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Biggest Fortress A Guide to Windsor Castle
If you think your house has a lot of "character" (which is usually code for leaky pipes and a drafty window), wait until you see Windsor Castle. It is the ultimate "fixer-upper" that’s been in the same family for nearly 1,000 years, and it’s the place where the British Monarchy goes when they need to get away from the "cramped" 20-room apartments of London.
Welcome to the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world—or, as the late Queen Elizabeth II called it, "home."
Most people have a spare room for hobbies. The royals have a 13-acre complex. Windsor is essentially a fortified small town. It has its own chapel, its own post office, its own police station, and a wine cellar that holds about 18,000 bottles.
It’s the perfect place for the Prince and Princess of Wales (who live just down the road at Adelaide Cottage) to pop over for Sunday lunch—assuming they can find their way through the 1,000 rooms. If you want to visit Windsor, you have to contend with the Long Walk. It’s a perfectly straight, three-mile avenue leading up to the castle. It’s magnificent for photos, but it’s basically nature’s way of saying, "Are you sure you’re invited? Because you’ve got about 45 minutes of walking left to change your mind." Windsor is famous for its secret tunnels. There is a hidden passage beneath a rug in one of the offices that leads to a stone staircase, allowing the royals to slip out into the gardens or escape an invading army (or just a particularly boring dinner guest). Windsor Castle is where the monarchy keeps its "good china" and its deepest history. It’s a fortress, a palace, and a burial site all rolled into one. It’s been survived by fires, sieges, and a thousand years of family drama—making your neighbor’s loud lawnmower seem pretty tame by comparison.
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