King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla may not stay at Windsor Castle full-time, but it is still considered to be the largest occupied castle in the world.
The monarch and his wife have chosen Clarence House as their primary residence, with plans to move into Buckingham Palace in 2027 following the completion of major reservicing.
Several royal palaces have undergone huge transformations over the years, and the Royal Collection Trust has shared photos showing one of the biggest before-and-afters for Windsor Castle.
“Compare the Norman Gateway at Windsor Castle today with one of Paul Sandby’s paintings from 1770, just before Sir Jeffry Wyatville remodelled it in the 19th century,” the Instagram caption began.
“Did you know that the left turret of the gateway is part of the Royal Library? The library rooms in Windsor Castle hold over 43,000 books, with extensive material on history, biography, geography and literature.
“Don’t forget to look over the wall, seen here on the right-hand side, to admire the beauty of the Moat Garden,” it added.
In the historic painting, the tall wall on the left of the path and the drum tower on the right remain similar to today, but the rest looks very different, with the left-hand tower now boasting different windows and a more uniform structure.
Noting the stark contrast, one fan commented: “OMG! I never knew, although I do prefer how it looks now.”
Castle history
Constructed by William the Conqueror, the 956-year-old property has since been home to around 40 different monarchs.
Built around 1359-1360 by Edward III, the gatehouse serves as the entrance to the Upper Ward. It acted as a state prison until the seventeenth century, but the interior was converted in the nineteenth century, and it is now home to the Lieutenant-Governor of the castle, according to the RCT.
The rest of the castle has also been remodelled many times over the years. On 20 November 1992, a fire ripped through the castle, sadly destroying 115 rooms when a faulty light sparked the inferno.
© Getty ImagesNow, the property boasts around 1,000 rooms and 484,000 square feet of space.
It is not only where Queen Elizabeth spent time with her parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, and sister Princess Margaret as a child, but it has also played host to several key events in her life. These included the nuptials of her grandchildren, Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie, both of which took place in 2018.
In 2011, Queen Elizabeth II made Windsor Castle her main residence, even choosing to spend the COVID-19 pandemic isolating there with Prince Philip. She holds the record for spending the longest time living in the castle.
Read the full article here
