
but not lease, the Waterloo Chamber Room is the largest room in the castle
and portrays the Duke of
Wellington
and other military leaders celebrating the defeat of Napoleon.
The entire visit to Windsor Castle was a very moving and valuable experience. It was nice to be able to see the way a royal residence looks inside and out. The tour officials told us about the rooms that would be blocked off to us if the Queen were in residence and some of the more resent events that had taken place there. It was another reminder about the extent of history involved in a place and how a collection of valuables can really contribute to one's understanding of Britain's nationalism and historical past.