For many years, Windsor Castle had been on my bucket list and I was finally able to visit it during my 2018 trip. I had been to the town of Windsor twice, including standing across from the castle at a pizza shop, but this was my first time being a proper tourist at the castle.
My mother-in-law, Jan, was my companion for the trip. I had been staying with her at her home in Newbury, (about forty-five minutes from Windsor) and my sister-in-law, Ali, generously drove us to the castle. It was a very wet morning, just a few weeks after the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry to Megan Markle. Wedding decorations still filled the streets of Windsor and I think this lent an air of festiveness to the town. It also meant that there was a lot of security present, so much so, that my family made a comment on it being unusual.
I’m not sure how crowded Windsor Castle normally is, but we waited nearly two hours to get inside. It was jammed. The queue snaked around the town and we got quite soaked from the rain. Thank goodness my mother-in-law, who passed in 2019, was an adventurous spirit and always a good sport about joining me for activities. I have so many great memories of my time with her. One of those memories was from this day and involved carrots. More on that in a minute, here are a few pictures that I took during our time in the queue.
So carrots…during this trip, my mother-in-law received her local farm produce box and it included an abundance of carrots. We basically began to eat carrots for every meal, including one meal that was simply roasted carrots. She brought carrots in her purse for a snack at Windsor Castle and while in the queue, she brought out a full-sized, a straight from the farm carrot and started eating it. I must mention that my mother-in-law was a vegetarian for most of her life and she could be an eccentric personality. She ate half the carrot and stuck the remainder in her coat pocket, forgetting about it.
We continued to make our way to the entrance.
I purchased our tickets, mine was 23.50 and Jan’s ticket (senior discount) was 21.20. We had an audio tour included in the admission price. Jan was not fond of audio tours, so I found myself not using mine either, as I wanted to share the experience with her.
Prior to entering the castle grounds, we had to go through an airport-style security screening. I suspect this is what creates such a long queue and as such, I definitely recommend arriving to Windsor Castle prior to opening. To do it again, I would have arrived an hour before opening.
Jan went through the screening first and they discovered the carrot in her pocket. Instead of throwing it away, she just started eating it, holding up the line. The people behind us were grumpy, but the security guard couldn’t have been more kind. He told her to take her time and that he preferred carrot cake. He gave her a chair to sit on. When she was finished and walked through the screening, he told me that he thought she was fabulous. I felt grateful that he didn't rush us or make Jan feel stressed. it really set the tone for a wonderful visit to Windsor Castle.
The castle grounds are gorgeous. Since we ditched the audio tour, I didn’t know the significance of half of the things that I was looking at, but I admired them all the same. Windsor Castle was built in the 11th century and it is still an active royal residence. It has the distinction of being the oldest and largest occupied castle.
One of the biggest attractions is St. George’s Chapel. Photography is not allowed in the chapel, so I couldn't capture the spectacle and grandeur. It still had decorations from Harry and Megan’s wedding, making it even more spectacular. St. George’s Chapel has held many royal weddings and many members of the royal family are buried inside.
No matter how cold and rainy, ice cream is always a welcomed treat!
We saw plenty of soldiers walking around too. Classic!
We visited the state rooms, the public/ showroom part of the residence and saw Queen Mary’s dollhouse. The state rooms were beautiful, but not necessarily any more memorable than any other palace that I have visited. The impression might have been stronger if I had done the audio tour and had context.
Queen Mary’s dollhouse was amazing. It was also what had made the biggest impression on Jan, when she had visited Windsor Castle many years ago. Built in the 1920’s, the dollhouse is magnificent. This is not a child’s dollhouse, but a one-of-a-kind collectible that was created from the talents of many artisans. It is massive ( the largest dollhouse in the world) and multilevel, showing both the servants and masters living spaces. No detail is left out and it even has both electricity and running water. It is absolutely stunning.
The exterior of the castle was being renovated, but a clever facade kept it semi-concealed.
Our last stop was the Middle Ward Shop, where I purchased a commemorative Harry and Megan heart- shaped Christmas ornament. My husband is from England and I’m American, so we get a kick out of the Harry/Megan, British/American connection. In London, we bought a royal wedding commemorative plate and flag. We have created a Harry and Megan display on our bookshelf.
We spent two hours at Windsor Castle (not including the time spent in the queue) and we could have easily spent double the amount of time. I look forward to returning and doing the audio tour.
Across the street from the castle, we found The Duchess of Cambridge Pub and met my sister-in-law. This is a lovely pub and even though it is named in honor of Prince William’s wife, Kate, it did have decorations to celebrate Harry and Megan.
The town of Windsor is filled with delightful restaurants and shops. I look forward to visiting on a future trip and exploring the area more. If you have young children, Legoland Windsor is a must-do. We visited it twice, when my step-kids were younger and they loved it. Check out my multiple reviews of Legoland Windsor here. Part One, Part Two, Legoland Hotel.