We were fortunate to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary earlier this month with a family trip to the land of my birth, staying at a pretty little cottage within walking distance of the town of Windsor and its royal castle. There is a great deal of English and world history around this location, but it also has an important place in my personal life. I visited, played and shopped there frequently during the first 40 years of my life, and it is where my husband and I had our first date in the mid-1990s. Sadly, that nice Thai restaurant has turned into a pizza joint, but we bored our grandchildren with stories about it anyway. I assumed that would be my first and only date with this big American, who not only was a “foreigner” but had teenage children to boot! But there I was, back as a Coastal Georgia Grandma playing tour guide to my granddaughters over 30 years later.
Windsor began as a Saxon village on the River Thames in Medieval times. The name Windsor can be traced back to the 9th century and is likely derived from the Old English words for “wind” and “shore”. The town grew because of its advantageous position as it was close to midway between London and Oxford in the heart of England.
Windsor became more prominent after the French Normans defeated the English in 1066 and William The Conqueror took control of England.
William could take any property he wanted and chose to build a new castle in this attractive town as part of his strategic network of fortifications.
King Henry I was the first monarch to use Windsor Castle as a royal residence in the early 12th century and began centuries of enhancements and construction. Edward III’s reign in the 14th century saw the construction of St. George’s Chapel and the establishment of the Order of the Garter, cementing Windsor Castle’s status as a center of chivalry and knighthood.
That chapel has witnessed numerous royal weddings, funerals, and ceremonies, making it a place of profound historical and cultural significance. The Tudor monarchs maintained Windsor Castle as an important royal residence but during the English Civil War in the mid-17th century the castle was seized by Parliamentary forces and used as a military headquarters and prison. Following the war, the castle fell into a state of disrepair, but with the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, King Charles II undertook extensive renovations to return Windsor Castle to its former glory.
During the Georgian era, King George III and his wife, Queen Charlotte, made Windsor their principal residence.
Queen Victoria ruled for more than 60 years during the 19th century, and her husband Prince Albert loved the castle.
Their restorations ensured that Windsor Castle was a comfortable residence for their large family, and it has since remained a primary focal point for the Royal Family.
Windsor Castle inspired the naming of the House of Windsor which was founded on July 17, 1917. King George V changed the name of the royal house from the very-Germanic “Saxe-Coburg and Gotha” to the very English “Windsor” due to anti-German sentiment created by the First World War. Since then, there have been five British monarchs of the House of Windsor: King George V, King Edward VIII, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II and now King Charles III.
As a child, Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Margaret were evacuated to Windsor Castle during the Second World War, along with the Crown Jewels and other important artifacts, to escape the London bombings. The late Queen became very attached to this royal residence and I remember the news coverage of the Queen’s distress in 1992 when Windsor Castle experienced a devastating fire. Fortunately, most of the valuable artwork and furniture were carried out of the building in time by local townspeople. There are some amazing photographs on display of normal, everyday people risking life and limb to pass priceless artworks out of high windows and down to the street! It took five years and a great deal of money to restore the castle, and was funded in large part by Queen Elizabeth II paying tax on her income for the first time.
In recent decades, Windsor Castle has been the site of numerous significant events, including the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018 and the funeral of Prince Philip in 2021. In 2022, the heir to the throne Prince William and Princess Catherine relocated their family from Central London to a house within the grounds of Windsor Castle. And most recently, the late Queen Elizabeth II was buried at St. George’s Chapel within the grounds of Windsor Castle in 2023.
There is a lot more information at www.history.com and www.Britannica. com I will leave you with a quote by the late Queen Elizabeth II from a speech marking the 40th year of her reign: “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an ‘Annus Horribilis’.” Not only did she have to deal with the fire at Windsor Castle, but it was also the year when the marriages of three of her four children ended with lots of scandal and gossip in the media. However, she survived 1992 and went on to extend her reign another 30 great years. Her positive spirit and resolve continue to live on in Windsor Castle today.
God Bless America, and I suggest you go see Windsor Castle!
Lesley grew up in London, England and made Georgia her home in 2009. She can be contacted at lesley@francis.com or via her full-service marketing agency at www. lesleyfrancispr.com.