Windsor Castle: Inside the Queen’s Weekend Home

Windsor Castle is exactly what you expect a castle to look like with a round tower, a moat (well dry moat), and castle walls up on a hill.  It is the oldest and largest castle still in use in the world, built in the 11th century.  The Queen spends most of her weekends here and hosts many important guests.  I had seen the castle before from a distance but didn’t realize that you could actually visit inside.  Well as impressive as the outside view of Windsor is, the inside is even more spectacular.  Besides the immaculate decor, the artwork you will see is similar to what you would find at a top museum. It is definitely worth doing a Windsor Castle day trip!

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How to Get to Windsor Castle from London

Windsor is a short trip from London (30 miles west), so it’s an easy day trip from London.    It is probably best to take a train from London Waterloo Station, as parking in Windsor is limited and expensive.  Buy your train ticket in advance to get the best price.  (Click here to check prices and schedule)

Since we were coming from Suffolk, we drove, parked and then walked to the castle.   The cheapest parking options are on Datchet Road (Romney Lock and King Edward VII Car Parks) and on Alma Road (Alexandra Gardens Car Park).  You can choose any of those three as they are all about a 10-minute walk to the city center and castle.

If you can, try to get there for Windsor Castle changing of the guard ceremony that occurs at 11:00 am each day.  You will probably need 3-4 hours to see the castle.  Also, I would recommend buying your ticket in advance to avoid waiting in a long line to get in.  If you get your ticket stamped and sign it before you leave, you will get a free year-long pass to visit the castle.  Windsor Castle Admission is also included in the London Pass.  If you plan on doing other sightseeing in London, a London Pass could save you up to 55% as it includes admission to 80+ of the top attractions in London.  (Click here to get more information about the London Pass.)

Windsor Castle Tours from London

If you prefer, there are many tours to Windsor Castle that include transportation from London and your Windsor castle admission.  (Check out this half-day tour through GetYourGuide.) You could also do a tour that combines Windsor Castle with other attractions like Stonehenge, Bath, or Oxford.  Keep in mind, that is a lot to see in one day and you would only get to scratch the surface of the places that you visit.

Windsor Castle Audio Guide

After going through security, pick up your audio guide, included in the price of your admission.  The self- guided audio tour provides a lot of information about Windsor castle and its history, broken down into short episodes.  

One big theme you will hear about throughout the tour is the devastating fire that caused £37 million of damage to the castle.  If you didn’t hear about the fire, you would never know it happened because they did such an amazing job on the restoration.

Inside Windsor Castle

Next you can visit the inside of the castle, but unfortunately, you are not allowed to take any pictures inside.  There was a bit of a line to see Queen Mary’s dollhouse, but it moved fast so don’t let it deter you.  This is a dollhouse like no other and it was never intended to be a child’s toy.  First of all, it is huge!  Second of all, the detail inside is amazing.  The dollhouse has running water and electricity and even includes a room with a replica of the crown jewels.

After visiting the dollhouse, you should head towards the State Apartments.  When you first enter, there is a space for temporary exhibits.  When we visited, it was about Waterloo.  The next room holds a very impressive collection of china.  

Then you enter the main part of the Windsor Castle State Apartments.  Each castle room has its own story and its own purpose.  It is decorated just like you would expect a castle would be – lots of gold and other ornate details.  You will see artwork from Peter Paul Rubens, Sir Thomas Lawrence, and Sir Anthony Van Dyke to name a few.  The Windsor Castle paintings collections was quite impressive.

Some of my favorite rooms in Windsor Castle were the Waterloo Chamber, Crimson Drawing Room, Grand Reception Room, and St. George’s Hall.  State Banquets are held in St. George’s Hall at a table that can hold up to 160 guests.  St. George’s Hall sustained significant damage during the fire, but they did a great job restoring it.  They had to totally redo the roof but still kept very true to the spirit of the original design.  

St. George’s Chapel

Finally, you will visit St. George’s Chapel, the church inside Windsor Castle completed in 1484, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married in May 2018.  It wasn’t the first Royal Wedding in St. George’s Chapel.  Prince Charles and Camilla were also married inside.

The roof and stained glass are spectacular, but again photography is not allowed inside this Windsor church.  In addition to being a church with daily services, 10 monarchs are buried here, including Henry VIII, King George VI, and the Queen Mother.  You will find Henry VII’s grave in the St. George’s Chapel Quire.  I was surprised that it wasn’t anything fancy.

The most moving part of the St. George’s Chapel was the memorial to King George IV’s daughter Princess Charlotte who died in childbirth at the age of 21.  The memorial is stunning, all white marble, and so moving because one of the angels is carrying Princess Charlotte’s stillborn son.

The Royal Wedding Exhibition

Meghan Markle’s beautiful wedding dress will be on display along with an identical version of Prince Harry’s frockcoat uniform of the Household Cavalry. The dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller, the British artistic director of the French fashion house Givenchy.  The exhibition, A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will be at Windsor Castle from October 26, 2018, to January 6, 2019.