Our Niche: Engeland (Part 2): WINDSOR CASTLE

After that extensive London sightseeing the day before, the following day our tour started later in the afternoon. It was a Sunday, so we all first heard mass at Fleet. After 2 years of attending the eucharist celebration in Dutch, it was a beautiful feeling to have heard the mass in English. Though faith should transcend the barriers of language, still, it makes a difference if you can sing the hymns and not looking like Mr. Bean singing the "Hallelujah" :)

Anyway, after the mass and after meeting some Filipinos in the area, we headed for Sunday brunch. Then, Zach drove us to the train station (he needed to work that day), and off we went to our next destination: WINDSOR CASTLE

The "largest inhabited castle in the world", a Royal home and fortress for over 900 years, the Windsor Castle is a very popular tourist destination and indeed well worth a visit. It is very accessible and traveling to Windsor from London by train is quite convenient...

August 24 Images (click on pictures for larger view):

At the Castle's entrance

"Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation. The castle's floor area is approximately 484,000 square feet (about 45,000 square metres).

Together with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, it is one of the principal official residences of the British monarch. Queen Elizabeth II spends many weekends of the year at the castle, using it for both state and private entertaining. Her other two residences, Sandringham House and Balmoral Castle, are the Royal Family's private homes. Most of the Kings and Queens of England, later Kings and Queens of Great Britain, and later still kings and queens of the Commonwealth realms, have had a direct influence on the construction and evolution of the castle, which has been their garrison fortress, home, official palace, and sometimes their prison." (Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_castle)

The entrance fee already includes the audio guide (available in several languages), to provide you with commentaries during your self-guided tour...Luvv-ley!

Audio Guide: "From this spot, you get a spppplllenddid view of "The Round Tower of Windsor Castle". Pause here and take a photograph...

(Apparently, the other couple were on the same part of the audio commentary...Yorrs nami na tani ang picture pru)

The Round Tower of Windsor Castle
*Though far from "cylindrical", this seemingly round structure is the castle's highly visible landmark

*The castle is strategically perched on top of a hill. This location was chosen by William the Conqueror, who considered it an excellent spot as it sat high above the Thames River and close to a vast Saxon hunting grounds. It's location provides easy defense from any invaders from the west. Should they manage to get through the Tower of London, it's still a day's march from there to the Castle, giving the castle sentinels enough time to spot any approaching enemies.

*However despite it's heavy fortifications, it is said that Aaron Barschak, a self-styled comedy "terrorist", managed to breach security and gate-crashed a party for Prince William.

Windsor offers several tourist attractions. Among those accessible to visitors are: Queen Mary's dollhouse, the royal Drawings Gallery, and the fourteenth century St. George's Chapel (with specific visiting times) —the burial place of ten past sovereigns and the destination of many royal weddings.

Though there was a long queue for Queen Mary's dollhouse, we decided to still see it as it seemed very interesting. After all, it's not just a collection of "dolls", but a showcase of real artisan's craftsmanship. A miniature representation of how the "royals might have lived" ...

"Queen Mary's Dolls' House is a magnificent dollhouse built in the early 1920s, completed in 1924, for Queen Mary, the wife of King George V of the United Kingdom. The idea for building the dollhouse originally came from the queen's cousin, Princess Marie Louise, who discussed her idea with one of the top architects of the time, Sir Edwin Lutyens at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition of 1921. Sir Edwin agreed to construct the dollhouse and began preparations. Princess Marie Louise had many connections in the arts and arranged for the top artists and craftsmen of the time to contribute their special abilities to the house. As a result, the dollhouse has an amazing collection of miniature items that actually work. It was created as a gift to Queen Mary from the people, and to serve as an historical document on how a royal family might live during that period in England. It showcased the very finest and most modern goods of the period. Later the dollhouse was put on display to raise funds for the queen's charities. It was originally exhibited at the British Empire Exhibition, 1924/5, and is now on display in Windsor Castle, at Windsor, Berkshire, England as a tourist attraction, especially to people with an interest in miniature houses and furniture." (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Mary's_Dolls'_House)

Pictures were not allowed inside the castle, so I grabbed some photos published in the web:
All dollhouse pictures are from this page:

Indeed an amazing collection of miniature items that "actually work"!!! Hmmm, an O.C.'s pasttime!!!

The Doll House being packed up for transport in 1924

"The front foyer here has working chandeliers and the grandfather clock chimes on the hour."

The dining room

The crown jewels and silver

I think most of the visitors were so impressed with the very detailed workmanship and spent a great amount of time just marveling at the pieces on display.... "Ladies and Gentlemen, there's more to see in the castle, please proceed to the next rooms, we are closing in an hour...."
Hahaha, to which we gladly obliged!

Of course we didn't want to miss seeing the grandiose drawing rooms.
Again, photography was not allowed inside, so take my word for it, it was impressive!!! The interiors have been magnificently restored, that it is less obvious to the visitor that the castle survived a fire in 1992. The St. George's Hall, was spectacular! Thanks to the audio guide, we were "walked through" the other rooms/chambers of the castle: where "knightings" took place, the chamber where the King used to "wake up and do about with his morning routine" for public viewing (really, they had such tradition! Big Brother?), the chapel, dining room, etc.

St. George's Hall
The Royal Collection © 2008,
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Photographer: Mark Fiennes

The Crimson Drawing Room
The Royal Collection © 2008,
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Photographer: Mark Fiennes

After our tour inside the castle, we went to St. George's Chapel. However it was no longer open to visitors that time of day...

In front of the Chapel

"St George's Chapel was begun by Edward IV (r. 1461-70 and 1471-83) and completed by Henry VIII. It is dedicated to the patron saint of the Order of the Garter, Britain's highest order of chivalry, and ranks among the finest examples of late medieval architecture in Western Europe. Ten British monarchs lie buried in the chapel: Edward IV, Henry VI, Henry VIII, Charles I, George III, George IV, William IV, Edward VII, George V and George VI." (More info here)