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109-422: The Coronation Concert was a British music concert, held outside Windsor Castle on 7 May 2023, in celebration of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla . The concert, which was attended by 20,000 members of the public, took place between 20:30 and 22:04 ( BST ) and was hosted by actor Hugh Bonneville . The Prince of Wales paid tribute to his father in a short speech. The "Coronation Concert"
218-462: A blue whale , a bumblebee , a butterfly , a heron and a rabbit . The concert performances, in order, were: Overnight viewing figures indicated the concert had an average audience of 10.1 million, peaking at 12.3 million. Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire , about 25 miles (40 km) west of central London. It
327-542: A "place amongst the greatest European palaces". At the heart of Windsor Castle is the Middle Ward, a bailey formed around the motte or artificial hill in the centre of the ward. The motte is 50 feet (15 m) high and is made from chalk originally excavated from the surrounding ditch. The keep , called the Round Tower, on the top of the motte is based on an original 12th-century building, extended upwards in
436-471: A "vastly inflated" scale. Investigations after the 1992 fire have shown though that many Rococo features of the modern castle, originally thought to have been 18th-century fittings transferred from Carlton House or France, are in fact 19th-century imitations in plasterwork and wood, designed to blend with original elements. The Grand Reception Room is the most prominent of these Rococo designs, 100 feet (30 m) long and 40 feet (12 m) tall and occupying
545-713: A classical statue. In 1642 the English Civil War broke out, dividing the country into the Royalist supporters of Charles, and the Parliamentarians . In the aftermath of the battle of Edgehill in October, Parliament became concerned that Charles might advance on London. John Venn took control of Windsor Castle with twelve companies of foot soldiers to protect the route along the Thames river, becoming
654-757: A court along the north side of the Upper Ward. This was intended primarily for the queen and Henry's children. In the Lower Ward, the king ordered the construction of a range of buildings for his own use along the south wall, including a 70 ft (21 m) long chapel, later called the Lady Chapel . This was the grandest of the numerous chapels built for his own use, and comparable to the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris in size and quality. Henry repaired
763-485: A diplomat and Clerk of The King's Works. Windsor Castle continued to be favoured by monarchs in the 15th century, despite increasing political violence. Henry IV seized the castle during his coup in 1399, although failing to catch Richard II , who had escaped to London. Under Henry V , the castle hosted a visit from the Holy Roman Emperor in 1417, a massive diplomatic event that stretched
872-451: A gallery and a new ceiling. A bridge was built over the ditch to the south of the castle to enable easier access to the park. Elizabeth built a gallery range of buildings on the west end of the Upper Ward, alongside Henry VII's tower. Elizabeth increasingly used the castle for diplomatic engagements, but space continued to prove a challenge as the property was simply not as large as the more modern royal palaces. This flow of foreign visitors
981-484: A key medieval route into London, and Windsor Forest , a royal hunting preserve previously used by the Saxon kings. The nearby settlement of Clivore, or Clewer , was an old Saxon residence. The initial wooden castle consisted of a keep on the top of a man-made motte , or mound, protected by a small bailey wall, occupying a chalk inlier , or bluff, rising 100 ft (30 m) above the river. A second wooden bailey
1090-470: A more private Upper Ward and a Lower Ward devoted to the public face of the monarchy. Little further building was carried out at the castle during the 13th century; the Great Hall in the Lower Ward was destroyed by fire in 1296, but it was not rebuilt. Edward III was born at Windsor Castle and used it extensively throughout his reign. In 1344 the king announced the foundation of the new Order of
1199-585: A number of major buildings enclosed by the upper bailey wall, forming a central quadrangle. The State Apartments run along the north of the ward, with a range of buildings along the east wall, and the private royal apartments and the King George IV Gate to the south, with the Edward III Tower in the south-west corner. The motte and the Round Tower form the west edge of the ward. A bronze statue of Charles II on horseback sits beneath
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#17327801550951308-514: A palace, and a small town. The present-day castle was created during a sequence of phased building projects, culminating in the reconstruction work after a fire in 1992 . It is in essence a Georgian and Victorian design based on a medieval structure, with Gothic features reinvented in a modern style. Since the 14th century, architecture at the castle has attempted to produce a contemporary reinterpretation of older fashions and traditions, repeatedly imitating outmoded or even antiquated styles. As
1417-400: A private formal rose garden, first laid out by George IV in the 1820s. The present garden was updated by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, after it was used for victory garden production during World War II, tended in part by Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret. In 2020 it was announced that for a limited time the garden would be open to the public for the first time in 40 years. Traditionally
1526-495: A result, architect Sir William Whitfield has pointed to Windsor Castle's architecture as having "a certain fictive quality", the Picturesque and Gothic design generating "a sense that a theatrical performance is being put on here", despite late 20th century efforts to expose more of the older structures to increase the sense of authenticity. Although there has been some criticism, the castle's architecture and history lends it
1635-479: A royal residence. The early Norman kings preferred to use the former palace of Edward the Confessor in the village of Old Windsor . The first king to use Windsor Castle as a residence was Henry I , who celebrated Whitsuntide at the castle in 1110 during a period of heightened insecurity. Henry's marriage to Adela , the daughter of Godfrey of Louvain , took place in the castle in 1121. During this period
1744-474: A spoken-word piece that was performed by actor James Nesbitt at the Coronation Concert , to mark the coronation of Charles III and Camilla . Nagra married a woman he met at university, not long after they graduated. The marriage produced a daughter, but the couple divorced, at Nagra's behest. Subsequently, Nagra met and married his current wife Katherine, with whom he has two daughters. During
1853-485: Is a contributor to BBC radio , and in October 2015, he became the first poet in residence for BBC Radio 4 . He was succeeded in this role by Alice Oswald . Nagra has written articles for The Financial Times , The Guardian , The Observer , The Times of India . He teaches English at Brunel University . In 2017, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature . His poem "Singh Song!"
1962-708: Is considered by historian John Robinson to be "one of the supreme achievements of English Perpendicular Gothic" design. At the east end of St George's Chapel is the Lady Chapel, originally built by Henry III in the 13th century and converted into the Albert Memorial Chapel between 1863 and 1873 by George Gilbert Scott . Built to commemorate the life of Prince Albert , the ornate chapel features lavish decoration and works in marble, glass mosaic and bronze by Henri de Triqueti , Susan Durant , Alfred Gilbert and Antonio Salviati . The east door of
2071-533: Is guarded by the Norman Gatehouse. This gatehouse , which, despite its name, dates from the 14th century, is heavily vaulted and decorated with carvings, including surviving medieval lion masks , traditional symbols of majesty, to form an impressive entrance to the Upper Ward. Wyatville redesigned the exterior of the gatehouse, and the interior was later heavily converted in the 19th century for residential use. The Upper Ward of Windsor Castle comprises
2180-703: Is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family , and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history . The original castle was built in the 11th century, after the Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror . Since the time of Henry I (who reigned 1100–1135), it has been used by the reigning monarch and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe. The castle's lavish early 19th-century state apartments were described by
2289-576: Is the largest green-oak structure built since the Middle Ages, and is decorated with brightly coloured shields celebrating the heraldic element of the Order of the Garter ; the design attempts to create an illusion of additional height through the gothic woodwork along the ceiling. The Lantern Lobby used to welcome guests features flowing oak columns forming a vaulted ceiling, imitating an arum lily , and
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#17327801550952398-600: Is where the pre-fire chapel built for Queen Victoria was located. The new Private Chapel is relatively intimate, only able to fit thirty worshippers, but combines architectural elements of the St George's Hall roof with the Lantern Lobby and the stepped arch structure of the Henry VIII chapel vaulting at Hampton Court . The result is an "extraordinary, continuous and closely moulded net of tracery", complementing
2507-866: The New Yorker , Atlantic Review , The London Review of Books , The Times Literary Supplement , Poetry Review , Poetry London , Poetry International , The Rialto and The North . Nagra has been on the Board of the Poetry Book Society and the Poetry Archive . He has judged the 2008 Samuel Johnson Prize , the Guardian First Book Award 2008, the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2008,
2616-540: The Frogmore estate. The Long Walk, a double lined avenue of trees, runs for 2.65 miles (4.26 km) south of the castle, and is 240 ft (73 m) wide. The original 17th century elms were replaced with alternating chestnut and plane trees. The impact of Dutch elm disease led to large-scale replanting after 1945. The Home Park adjoins the northern edge of the more extensive Windsor Great Park , occupying some 5,000 acres (2,020 ha) and including some of
2725-524: The Luftwaffe bombing campaigns of the Second World War . An extensive restoration of several state rooms took place after the castle survived a fire in 1992 . It is a popular tourist attraction, a venue for hosting state visits , and was the main residence of Elizabeth II from 2011 to 2022. Windsor Castle grounds cover 13 acres (5.3 hectares) and combines the features of a fortification,
2834-859: The National Poetry Competition 2009, the 2010 Manchester Poetry Prize . and the Costa Book Award poetry category and overall winner in 2012. He has also hosted the T. S. Eliot Poetry Readings 2009. He was the Keats House Poet-In-Residence from July 2014 to June 2015, and he was an Eton College Wisdom Scholar in November 2014. Nagra has acted as the Lead Poetry Tutor at the Faber Academy and has run workshops internationally. He
2943-565: The Royal Shakespeare Company , the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Art also performed together with actors Ncuti Gatwa and Mei Mac and ballet dancers Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé . Spoken word performances on the night were delivered by designer Stella McCartney and actor James Nesbitt , the latter reading a spoken word piece written for the occasion by Daljit Nagra , Chair of
3052-555: The Royal Society of Literature . Freya Ridings pulled out of the concert due to illness and was replaced by Zak Abel. During the performance of the Simple Minds song " Don't You (Forget About Me) ", by Alexis Ffrench and Zak Abel, colourful drone displays took place above the stage at Windsor and at other venues across the country. The drones formed together to create different animals and moments in nature, including
3161-762: The 1820s originals, both on the grounds of modern taste and cost. Wyatville's design retains three rooms originally built by May in the 17th century in partnership with the painter Antonio Verrio and carver Grinling Gibbons . The Queen's Presence Chamber, the Queen's Audience Chamber and the King's Dining Room are designed in a Baroque, Franco-Italian style, characterised by "gilded interiors enriched with florid murals", first introduced to England between 1648 and 1650 at Wilton House . Verrio's paintings are "drenched in medievalist allusion" and classical images. These rooms were intended to show an innovative English "baroque fusion" of
3270-606: The 1820s, the result remains "one of the greatest set-pieces of Regency decoration". The White, Green and Crimson Drawing Rooms include a total of 62 trophies : carved, gilded wooden panels illustrating weapons and the spoils of war, many with Masonic meanings. Restored or replaced after the fire, these trophies are famous for their "vitality, precision and three-dimensional quality", and were originally brought from Carlton House in 1826, some being originally imported from France and others carved by Edward Wyatt. The soft furnishings of these rooms, although luxurious, are more modest than
3379-531: The English abbeys. Water was piped into the Upper Ward to create a fountain. Mary also expanded the buildings used by the Knights of Windsor in the Lower Ward, using stone from Reading Abbey . Elizabeth I spent much of her time at Windsor Castle and used it a safe haven in crises, "knowing it could stand a siege if need be". Ten new brass cannons were purchased for the castle's defence. It became one of her favourite locations and she spent more money on
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3488-649: The Frog , Miss Piggy , Sir Tom Jones , Hugh Jackman , Alan Titchmarsh , Richard E. Grant , Pierce Brosnan , Bear Grylls , Dynamo , Tracey Emin , Giovanna Fletcher , and Oti Mabuse appeared in a series of pre-recorded sketches and segments. In addition to performances by singers, musicians, and stage and screen actors, the show also featured the 300-voice "Coronation Choir", mentored by Gareth Malone , composed of community choirs and amateur singers such as refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups, and deaf signing choirs. The Royal Ballet , The Royal Opera ,
3597-462: The Great Hall that lay along the north side of the Lower Ward, and enlarged it with a new kitchen and built a covered walkway between the Hall and the kitchen. Henry's work was characterised by the religious overtones of the rich decorations, which formed "one of the high-water marks of English medieval art". The conversion cost more than £10,000. The result was to create a division in the castle between
3706-467: The King's Chamber in the palace, and had the roof of the Great Kitchen rebuilt in 1489. He also built a three-storied tower on the west end of the palace, which he used for his personal apartments. Windsor began to be used for international diplomatic events, including the grand visit of Philip I of Castile in 1506. William de la Pole , one of the surviving Yorkist claimants to the throne,
3815-482: The Lower Ward is St George's Chapel. This huge building is the spiritual home of the Order of the Garter and dates from the late 15th and early 16th century, designed in the Perpendicular Gothic style. The ornate wooden choir stalls are of 15th century design, having been restored and extended by Henry Emlyn at the end of the 18th century, and are decorated with a unique set of brass plates showing
3924-522: The Round Table at the castle. Edward began to construct a new building in the castle to host this order, but it was never finished. Chroniclers described it as a round building, 200 ft (61 m) across, and it was probably in the centre of the Upper Ward. Shortly afterwards, Edward abandoned the new order for reasons that remain unclear, and instead established the Order of the Garter , again with Windsor Castle as its headquarters, complete with
4033-726: The Round Tower. Inspired by Hubert Le Sueur 's statue of Charles I in London, the statue was cast by Josias Ibach in 1679, with the marble plinth featuring carvings by Grinling Gibbons . The Upper Ward adjoins the North Terrace, which overlooks the River Thames , and the East Terrace, which overlooks the Home Park; both of the current terraces were constructed by Hugh May in the 17th century. The East Terrace has
4142-613: The Smith/Doorstop Books Pamphlet Competition, leading to the publication of his Oh MY Rub! , which was the Poetry Book Society 's first PBS Pamphlet Choice. In 2004, he won the Forward Poetry Prize for best single poem for "Look We Have Coming to Dover!". His debut book-length collection, which takes the same title, was published in 2007, when it received extremely positive reviews and was featured on television and radio, including
4251-633: The State Apartments as "a superb and unrivalled sequence of rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste." Others, such as architect Robin Nicolson and critic Hugh Pearman , have described them as "bland" and "distinctly dull". Wyatville's most famous work are those rooms designed in a Rococo style. These rooms take the fluid, playful aspects of this mid-18th century artistic movement, including many original pieces of Louis XV style , but project them on
4360-502: The State Apartments was mostly designed by Wyatville in the early 19th century. Wyatville intended each room to illustrate a particular architectural style and to display the matching furnishings and fine arts of the period. With some alterations over the years, this concept continues to dominate the apartments. Different rooms follow the Classical , Gothic and Rococo styles, together with an element of Jacobethan in places. Many of
4469-698: The UK by private jet. The concert featured performances from artists including The Household Division Orchestra of the British Army conducted by Lt Col David Barringer MVO MBE, Katy Perry , Lionel Richie , Andrea Bocelli , Sir Bryn Terfel , Alexis Ffrench , Zak Abel , Take That featuring Robin Schulz and Calum Scott , Paloma Faith , Tiwa Savage , Steve Winwood , Lang Lang , Nicole Scherzinger , Olly Murs , Pete Tong , and Sonam Kapoor . Tom Cruise , Dame Joan Collins , Winnie-the-Pooh , Piglet , Kermit
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4578-417: The Upper Ward are characterised by the use of small bits of flint in the mortar for galletting , originally started at the castle in the 17th century to give stonework from disparate periods a similar appearance. The skyline of the Upper Ward is designed to be dramatic when seen from a distance or silhouetted against the horizon, an image of tall towers and battlements influenced by the picturesque movement of
4687-425: The Upper Ward was judged to be "to all intents and purposes a nineteenth century creation ... the image of what the early nineteenth-century thought a castle should be", as a result of the extensive redesign of the castle by Wyatville under George IV . The walls of the Upper Ward are built of Bagshot Heath stone faced on the inside with regular bricks, the gothic details in yellow Bath stone . The buildings in
4796-532: The accommodation rather than the defences. The castle played a role during the revolt of the English barons : the castle was besieged in 1214, and John used the castle as his base during the negotiations before the signing of Magna Carta at nearby Runnymede in 1215. In 1216 the castle was besieged again by baronial and French troops under the command of the Count of Nevers , but John's constable , Engelard de Cigogné , successfully defended it. The damage done to
4905-476: The arms of the Knights of the Garter over the last six centuries. On the west side, the chapel has a grand Victorian door and staircase, used on ceremonial occasions. The east stained glass window is Victorian, and the oriel window to the north side of it was built by Henry VIII for Catherine of Aragon . The vault in front of the altar houses the remains of Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and Charles I , with Edward IV buried nearby. The chapel
5014-484: The art historian Hugh Roberts as "a superb and unrivalled sequence of rooms widely regarded as the finest and most complete expression of later Georgian taste". Inside the castle walls is the 15th-century St George's Chapel , considered by the historian John Martin Robinson to be "one of the supreme achievements of English Perpendicular Gothic " design. Originally designed to project Norman dominance around
5123-536: The attendant Poor Knights of Windsor . As part of this process Edward decided to rebuild Windsor Castle, in particular Henry III's palace, in an attempt to construct a castle that would be symbolic of royal power and chivalry. Edward was influenced both by the military successes of his grandfather, Edward I, and by the decline of royal authority under his father, Edward II, and aimed to produce an innovative, "self-consciously aesthetic, muscled, martial architecture". Edward placed William of Wykeham in overall charge of
5232-670: The building in 1871 and little of the original structure remains. Other ranges originally built by Edward III sit alongside the Horseshoe, featuring stone perpendicular tracery . As of 2011, they are used as offices, a library and as the houses for the Dean and Canons . Behind the Horseshoe Cloister is the Curfew Tower, one of the oldest surviving parts of the Lower Ward and dating from the 13th century. The interior of
5341-531: The castle during the second siege was immediately repaired in 1216 and 1221 by Cigogné on behalf of John's successor Henry III , who further strengthened the defences. The walls of the Lower Ward were rebuilt in stone, complete with a gatehouse in the location of the future Henry VIII Gate, between 1224 and 1230. Three new towers, the Curfew, Garter and the Salisbury towers, were constructed. The Middle Ward
5450-634: The castle's accommodation to its limits. By the middle of the 15th century England was increasingly divided between the rival royal factions of the Lancastrians and the Yorkists . Castles such as Windsor did not play a decisive role during the resulting Wars of the Roses (1455–1485), which were fought primarily in the form of pitched battles between the rival factions. Henry VI , born at Windsor Castle and known as Henry of Windsor, became king at
5559-568: The castle's parapet wall and featured multiple levels and four catwalks. The overall shape resembled that of an abstracted Union Jack . A halo-like screen was placed above the main stage, enveloping the roof, which symbolised the Crown protecting the nation. It was reported that all the acts performed "for free". BBC studios provided a hair and make-up team, but those artists who wanted to bring their own had to fund them themselves. Both Katy Perry and Lionel Richie were believed to have travelled to
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#17327801550955668-696: The chapel is a range of buildings including the lodgings of the Military Knights , and the residence of the Governor of the Military Knights . These buildings originate from the 16th century and are still used by the Knights, who represent the Order of the Garter each Sunday. On the south side of the Ward is King Henry VIII's gateway, which bears the coat of arms of Catherine of Aragon and forms
5777-451: The chapel, covered in ornamental ironwork, is the original door from 1246. At the west end of the Lower Ward is the Horseshoe Cloister, originally built in 1480, near to the chapel to house its clergy. It houses the vicars-choral, or lay clerks of the chapel. This curved brick and timber building is said to have been designed to resemble the shape of a fetlock , one of the badges used by Edward IV. George Gilbert Scott heavily restored
5886-470: The current design of the state apartments, full of Rococo , Gothic and Baroque furnishings. Queen Victoria made a few minor changes to the castle, which became the centre for royal entertainment for much of her reign. During the First World War , the historic estate inspired the naming of the royal House of Windsor . In the reign of George VI , it was used as a refuge by the royal family during
5995-467: The decade after the Norman conquest of 1066. William established a defensive ring of motte and bailey castles around London; each was a day's march – about 20 miles (32 km) – from the City and from the next castle, allowing for easy reinforcements in a crisis. Windsor Castle, one of this ring of fortifications, was strategically important because of its proximity to both the River Thames ,
6104-472: The early 19th century under architect Jeffry Wyatville by 30 feet (9.1 m) to produce a more imposing height and silhouette. The interior of the Round Tower was further redesigned in 1991–1993 to provide additional space for the Royal Archives , an additional room being built in the space left by Wyatville's originally hollow extension. The Round Tower is in reality far from cylindrical , due to
6213-485: The end of the war, some 3,580 ounces (101 kg) of gold and silver plate had been looted. Prince Rupert of the Rhine , a prominent Royalist general, attempted to relieve Windsor Castle that November. Rupert's small force of cavalry was able to take the town of Windsor, but was unable to overcome the walls at Windsor Castle – in due course, Rupert was forced to retreat. Over the winter of 1642–1643, Windsor Castle
6322-464: The exception of the Hall, Chapel and the Great Chamber, the new interiors all shared a similar height and width. The defensive features, however, were primarily for show, possibly to provide a backdrop for jousting between the two-halves of the Order of the Garter. Edward built further luxurious, self-contained lodgings for his court around the east and south edges of the Upper Ward, creating
6431-422: The expense of considerably weakening the castle's defences. Early in his reign, Henry had given the eastern Lady Chapel to Cardinal Wolsey for Wolsey's future mausoleum. Benedetto Grazzini converted much of this into an Italian Renaissance design, before Wolsey's fall from power brought an end to the project, with contemporaries estimating that around £60,000 (£295 million in 2008 terms) had been spent on
6540-420: The governor of the castle for the duration of the war. The contents of St George's Chapel were both valuable and, to many Parliamentary forces, inappropriately high church in style. Looting began immediately: Edward IV's bejewelled coat of mail was stolen; the chapel's organs, windows and books destroyed; the Lady Chapel was emptied of valuables, including the component parts of Henry VIII's unfinished tomb. By
6649-404: The hitherto separate arts of architecture, painting and carving. A handful of rooms in the modern State Apartments reflect either 18th-century or Victorian Gothic design. The State Dining Room, for example, whose current design originates from the 1850s but which was badly damaged during the 1992 fire, is restored to its appearance in the 1920s, before the removal of some of the gilded features on
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#17327801550956758-469: The influence of Windsor Castle can easily be seen. The new castle was used to hold French prisoners taken at the Battle of Poitiers in 1357, including King John II , who was held for a considerable ransom . Later in the century, the castle also found favour with Richard II . Richard conducted restoration work on St George's Chapel, the work being carried out by Geoffrey Chaucer , who served as
6867-400: The keep suffered a substantial collapse – archaeological evidence shows that the southern side of the motte subsided by over 6 ft (2 m). Timber piles were driven in to support the motte and the old wooden keep was replaced with a new stone shell keep , with a probable gateway to the north-east and a new stone well. A chemise , or low protective wall, was subsequently added to
6976-465: The keep. Henry II came to the throne in 1154 and built extensively at Windsor between 1165 and 1179. Henry replaced the wooden palisade surrounding the upper ward with a stone wall interspersed with square towers and built the first King's Gate. The first stone keep was suffering from subsidence, and cracks were beginning to appear in the stonework of the south side. Henry replaced the keep with another stone shell keep and chemise wall, but moved
7085-511: The kitchen courtyard. The great hall had numerous large windows looking out across the ward. The range had an unusual, unified roof-line and, with a taller roof than the rest of the palace, would have been highly distinctive. The Rose Tower, designed for the king's private use, set off the west corner of the range. The result was a "great and apparently architecturally unified palace ... uniform in all sorts of ways, as to roof line, window heights, cornice line, floor and ceiling heights". With
7194-591: The last three weeks of his reign; after his execution in January 1649, his body was taken back to Windsor that night through a snowstorm, to be interred without ceremony in the vault beneath St George's Chapel . Daljit Nagra Daljit Nagra MBE FRSL (born 1966 ) is a British poet whose debut collection, Look We Have Coming to Dover! – a title alluding to W. H. Auden 's Look, Stranger! , D. H. Lawrence 's Look! We Have Come Through! and by epigraph also to Matthew Arnold 's " Dover Beach " –
7303-422: The late 18th century. Archaeological and restoration work following the 1992 fire has shown the extent to which the current structure represents a survival of elements from the original 12th-century stone walls onwards, presented within the context of Wyatville's final remodelling. The State Apartments form the major part of the Upper Ward and lie along the north side of the quadrangle. The modern building follows
7412-408: The medieval foundations laid down by Edward III , with the ground floor comprising service chambers and cellars, and the much grander first floor forming the main part of the palace. On the first floor, the layout of the western end of the State Apartments is primarily the work of architect Hugh May , whereas the structure on the eastern side represents Jeffry Wyatville's plans. The interior of
7521-459: The middle of the century, and Edward III went further, rebuilding the palace to make an even grander set of buildings in what would become "the most expensive secular building project of the entire Middle Ages in England". Edward's core design lasted through the Tudor period , during which Henry VIII and Elizabeth I made increasing use of the castle as a royal court and centre for diplomatic entertainment. Windsor Castle survived
7630-420: The modern shape of the quadrangle. The Norman gate was built to secure the west entrance to the Ward. In the Lower Ward, the chapel was enlarged and remodelled with grand buildings for the canons built alongside. The earliest weight-driven mechanical clock in England was installed by Edward III in the Round Tower in 1354. William of Wykeham went on to build New College, Oxford and Winchester College , where
7739-520: The new stained glass windows commemorating the fire, designed by Joseph Nuttgen and Prince Philip . The Great Kitchen, with its newly exposed 14th-century roof lantern sitting alongside Wyatville's fireplaces, chimneys and Gothic tables, is also a product of the reconstruction after the fire. The ground floor of the State Apartments retains various famous medieval features. The 14th-century Great Undercroft still survives, some 193 feet (59 m) long by 31 feet (9.4 m) wide, divided into 13 bays. At
7848-599: The north side of the Upper Ward, called Little Cloister, King's Cloister and the Kitchen Court. At the front of the palace lay the St George's Hall range, which combined a new hall and a new chapel. This range had two symmetrical gatehouses, the Spicerie Gatehouse and the Kitchen Gatehouse. The Spicerie Gatehouse was the main entrance into the palace, while the Kitchen Gatehouse simply led into
7957-402: The oldest broadleaved woodlands in Europe. In the Home Park, to the north of the castle, stands a private school, St George's , which provides choristers to the chapel. Eton College is located about half a mile from the castle, across the River Thames , reflecting the fact that it was a royal foundation of Henry VI . Windsor Castle was originally built by William the Conqueror in
8066-475: The outskirts of London and oversee a strategically important part of the River Thames , Windsor Castle was built as a motte-and-bailey , with three wards surrounding a central mound. Gradually replaced with stone fortifications , the castle withstood a prolonged siege during the First Barons' War at the start of the 13th century. Henry III built a luxurious royal palace within the castle during
8175-541: The pilasters. Anthony Salvin 's Grand Staircase is also of mid-Victorian design in the Gothic style, rising to a double-height hall lit by an older 18th-century Gothic vaulted lantern tower called the Grand Vestibule, designed by James Wyatt and executed by Francis Bernasconi . The staircase has been criticised by historian John Robinson as being a distinctly inferior design to the earlier staircases built on
8284-489: The principal castle gateway in about 1510 and constructed a tennis court at the base of the motte in the Upper Ward. He also built a long terrace, called the North Wharf, along the outside wall of the Upper Ward; constructed of wood, it was designed to provide a commanding view of the River Thames below. The design included an outside staircase into the king's apartments, which made the monarch's life more comfortable at
8393-665: The prominent BBC programme Newsnight Review . Look We Have Coming to Dover! won the 2007 Forward Poetry Prize for best first collection and the South Bank Show Decibel Award . His poem "Look We Have Coming to Dover" (2007), is used in the Edexcel "Poems of the Decade" A-Level qualification. In 2014, he won the Society of Authors Travelling Scholarship Award . His poems have been published in
8502-409: The property than on any of her other palaces. She conducted some modest building works at Windsor, including a wide range of repairs to the existing structures. She converted the North Wharf into a permanent, huge stone terrace, complete with statues, carvings and an octagonal, outdoor banqueting house, raising the western end of the terrace to provide more privacy. The chapel was refitted with stalls,
8611-482: The rebellions and political strife of 1549, Windsor was again used as a safe-haven for the king and the Duke of Somerset . Edward famously commented while staying at Windsor Castle during this period that "Methink I am in a prison, here are no galleries, nor no gardens to walk in". Under both Edward and his sister, Mary I , some limited building work continued at the castle, in many cases using resources recovered from
8720-424: The rebuilding and design of the new castle and while work was ongoing Edward stayed in temporary accommodation in the Round Tower. Between 1350 and 1377 Edward spent £51,000 on renovating Windsor Castle; this was the largest amount spent by any English medieval monarch on a single building operation, and over one and a half times Edward's typical annual income of £30,000. Some of the costs of the castle were paid from
8829-485: The recommended work was carried out. Nonetheless, Charles employed Nicholas Stone to improve the chapel gallery in the Mannerist style and to construct a gateway in the North Terrace. Christian van Vianen, a noted Dutch goldsmith, was employed to produce a baroque gold service for the St George's Chapel altar. In the final years of peace, Charles demolished the fountain in the Upper Ward, intending to replace it with
8938-426: The resulting drunken behaviour of the two kings. The absence of space at Windsor continued to prove problematic, with James' English and Scottish retinues often quarrelling over rooms. Charles I was a connoisseur of art, and paid greater attention to the aesthetic aspects of Windsor Castle than his predecessors. Charles had the castle completely surveyed by a team including Inigo Jones in 1629, but little of
9047-507: The results of ransoms following Edward's victories at the battles of Crécy , Calais and Poitiers . Windsor Castle was already a substantial building before Edward began expanding it, making the investment all the more impressive, and much of the expenditure was lavished on rich furnishings. The castle was "the most expensive secular building project of the entire Middle Ages in England". Edward's new palace consisted of three courts along
9156-424: The rooms on the eastern end of the castle had to be restored following the 1992 fire, using "equivalent restoration" methods – the rooms were restored so as to appear similar to their original appearance, but using modern materials and concealing modern structural improvements. These rooms were also partially redesigned at the same time to more closely match modern tastes. Art historian Hugh Roberts has praised
9265-588: The same site by both Wyatt and May. Some parts of the State Apartments were completely destroyed in the 1992 fire and this area was rebuilt in a style called "Downesian Gothic", named after the architect Giles Downes . The style comprises "the rather stripped, cool and systematic coherence of modernism sewn into a reinterpretation of the Gothic tradition". Downes argues that the style avoids "florid decoration", emphasising an organic, flowing Gothic structure. Three new rooms were built or remodelled by Downes at Windsor. Downes' new hammer-beam roof of St George's Hall
9374-569: The secondary entrance to the castle. Windsor Castle's position on top of steep ground has meant that the castle's gardens are limited in scale. The castle gardens stretch east from the Upper Ward across a 19th-century terrace. Windsor Castle is surrounded by extensive parkland. The immediate area stretching to the east of the castle is a 19th-century creation known as the Home Park . The Home Park includes parkland and two working farms, along with many estate cottages mainly occupied by employees and
9483-405: The shape and structure of the motte beneath it. The current height of the tower has been criticised as being disproportionate to its width; archaeologist Tim Tatton-Brown, for example, has described it as a mutilation of the earlier medieval structure. The western entrance to the Middle Ward is now open, and a gateway leads north from the ward onto the North Terrace. The eastern exit from the ward
9592-470: The similar chapel that Henry VI had ordered to be constructed at nearby Eton College . Richard III made only a brief use of Windsor Castle before his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, but had the body of Henry VI moved from Chertsey Abbey in Surrey to the castle to allow it to be visited by pilgrims more easily. Henry VII made more use of Windsor. In 1488, shortly after succeeding to
9701-440: The site of Edward III's great hall. This room, restored after the fire, includes a huge French Rococo ceiling, characterised by Ian Constantinides, the lead restorer, as possessing a "coarseness of form and crudeness of hand ... completely overshadowed by the sheer spectacular effect when you are at a distance". The room is set off by a set of restored Gobelins French tapestries . Although decorated with less gold leaf than in
9810-542: The size of the royal retinue visiting Windsor had to be restricted because of the growing numbers. During the Pilgrimage of Grace , a huge uprising in the north of England against Henry's rule in 1536, the king used Windsor as a secure base in the south from which to manage his military response. Throughout the Tudor period, Windsor was also used as a safe retreat in the event of plagues occurring in London. Henry rebuilt
9919-439: The throne, he held a massive feast for the Order of the Garter at the castle. He completed the roof of St George's Chapel, and set about converting the older eastern Lady Chapel into a proposed shrine to Henry VI, whose canonisation was then considered imminent. In the event, Henry VI was not canonised and the project was abandoned, although the shrine continued to attract a flood of pilgrims. Henry VII appears to have remodelled
10028-613: The time of the 1992 fire, the Undercroft had been divided into smaller rooms; the area is now opened up to form a single space in an effort to echo the undercrofts at Fountains and Rievaulx Abbeys , although the floor remains artificially raised for convenience of use. The "beautifully vaulted" 14th-century Larderie passage runs alongside the Kitchen Courtyard and is decorated with carved royal roses, marking its construction by Edward III. The Lower Ward lies below and to
10137-417: The tower contains a former dungeon, and the remnants of a sally port , a secret exit for the occupants in a time of siege. The upper storey contains the castle bells placed there in 1478, and the castle clock of 1689. The French-style conical roof is a 19th-century attempt by Anthony Salvin to remodel the tower in the fashion of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc 's recreation of Carcassonne . On the opposite side of
10246-570: The tumultuous period of the English Civil War , when it was used as a military headquarters by Parliamentary forces and a prison for Charles I . At the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Charles II rebuilt much of Windsor Castle with the help of the architect Hugh May , creating a set of extravagant Baroque interiors. After a period of neglect during the 18th century, George III and George IV renovated and rebuilt Charles II's palace at colossal expense, producing
10355-406: The walls in from the edge of the motte to relieve the pressure on the mound, and added massive foundations along the south side to provide additional support. Inside the castle Henry remodelled the royal accommodation. Bagshot Heath stone was used for most of the work, and stone from Bedfordshire for the internal buildings. King John undertook some building works at Windsor, but primarily to
10464-464: The west of the Round Tower, reached through the Norman Gate. Originally largely of medieval design, most of the Lower Ward was renovated or reconstructed during the mid-Victorian period by Anthony Salvin and Edward Blore , to form a "consistently Gothic composition". The Lower Ward holds St George's Chapel and most of the buildings associated with the Order of the Garter. On the north side of
10573-410: The winter, and fences were burned as firewood. In 1647 Charles, then a prisoner of Parliament, was brought to the castle for a period under arrest, before being moved to Hampton Court . In 1648 there was a Royalist plan, never enacted, to seize Windsor Castle. The Parliamentary Army Council moved into Windsor in November and decided to try Charles for treason. Charles was held at Windsor again for
10682-408: The work. Henry continued the project, but it remained unfinished when he himself was buried in the chapel, in an elaborate funeral in 1547. By contrast, the young Edward VI disliked Windsor Castle. Edward's Protestant beliefs led him to simplify the Garter ceremonies, to discontinue the annual Feast of the Garter at Windsor and to remove any signs of Catholic practices with the Order. During
10791-458: The young age of nine months. His long period of minority, coupled with the increasing tensions between Henry's Lancastrian supporters and the Yorkists, distracted attention from Windsor. The Garter Feasts and other ceremonial activities at the castle became more infrequent and less well attended. Edward IV seized power in 1461. When Edward captured Henry's wife, Margaret of Anjou , she
10900-557: Was added to the AQA English Literature GCSE love and relationships poetry specification. Nagra was appointed chair of the Royal Society of Literature in November 2020, taking over from Lisa Appignanesi , who had held the position since 2016. Nagra was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to literature. In 2023, Nagra wrote
11009-794: Was appointed chair of the Royal Society of Literature in November 2020. He is a professor of creative writing at Brunel University London . Daljit Nagra, whose Sikh Punjabi parents came to Britain from India in the late 1950s, was born and grew up in Yiewsley , near London's Heathrow Airport . The family moved to Sheffield in 1982. In 1988, Nagra went to study for a BA and MA in English at Royal Holloway, University of London . Tentatively beginning to write, he later attended poetry workshops, courses and tutorials, receiving feedback from poets including Pascale Petit , Moniza Alvi , John Stammers , Carol Ann Duffy and Jackie Kay , and from 2002, being mentored by Stephen Knights . In 2003, Nagra won
11118-472: Was brought back to be detained at the castle. Edward began to revive the Order of the Garter, and held a particularly lavish feast in 1472. Edward began the construction of the present St. George's Chapel in 1475, resulting in the dismantling of several of the older buildings in the Lower Ward. By building the grand chapel Edward was seeking to show that his new dynasty were the permanent rulers of England, and may also have been attempting to deliberately rival
11227-480: Was captured for the queen's entertainment in William Shakespeare 's play, The Merry Wives of Windsor . James I used Windsor Castle primarily as a base for hunting, one of his favourite pursuits, and for socialising with his friends. Many of these occasions involved extensive drinking sessions, including one with Christian IV of Denmark in 1606 that became infamous across Europe for
11336-420: Was constructed to the east of the keep, forming the later Upper Ward. By the end of the century, another bailey had been constructed to the west, creating the basic shape of the modern castle. In design, Windsor most closely resembled Arundel Castle , another powerful early Norman fortification, but the double bailey design was also found at Rockingham and Alnwick Castle . Windsor was not initially used as
11445-521: Was converted into the headquarters for the Earl of Essex , a senior Parliamentary general. The Horseshoe Cloister was taken over as a prison for captured Royalists, and the resident canons were expelled from the castle. The Lady Chapel was turned into a magazine . Looting by the underpaid garrison continued to be a problem; 500 royal deer were killed across the Windsor Great Park during
11554-413: Was heavily reinforced with a southern stone wall, protected by the new Edward III and Henry III towers at each end. Windsor Castle was one of Henry III's three favourite residences and he invested heavily in the royal accommodation, spending more money at Windsor than in any other of his properties. Following his marriage to Eleanor of Provence , Henry built a luxurious palace in 1240–1263, based around
11663-406: Was held at Windsor Castle 's East Lawn. The BBC produced, staged, and broadcast the event. A national ballot was held between 10 and 28 February to distribute 5,000 pairs of free tickets for the public based on the geographical spread of the UK population. Volunteers from the King and Queen's charities were also among the audience. The event was broadcast in over 100 countries. The stage enveloped
11772-463: Was imprisoned at Windsor Castle during Henry's reign, before his execution in 1513. Henry VIII enjoyed Windsor Castle, as a young man "exercising himself daily in shooting, singing, dancing, wrestling, casting of the bar, playing at the recorders, flute, virginals, in setting of songs and making of ballads". The tradition of the Garter Feasts was maintained and became more extravagant;
11881-543: Was published by Faber in February 2007. Nagra's poems relate to the experience of Indians born in the UK (especially Indian Sikhs ), and often employ language that imitates the English spoken by Indian immigrants whose first language is Punjabi , which some have termed "Punglish". He currently works part-time at JFS School in Kenton , London , and visits schools, universities and festivals where he performs his work. He
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