Windsor Castle was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth II, and she was buried there on September 19, 2022 in the King George VI Memorial Chapel, according to a special ceremony.

It is in this chapel that King George and his wife, the Queen Mother, are buried alongside their youngest daughter, Margaret.

Built by King William I in 1070 (r. 1066-1087), this castle has been restored and redesigned more than once over the centuries.

The castle was built on land leased from a Norman noble, to be a military observation post on the River Thames, and to establish the control of the Normans who invaded England in the 11th century, but the monarchy bought it and became part of the royal property in 1546.


Location and space

The castle - which was badly damaged by a massive fire in 1992 - is located in the county of Berkshire, in southern England, about 32 kilometers (20 miles) west of London, and was the Queen's main weekend resort, as well as her favorite home in her last years.

Windsor Castle is also the final resting place of 12 English and British kings and queens.

Most of them are buried in St. George's Chapel, including Henry VIII, who died in 1547, and Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649.

The King George VI Memorial Chapel - which Queen Elizabeth II ordered in 1962 to build and named after her father - is located near the main complex of St. George's Church.

Windsor Castle - built on the River Thames - is the largest and oldest inhabited castle in the world, where royal families have been inhabited for more than 900 years, and covers an area of ​​about 13 acres (5.2 hectares).

The body of Queen Elizabeth II enters Windsor Castle on September 19, 2022 (Reuters)

Apartments, suites and treasures

The thickness of the outer wall of the castle is about 7 meters, and the castle contains outlets to the river, towers and tunnels, and includes apartments and residential suites for the royal family with about a thousand rooms.

In the 17th century, some apartments inside the castle were opened to the public for the first time, and the first guidebook about it was published in 1749. It now houses a royal library and houses medieval artifacts.

The castle survived the devastation of World War II (1939-1945), and members of the royal family hid in underground dungeons to take cover from the bombing.

During this war, an air raid shelter was added to the castle in the basement, and some treasures were brought there for safekeeping.

The grand kitchen at Windsor Castle is in turn the oldest in the country, having served about 32 kings, and the hours in it are said to be five minutes ahead, to ensure the royal family gets their food on time.