Windsor Through The Ages

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Windsor castle is the largest, and oldest castle still being inhabited today. It has been the royal residence of many queens and kings of England for almost 1000 years. On this page you will learn about the history of Windsor Castle.

Windsor, One Thousand Years of History.

William the Conqueror.William I the Conqueror, also known as William of Normandy, was the builder of Windsor Castle and many other castles In England. He was born in 1028 a.d. and his father was Robert I, Duke of Normandy. When his father died in 1042 William became the 4th duke of Normandy The InvasionIn In the 1050's and early 1060's He became a contender for the throne of England which at that time was being held by Edward the Confessor who had no children and who was William's cousin. It seemed like William was the obvious choice. Suddenly, the English earl, Harold Godwinson II, whom Edward named as king on his death bed in January 1066, gain tremendous support. That was when the outraged William earned the name "The Conqueror." William built a fleet of over a 120 large war ships which he led with over 60,000 men to invade England in September 1066. He defeated and killed Harold at the battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066. After farther military efforts, William was crowned king on Christmas Day, 1066, in London. Several unsuccessful revolutions took place but William kept a strong grip on England. These revolutions were part of the reason why William built 14 castles surrounding London about 25 miles apart from each other. One of them was the Windsor Castle, which is located in Windsor, UK above the Thames River.

Construction through the years.

Windsor Castle started being built in 1070 and was finished 16 years later. The site was chosen because it was right above the Thames River which would make it easier to transport goods to and from the Castle. It was also chosen because it was near hunting grounds. Many different Kings and Queens added different buildings and used Windsor for a variety of purposes since it was constructed almost 1000 years ago.

For the next 150-ish years the purpose of the castle was a military fortification and to guard the western approach to London. In 12th century King Henry II replaced the lumber outer wall with stone to

make it more secure. In 1350 until 1383, Edward III transformed Windsor from a fort into a medieval palace, spending over 12 million dollars in today's money. The work wasn’t finished when Edward III died in 1377, so it continued for another 6 years by his grandson, Richard II.

Besides some minor modernizations and a gate built by Henry VIII, Windsor remained untouched until the mid-16th century. By then, many places in the Castle needed repair. A program was set up by Elizabeth I in 1570 to rebuild and repair many of the original Windsor part. She also built a long art gallery which was added into the Royal Library.

Charles II, made Windsor the grandest Castle in England at the time. He hung many expensive rugs and magnificent tapestries on the interior. He also added many extravagant textiles and art. Charles II made the Castle a modern 17-century royal estate.

In the 1800's, George III and his son, George IV wanted the castle to have a more imposing appearance. They raised the height of the walls and added towers and battlements. They also raised the height of the Round Tower.

So much was done by George the IV that none of his immediate successors had much more to add. Nothing major changed about Windsor until November 20, 1992. Keep on reading to find out what happened in 1992. (🔥)

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Windsor Through The Ages

Windsor, One Thousand Years of History.

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