Windsor Castle: A Different Perspective
Windsor Castle is the Queen’s favourite Royal Residence. Let’s explore some surprising artefacts about the Windsor Castle
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The Windsor Castle is just a 45 minute train ride from London. We took a train from Paddington station in London to Slough Station. From Slough, Windsor Castle is just a short scenic train ride away.
In a previous blog, we spoke about the long history of Windsor Castle. The history of this castle is 1000 years long. After all the Windsor Castle is the world’s oldest and largest inhabited castle!
In this blog, I’m taking you to three different rooms within this castle that stand out from the others and then we’ll talk about etiquettes that include pineapples! So let’s begin…
The Carpet in the Waterloo Chamber
George IV built the Waterloo Chamber to mark Napoleon’s defeat in 1815. This chamber has an interesting piece of adornment, its carpet.
This carpet is the largest seamless carpet in the world! It took them a lot of effort to haul it up to the castle from the railway station where it covered two platforms.
It had travelled miles to reach Britain from India.
Inmates in Agra Prison crafted this carpet for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, according to the Royal Trust Collection.
During the Fire, they needed 50 soldiers to roll this carpet up and rescue it to safety.
Picture Curtesy: Giomodica via Wikipedia Commons
The St George’s Hall
The St George’s Hall is an interesting place, one heavily restored after the fire ate away everything.
The Queen hosts many dinners in this Hall and uses the Grand Service, a set of gilded cutlery commissioned by George IV in the 19th century.
If you look up, this Hall has a timber roof with a few shields on it belonging to various Knights. These knights belonged to the Order of the Garter.
Look more closely and there are a few blank shields. These blank shields aren’t saved for the future. They have been erased to wipe away the trace of expelled knights from the Order.
Picture Curtesy: Ian Gratton via Wikipedia Commons
St George’s Chapel
This chapel has been in the limelight in the last year for two Royal Weddings. Prince Harry as well as his cousin Princess Eugenie, tied the knot here.
Apart from that, 10 English monarchs are buried in St George’s Chapel. The list includes the hush hush burial of the beheaded Charles I and shrewd Tudor King Henry VIII along with his third wife.
St George’s Chapel serves as the chapel for the Order of the Garter.
In the 17th century, the diarist Samuel Pepys wrote, only women could occupy the Knight’s stalls where the Brass plates were placed. I don’t know the truth behind this diary entry though.
However I know for sure that when Pepys wrote in his journal on the 26th of February, 1666,
“…It (Windsor Castle) is the most romantique castle that is in the world” he was not lying.
Samuel Pepys
The Windsor estate, the first glimpse of its magnificence from the train station, are unforgettable sights. Its romance and age old history hits you right in the face.
It is no wonder, Windsor has been in the hearts of many a monarch for the last 900 years.
Learning about Windsor Castle must also include some etiquette lessons. Let me tell you something about Pineapples.
Pineapples
If you are not fond of them, you better avoid a dinner invite from the Queen. Pineapples are placed at every Royal dinner. I mean whole pineapples standing on the table.
The flesh is carved out in slices before the meal and stuffed inside the shell again. This shell then stands on the table.
During the final course, the shell is removed and the slices inside offered to the guests!
I do not have taste for pineapples, but I’d accept the Queen’s invite just to see this trick and well, maybe also to gawk at her Palaces.
Windsor Castle is unique more so than any other castle in England that I have read, seen or heard about. Its past is unrivalled and the history thus rich and fragrant. It is as Samuel Pepys said, the most romantique castle that is in the world.
Here at GiGlee, I’ve written detailed articles on many of the Royal Palaces in England: Westminster, Buckingham and now Windsor. The rest will follow soon. Which palace is your favourite? Comment its name below along with any questions you have. I’d love to discuss with you.
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Bibliography
Windsor Castle: Royal Windsor
Samuel Pepys Diary
The Queen’s Speech in 1992
The Royal Collection Trust: Official Website
The Enchanted Manor
Windsor Castle: William Harrison Ainsworth
Something more to read
Grandeur of the Palace of Versailles
