10 Interesting Facts About the Windsor Castle in England

Believe it or not, more than 10 monarchs have been buried in Windsor Castle! The court convicted Charles I of treason in 1649 and he was beheaded at Whitehall Palace. The Parliament ordered him to be buried without “pomp or noise”. His body rests in Henry VIII’s burial vault in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Other royals buried there include Edward IV, Henry VIII (with his wife Jane Seymour), and even the late Queen Elizabeth II herself.

Imagine a dollhouse fit for royalty! That's exactly what Queen Mary’s Doll’s House is — the world's biggest and most incredible miniature mansion. Built in the 1920s by architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll, this dollhouse has running water, electricity, working toilets, elevators, and even a 1,200-piece wine cellar stocked with wine and beer. This mini-mansion has its own library with real books by authors like Rudyard Kipling and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Believe it or not, the royal family’s former name used to be a bit of a mouthful — Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. During World War I, having a German last name was problematic. That's why, in 1919, the royal family adopted the name Windsor, inspired by the castle itself. Windsor actually comes from an old English word ‘Windlesoren’ which means ‘winch by the riverbank’.

Built as a fortress first and foremost, this castle has withstood its fair share of attacks. Back in the 11th century, the guards were on high alert at all times, ready to rain down boiling oil and heavy stones on any intruders! History buffs will love this fact: During the Barons' War in the 1200s, the castle held strong for a whole two months under siege!

Unlike many other buildings in Britain that got bombed during the war, Windsor Castle remained strangely untouched because Adolf Hitler wanted to occupy this space as his British home. Knowing this, the royals hid at Windsor instead of Buckingham Palace. The young princesses, including the future Queen Elizabeth II, had to sleep in the dungeon reinforced for safety.

Windsor Castle has had interesting residents over the years. One such resident was James Holman, a 19th-century explorer who could put Marco Polo, James Cook, and Ibn Battuta to shame, armed only with his iron-tipped walking stick and his experience in the army. This blind traveler explored the world solo, without ever seeing it. When he wasn't busy conquering continents, Holman lived at Windsor Castle as a Knight of Windsor.

Windsor Castle has the oldest working kitchen in the entire UK, whipping up meals since the 1360s, under King Edward III's reign. That's over 750 years of feeding hungry royals and their guests! Rumour has it Prince Albert himself brought in the first-ever gas range here in 1890. The clocks were always set five minutes ahead so that Queen Elizabeth II was always served on time.

Windsor Castle is like a giant art museum on top of being a royal residence! In addition to the Royal Library, there are a whole bunch of famous paintings hanging on their walls, including An Old Woman *by Rembrandt (c. 1609 CE), *Holy Family with Saint Francis by Rubens (c. 1630 CE), and Charles I in Three Positions by Van Dyck (c. 1635 CE). The castle also has a bunch of paintings by Canaletto, a famous artist known for his incredibly detailed views of cities.

Back in November 1992, a massive fire ripped through the castle for 15 hours! It started in a private chapel and spread, damaging the northeast corner of the Upper Ward. The fire destroyed the Grand Reception Room and even Saint George's Hall. Thanks to a ton of repairs, they were able to restore it to its former glory.