Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire.
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Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire.
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Originally designed to project Norman dominance around 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.
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Windsor Castle was used as a refuge by the royal family during the Luftwaffe bombing campaigns of the Second World War and survived a fire in 1992.
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Windsor Castle grounds cover 13 acres and combines the features of a fortification, a palace, and a small town.
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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.
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Windsor Castle was originally built by William the Conqueror in the decade after the Norman conquest of 1066.
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Windsor Castle was one of Henry's three favourite residences and he invested heavily in the royal accommodation, spending more money at Windsor than in any other of his properties.
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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.
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Windsor Castle continued to be favoured by monarchs in the 15th century, despite increasing political violence.
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Castles such as Windsor did not play a decisive role during the resulting Wars of the Roses, which were fought primarily in the form of pitched battles between the rival factions.
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Windsor Castle built a three-storied tower on the west end of the palace, which he used for his personal apartments.
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The tradition of the Garter Feasts was maintained and became more extravagant; the size of the royal retinue visiting Windsor Castle had to be restricted because of the growing numbers.
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Windsor Castle 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.
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Windsor Castle's conducted some modest building works at Windsor, including a wide range of repairs to the existing structures.
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Windsor Castle's 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.
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The absence of space at Windsor Castle continued to prove problematic, with James' English and Scottish retinues often quarrelling over rooms.
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Windsor Castle was the only royal palace to be successfully fully modernised by Charles II in the Restoration years.
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At Windsor Castle, Charles created "the most extravagantly Baroque interiors ever executed in England".
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In 1788 the king first became ill during a dinner at Windsor Castle; diagnosed as suffering from madness, he was removed for a period to the White House at Kew, where he temporarily recovered.
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Indeed, it has been argued that Windsor reached its social peak during the Victorian era, seeing the introduction of invitations to numerous prominent figures to "dine and sleep" at the castle.
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Victoria took a close interest in the details of how Windsor Castle was run, including the minutiae of the social events.
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Windsor Castle did not benefit from many of the minor improvements of the era as Victoria disliked gaslight, preferring candles; electric lighting was only installed in limited parts of the castle at the end of her reign.
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Queen Mary was a lover of all things miniature, and a famous dolls' house was created for her at Windsor Castle, designed by the architect Edwin Lutyens and furnished by leading craftsmen and designers of the 1930s.
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George V was committed to maintaining a high standard of court life at Windsor Castle, adopting the motto that everything was to be "of the best".
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Windsor Castle continued to spend most of his time at Fort Belvedere in the Great Park, where he had lived whilst Prince of Wales.
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The king and queen drove daily to London, returning to Windsor Castle to sleep, although at the time this was a well-kept secret, as for propaganda and morale purposes it was reported that the king was still residing full-time at Buckingham Palace.
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On 20 November 1992, a major fire occurred at Windsor Castle, lasting for 15 hours and causing widespread damage to the Upper Ward.
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Traditionally, as the property of the Crown, Windsor Castle was maintained, and if necessary repaired, by the British government in exchange for the profits made by the Crown Estate.
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In terms of population, Windsor Castle is the largest inhabited castle in the world and the longest-occupied palace in Europe, but it remains a functioning royal home.
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Windsor Castle had posted a video on the internet threatening to assassinate the Queen.
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