Through the continuous expansion of kings in past dynasties, Windsor Castle has become a huge castle complex with many exquisite buildings by the first half of the 9th century. Windsor Castle covers an area of 7 hectares and is the largest inhabited castle-like building in the world. All the buildings are made of stone, with nearly a thousand rooms, surrounded by green lawns and dense forests.
The castle is divided into two parts: the east and the west. The "Upper District" in the east is the private residence of the royal family, including the dining room, studio, ballroom, audience hall, living room, Waterloo hall and St. George's hall of the king and queen. It is famous for its collection of famous royal paintings and treasures. The Waterloo Hall was built to celebrate the victory of the Battle of Waterloo. In the spacious and tall rectangular hall, the walls are covered with portraits of British war generals who made great achievements in the Battle of Waterloo, and huge flower-shaped mercury chandeliers are hung on the roof. The "Lower Area" in the west refers to the entrance from the Thames to Windsor Castle, where there is a famous church. St George's Church, located in the central part of West End of London, was built in 1475. It was a popular Gothic vertical building at that time, and its architectural achievements were second only to Westminster Abbey in London. Many important events in British history took place here. British monarchs have been buried here since18th century. In addition, there are many tombs of queens, princes and other members of the royal family. The inner hall of the church is where religious ceremonies are held, and the winners of the Guardian Medal (marked as the Blue Velvet Guardian Medal) celebrate their annual pilgrimage to the king. The Guardian Medal is the highest honor in Britain. Each guardian knight has a fixed seat in the hall, and each knight's armor, sword and flag are hung on the wall behind the seat. Albert Church is located in the east of the West District. It was originally built as a cemetery for henry vii, and was later changed by Queen Victoria into a church for the remains of her husband Albert. There is a monument to Prince Albert in the church.
Wilhelm Ⅰ
He occupied a manor (probably a Saxon royal residence) in the old Windsor area. From 1070 to 1086, William I rented from Cromwell Manor to the location of Windsor Castle, where the first Mott-Bailey Castle was built. The mountain is 50 feet high and consists of chalk excavated from a nearby channel (which later became a moat).
At that time, it was the wooden fence that defended the castle, not the thick stone wall. It is not clear how William I designed the castle structure, and no early buildings have been preserved, but it is purely a military base. After William I, Windsor Castle continued to be used, and it was also expanded or rebuilt many times. William I's successor William II also expanded and renovated the castle, but William II's younger brother Henry I was the first king to live in Windsor Castle.
Henry I took Windsor Castle as his official residence because his ruling power was still unstable and worried about his own safety, and celebrated Pentecost in the castle on 1 165438 [2]. And his wedding with Adeliza of brabant (Henry I's second wedding) was also held in Windsor Castle in 1 12 1 year.
The earliest preserved buildings in Windsor can be traced back to Henry II (1 154 ascended the throne), who built stone walls around the castle instead of wooden fences. The big change is that these stone walls can be seen from the balcony in the east. Henry II also built the first stone bunker on the irregular hill in the center of Windsor Castle. Later, Windsor Castle was surrounded by rebels in 1 189, because the British baron rebelled against the then British prince John. The king's Welsh army (only slightly outnumbered by private mercenaries) escaped, while Prince John avoided France. Later 12 15, King John, who succeeded to the throne, was forced to sign the Magna Carta near the castle. 12 16 The castle was once again surrounded by rebels, but despite the serious damage caused by the rebels to the buildings below the castle, the British king's army still resisted to the end. In 12 16, the damage caused by this civil war was immediately repaired by John's successor, Henry III, who built the Western Wall (most of which was preserved) to further strengthen the defensive ability of Windsor Castle. The bell tower is also one of the oldest parts of the castle. Built in 1227. The inner side of the bell tower includes the remains of the original prison and the sudden danger passage (the secret exit when surrounded). The upper floor of the bell tower includes the clock placed in 1478 and the castle clock in 1689, but the French conical roof of the bell tower was added in19th century. 1272 after the death of Henry III, it was not until the reign of Edward III (1327- 1377) that Windsor Castle was further built. Edward III was born in the castle on 13 12,1012, so he is often called "Edward of Windsor".
Starting from 1350, he began a 24-year reconstruction plan and decided to demolish the peripheral fortifications such as castles and bell towers at that time. Edward III entrusted Wickham with all the funds and design for the castle reconstruction. The bunker built by Henry II was replaced by the existing bunker, although it was not elevated to a height until the 9th century. The fortifications have been further expanded, and St. George's Church has been substantially expanded, but the plan to build a new church has not been carried out, which may be due to the lack of manpower and material resources after the Black Death epidemic. The history of Norman Gate can also be traced back to this period. This huge and spectacular gate is located under the round tower and is the last defensive fortress before the upper part of the castle (where the royal residence is located). Edward III established the Guardian Medal in 1348, and up to now, the annual ceremony is still held in St. George's Church. Between 1353 and 1343, he built a room in front of the church to store valuables. However, during the reign of Richard II in 1390, St. George's Church was found to be on the verge of collapse, so it was rebuilt. One of the people who carried out the project was geoffrey chaucer, a confidant of Richard II (he used to be a diplomat and worked for the king). His relationship with Richard II lasted until the end of the king's rule. In the ten years before Chaucer's death, Richard II gave him several gifts and annuities, including an annuity of 20 pounds in 1394 and 252 gallons of wine every year in 1397. Chaucer later died on 14001October 25th. However, regardless of Chaucer's skill as a builder or surveyor, St George's Church collapsed again less than 50 years after his restoration. Edward IV of England (146 1- 1483, the first king of York family) began to build St. George's Church. But in fact, when the construction of St. George's Church began in 1475, it was not so much a church as a chapel and a royal mausoleum. St George's Church is a form of Gothic architecture. During the reign of henry vii, in order to build a road leading to Notre Dame, part of the original St George's Church was destroyed, but later Notre Dame was abandoned in henry vii. St George's Church is also considered as one of the earliest truly magnificent buildings in Windsor Castle. The construction of St George's Church is a turning point in the architectural style of Windsor Castle. Because after wars of the roses, the political atmosphere is more stable, which means that the future castle architecture pays more attention to the comfort and style of the building, rather than the defensive function. Therefore, Windsor Castle has changed from a fortress of the royal family to a residence of the royal family, and the horseshoe-shaped cloister is an example. Built near St. George's Church in 1480, it is used as the residence of clergy. This round brick building presents the shape of horseshoe, because horseshoe is said to be one of the symbols of Edward IV of England in England. 187 1 has carried out a lot of reconstruction work, so only a part of the original remains have been preserved. Edward III began to transform Windsor Castle from a fortress into a comfortable residence. Compared with other royal residences such as Whitehall Palace or Nansaki Palace, Windsor Castle is still a very dull administrative residence [3]. Henry VIII (reigned from 1509 to 1547) rebuilt the main castle passage in about 15 10, and set it in a position where he could further invade the castle and join the uphill battle. When attacking, the entrance should be lowered. The coat of arms on the arch and the pomegranate logo carved on the hanging door are the symbols of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII.
When Henry VIII's heir, the young English Edward VI of England (reigning 1547- 1553) lived in Windsor Castle, he wrote these thoughts: "I feel that I am a prisoner, and there is no promenade or garden to stroll around here."
Edward VI of England (1558 ~ 1603 reigned), the younger sister of England, spent quite a lot of time in Windsor Castle. She thinks that Windsor Castle is the safest place in this country, and she can retreat here in case of emergency, just as Elizabeth I described it: "Windsor Castle can resist the siege if necessary". Her narrative shows that this castle is still very similar to a fortress. Elizabeth I's contribution to the transformation of the castle is to build a north balcony as a sports venue, and build a long corridor covering the roof on it, which is a very early greenhouse. Most of the buildings are well preserved, and a huge Tudor fireplace is still preserved, in which the Royal Library is located.
During the civil war
The kings of England after Elizabeth I were James I and Charles I, who did not make any major changes to the castle. However, as Charles I was deposed in the English Civil War, Windsor Castle became the headquarters of oliver cromwell's new model army. John venn, a treacherous member of Congress, defected, so the castle fell into the hands of Cromwell's round skull party at the beginning of the Civil War. Prince Rupert of Rhine arrived a few days after the occupation, trying to recapture Windsor Castle and the town. However, despite his fierce attack on the town, he was unable to recapture Windsor Castle in the end. John Wayne served as governor of the castle until 1645.
Under the rule of the round crane, Windsor Castle was destroyed, but as an expected symbol of the monarchy, the damage was more serious in meaning than in essence. However, because the garrison did not receive full pay, it was allowed to plunder the treasures in the castle. In the federal era of England, Windsor Castle was also a military headquarters and an important royalist prison. Charles I was imprisoned in Windsor Castle for a short time before being executed in 1649. In other words, the word house arrest is more suitable for his situation. After Charles I was executed, England was ruled by Cromwell until the restoration of the dynasty in 1660. On the night of the snowstorm on the day of Charles I's death, his body was secretly transported back to the castle and later buried in the underground cemetery of the choir of St. George's Church, next to the coffin of Henry VIII and his wife Jane Seymour.
Elizabeth I period
Charles ii reorganized and restored castles destroyed during the Civil War. At the same time, the French began to build the Palace of Versailles, and charles ii also designed a road, that is, the long road. The long diameter extends 3 kilometers south from Windsor Castle and is 240 feet wide. The elms planted by the king were replaced by chestnut and Shinohara hanging wood. The long road is not the only exciting part of Versailles. Charles ii commissioned architect Hugh May to rebuild the Royal Suite and St George's Hall. Hugh replaced the plantagenet suite on the north balcony with a star-shaped building similar to a cube. The interior ceilings of these new suites were designed by Belio and carved by Grinling Gibbons. The king also asked to decorate the room with embroidered curtains and oil paintings. These works of art became the core of the royal collection. The three reserved rooms remain unchanged, namely the Queen's Audience Room, the Queen's Audience Room and the King's Restaurant, designed by charles ii's wife Catherine of Bragansa. These rooms still retain the ceiling designed by Belio and the paneling made by Gibbons. There were always 20 rooms in this style. Some gibbon sculptures were preserved between restoration and kingship change. In the19th century, these sculptures were integrated into the new design themes of Garter ThroneRoom and King Guardian of Waterloo.
1685 After charles ii's death, Windsor Castle was gradually ignored. Needless to say, castles and gardens are still traditional inhabited royal houses, but the king prefers to live in other places. During the reign of William III and Mary Ⅱ (1689- 1702), Hampton Palace was expanded into a huge modern official residence. In the later period of Queen Anne's reign, she liked to live in a small house near the city wall. It was not until 1804 that George III needed a bigger residence than other places because he had 13 children, and Windsor Castle was completely inhabited again. The more classic buildings built by charles ii became very popular at this time. British architect Inigo Jones
During the period of Charles I, Palladian architectural style was introduced to England, but George III thought it was not suitable for Windsor Castle, so he redesigned the windows with Gothic style in the period of charles ii, and the castle became a medieval style. During this period, Windsor Castle once again became a royal prison. 18 1 1 year, George iii was confined in the castle because of mental illness and safety considerations. In the last nine years of his life, George III rarely left his room at Windsor Castle.
1820- 1830 (during the reign of George IV), Windsor Castle experienced the biggest renovation in history. During his reign, George IV was famous for the luxury of Carlton Palace and the Royal Dome Palace. Later, he persuaded the British Parliament to support 300,000 yuan to rebuild Windsor Castle. Architect Jeffry Wyatville began to rebuild the castle in 1824. This reconstruction project took 65,438+02 years to complete, including the reconstruction of the lower area, private apartments, the round tower and the south wing. The reconstruction of the south wing allows people to see that the castle presents a nearly symmetrical facade from the long diameter.
Attwell was the first architect who regarded the castle as a single building, rather than a collection of buildings of different times and styles. As an architect, he prefers majestic symmetry. However, for centuries, castles have been built step by step, so there is no symmetry at all. Attwell adds a symmetrical style to the building on the upper part of Windsor Castle. He increased the height of the round tower and decorated the battlements in the upper part of the castle with Gothic style to conform to the medieval buildings in the lower part of the castle, including St. George's Church. The round tower has always been low, especially because of the building height in the upper area. Yatwell then added a hollow stone tower above the round tower to solve this problem, which is basically a virtual floor. The top of the tower is about 33 meters high, which makes the whole Windsor Castle stand out from a few kilometers away.
Most of the interior of the castle is as beautified as the exterior. Many charles ii-era national suites were redesigned in Gothic style during George III. The most striking thing is that the length of St. George's Hall has doubled. Attwell also added a roof to the courtyard, creating the Waterloo Hall. The high side window above the hall was designed to celebrate the victory of the Battle of Waterloo, with portraits of allied monarchs and commanders hanging on it during the Crusade against Napoléon Bonaparte. The huge dining table in the center of the hall can accommodate 150 people. 1830 when George IV died, the project was not completed, but 1840 when Attwell died, the project was basically completed. Victorian Queen Victoria and Prince Albert always regarded Windsor Castle as their royal residence, and many changes they made were around gardens rather than buildings. In fact, in 1948, the British Parliament passed the Windsor Castle and Town Appraces Act, which allowed the closure and alteration of some ancient roads that originally led from Windsor to Datchet and ancient Windsor through gardens. This change allowed the royal family to enclose a large garden as a private "family garden" with no open road.
186 1 After the death of Prince Albert in, Queen Victoria took Windsor Castle as her retirement residence, but she still preferred Osborne Manor on the Isle of Wight. Prince Albert was buried in the Mausoleum of Frog Moore in the family garden. Queen Victoria died at Osborne Palace in 190 1 and was buried beside her.
From the death of Prince Albert to the death of Queen Victoria 190 1 year, Windsor Castle was basically the residence of Queen Victoria, and she rarely went to Buckingham Palace. Prince Albert's room has been kept as it was when he died. Although melancholy air was deposited in the castle of19th century, it did not stop the renewal and reconstruction of the castle. Anthony Sullivan designed the grand staircase of 1866 National Diplomatic Hall. The Gothic staircase made of stone doubles the height of the hall and can be illuminated by the arched lantern tower. The hall is decorated with weapons and armor, including a suit of armor worn by Henry VIII, made in 1540. On both sides of the top of the stairs are statues of knights in armor. This decorative style also extends to the queen's guard room and front hall. At this time, Sullivan also added a conical roof similar to a castle at the top of the late bell tower.
Edward VII period
Windsor Castle remained idle for a long time, because Edward VII preferred other places as his residence. He likes to visit ascot Racecourse and Easter celebrations. One of the changes made by Edward VII was to build a golf course in the castle. Edward VII was succeeded by George V. He ruled England from 19 10 until his death from 1936. George V also prefers his country house. His wife, Mary of Tektronix, is an excellent art connoisseur. Queen Mary not only found and bought back the scattered furniture that originally belonged to the castle, but also bought many new rooms to decorate it. She also rearranged the style of the castle and arranged baroque furniture in the ethnic hall on the main floor to receive important guests. The upper bedroom is more comfortable and has a modern bathroom, which provides the entertainment and assembly functions of the lower national room. The national bedroom is still preserved, but it is more similar to a historical site. It didn't become a bedroom until 1909. During the First World War, members of the British royal family felt it necessary to change the name of the dynasty from the Saxony-Coburg-Gotha dynasty in Germany to another name. Later, they used the name of this castle, so they changed it to the Windsor Dynasty.
Queen Mary likes all kinds of models, so she built a huge Queen Mary doll house in the aristocratic apartment, designed by Edwin Lutchens. The furniture and portraits in the room were also designed by him in the1930s, and this doll house attracted the attention of many tourists.
1936 After Edward VIII abdicated, George VI became king of England. Edward VIII is expected to deliver a speech on the abdication of the British Empire at Windsor Castle on February 1936,10/,but during this short reign, he would rather live in the viewing castle of the Great Windsor Garden. George VI and his wife Princess Elizabeth like to stay in the original site of the Royal Hotel. 1939 After the outbreak of World War II, Windsor Castle resumed its role as a royal fortress, and George VI lived safely in the castle with his wife, Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret. During this period, George VI and his wife drove to London every day and returned to Windsor for rest at night. Although it was an undisclosed secret at that time, it was reported that George VI still lived in Buckingham Palace all day for publicity and morale. With the end of the 1945 war, the royal family left Windsor Castle and returned to the royal cabin.
After Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of England (1952), she decided to take Windsor Castle as her main seclusion. Since the time of Queen Mary, the private suites in the castle have been uninhabited, so it must be renovated and further modernized. Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and their two children then moved into the official residence. To this day, the layout of these castles continues.
1992101On October 20th, a fire spread from the Queen's private chapel. Finally, the fire lasted 15 hours, and destroyed nine main diplomatic halls in the country. Windsor Castle 15% about 9000m2 was burnt down. The reconstruction took five years to complete, and 70% of the funds came from the decision to open the Buckingham Palace National Hall to the public at the first time, with a total cost of 37 million pounds. The reconstruction did not cost taxpayers extra money. The reconstruction was quite successful, and according to the original plan and decoration, the difference between it and before the fire was difficult to detect. Although some rooms were completely destroyed by fire and redesigned in modern style, this design is very organic and Gothic, and it is called "Downes Goethe" because designer Giles Downes is also a partner of Sidel. These new rooms include a new private church, a new lantern hall and a new ceiling in St. George's church. The new ceiling board of St George's Church is made of green oak, which is a medieval technology. However, it is not obvious to the vision that the reconstruction leads to important updates, especially in the open rooms and service areas.
Queen Elizabeth II has been using Windsor Castle as her royal residence and weekend residence in recent years. Castles are also often used for state banquets and official receptions, just like Buckingham Palace. 1992 during the windsor castle fire, Prince Andrew said in a TV interview that the royal family regarded windsor castle as their home.
During the reign of Elizabeth II, the castle underwent a lot of construction, which not only rebuilt and protected its structure, but also made it one of the main tourist attractions in Britain. This is mainly because the castle is considered to be a working royal residence in harmony with the specifications of the castle. 1994 Oil was found on the land of Windsor Castle. Elizabeth II agreed to insert an exploratory well to determine the oil content. Later, experts estimated that the value of oil exceeded10 billion dollars. All the benefits are shared by the state and oil companies. 1997165438+1October 17, the windsor castle in England, which was seriously damaged by fire, was officially restored, and the project cost 36.5 million pounds.
BBC reported in June 1999 that Prince Charles was considering moving his royal residence to Windsor Castle to replace Buckingham Palace when he ascended the throne. This report concludes that Prince Charles is trying to gain more independence from the traditional royal family in Buckingham Palace. Up to now, the royal family has not commented on this news, but it is said that Prince Charles and other members of the royal family like Windsor Castle. On September 30, 2006, because of the equal opportunity policy of the castle and the request of a staff member, the Queen allowed an office in the castle to be used as a Muslim prayer room when necessary. On the high mountain in the center of Windsor Castle, stands a round tower built in the12nd century, which is an ancient gun base with ancient guns on its walls. After that, George IV built a towering crown on it, making it the tallest building in the castle. Climbing to the top of the tower, you can get a panoramic view of Windsor Town. There is also a big round table in the castle. It is said that in the 5th century, King Arthur and his 12 knights of the Round Table once sat here for a meeting. The famous playwright Shakespeare came to this castle at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth I and wrote The Merry Wives of Windsor. Home Park is in the northeast of Windsor Castle, and Windsor Park is in the south, which also contains forests, grasslands, rivers and lakes. At ordinary times, Windsor Castle is all open to the public. Whenever the queen comes, she is still allowed to visit other places except the largest palace on the top of the mountain.
During these four days, archaeologists had an unprecedented opportunity to explore the geology and history of three royal residences, including Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and Hollywood Palace.