London
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My single objective today was a day trip outside the city to Windsor / Eaton and a visit to the Royal residence at Windsor Castle.
It was an easy and interesting train ride out and back. The castle is about 20 or so miles outside the city (about the same relationship to London as Versailles is to Paris. This makes sense since in the old days 20 miles was an entire day journey.) William the Conqueror chose the site, high above the River Thames, where he intended to guard the western approaches to the capital.
Windsor
Castle is still an official residence of The Queen and the
largest occupied castle in the world. It has been a royal
palace and fortress for over 900 years. The Castle remains a
working palace today, used frequently by The Queen for State
ceremonies and official entertaining. Much of it is opened as
Royal commitments allow. A portion of the castle was destroyed
by fire in 1992 -- they have been completely restored
including St George's Hall.
Included
in the admission was a guided tour by one of the palace
guards. In addition to the State Apartments with some of
the art from the Royal Collection, including paintings by
Rembrandt, Rubens, Gainsborough there is the extensive suites
of rooms at the heart of the working palace. Outside there
were views of the many defensive works, battlements, moat.
Another
display was Queen Mary's Dolls' House, a miniature mansion
built to perfection in 1/12 scale -- even to the extent that
the electricity, plumbing and the two elevators all work.
Even the tiny books are real. The furniture and other contents
were made by the leading manufacturers of the day.
The
Dolls' House was completed in the early 1920's and presented
to a delighted Queen. The house was exhibited at the British
Empire Exhibition in early 1924 and received great popular
acclaim from the many visitors who saw it.
The dolls house measures 102 inches by 58 inches, and is 60
inches tall.
Also
within the grounds is St George's Chapel, the resting place of
ten sovereigns. Founded by Edward IV in 1475 and completed by
Henry VIII, the Chapel is dedicated to the patron saint of the
Order of the Garter, Britain's highest Order of Chivalry. It
ranks among the finest examples of late medieval architecture
in the United Kingdom. Nearby is the exit gate, King Henry
VIII's gate, named after the builder.
After the tour of the castle I wandered about the lovely rural town of Windsor. Though the main street was 'touristy', the remainder of the town is delightful and quaint. I enjoyed the visit.
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