Windsor Castle history covers almost a thousand years, from a Norman fortress to the royal home you can tour today, and the dates are easier to remember in a table. This page gives a timeline, the story by period and a numbered list of facts, each with its source: Wikipedia and Wikidata. I give figures as those sources give them, and where they differ I say so. If you are ready to go in, my page on tickets for Windsor Castle compares the options.
Windsor Castle History Timeline
Year
What happened
After 1066
William the Conqueror commissions the castle in the decade after the Norman Conquest
1110
Henry I celebrates Whitsuntide there, the first king to use it as a residence
1165 to 1179
Henry II orders extensive building, including a stone shell keep
1224 to 1230
The Lower Ward walls are rebuilt in stone
1240 to 1263
Henry III commissions a luxurious palace
1344
Edward III announces the Order of the Round Table
1350 to 1377
Edward III spends £51,000 on renovation
1475
Edward IV begins St George’s Chapel
1547
Henry VIII is buried in the chapel
1642
Parliament takes control of the castle in the Civil War
1647 to 1649
Charles I is held at the castle
1660
At the Restoration, Charles II has much of it rebuilt with Hugh May
1824
George IV’s architect Jeffry Wyatville begins work
1861
Prince Albert dies in the Blue Room
1917
George V renames the dynasty the House of Windsor
1992
Fire on 20 November
1997
Restoration after the fire is finished
Windsor Castle History: Norman Beginnings
According to Wikipedia, William the Conqueror commissioned the castle in the decade after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Wikidata gives 1070 as the opening year. Its position, about 25 miles (40 km) west of central London, controlled the Thames and a route to the capital. Henry I celebrated Whitsuntide there in 1110 and was the first king to use it as a residence, and in 1121 he married Adela at the castle.
The next big step came under Henry II, who ordered extensive building between 1165 and 1179, including a stone shell keep. Wikipedia’s captions credit him with the Round Tower, but the body text describes the Round Tower as based on an original 12th-century building that was extended by 30 feet in the early 19th century, so I would not give Henry II sole credit.
Windsor Castle History: The Medieval Palace
Windsor was besieged in 1214 and again in 1216, and Henry III repaired it in 1216 and 1221, rebuilt the Lower Ward walls in stone between 1224 and 1230 and commissioned a luxurious palace between 1240 and 1263. The Lower Ward Great Hall was destroyed by fire in 1296 and not rebuilt.
Edward III turned it into a court. He announced the Order of the Round Table in 1344, though the text says the project was never finished. He spent £51,000 on renovation between 1350 and 1377, against an annual income of £30,000, and the earliest weight-driven mechanical clock in England was installed in 1354. In 1357, French prisoners from Poitiers, including King John II, were held there. For how the wards and state rooms sit on the ground, my Windsor Castle map page gives a route.
Windsor Castle History: Chapel, Tudors and Civil War
Edward IV began St George’s Chapel in 1475 and Henry VII completed the chapel roof in 1488, per Wikipedia. Henry VIII had the principal gateway rebuilt around 1510 and was himself buried in the chapel in 1547 after an elaborate funeral. In the English Civil War, Parliament took control of the castle in 1642, and Prince Rupert’s attempt to relieve it failed in November that year. Charles I was held there from 1647 to 1649, and after his execution in January 1649 his body was taken back to Windsor.
Windsor Castle History: Restoration and the Georgians
At the Restoration in 1660, Charles II had much of the castle rebuilt with Hugh May, and Wikidata lists May as the architect. George III and George IV renovated Charles II’s palace. George IV’s architect Jeffry Wyatville began work in 1824, and Parliament voted £300,000 for it, about £245 million in 2008 terms. The total ended up over £1 million, about £817 million in 2008 terms, so the bill was more than three times the vote. The work was unfinished when George IV died in 1830 and was broadly complete when Wyatville died in 1840.
Windsor Castle History: Victoria, the Windsors and the Wars
Victoria and Albert made Windsor their principal residence, although Victoria called it dull and tiresome early in her reign. Albert died in the Blue Room in 1861. In 1917, amid anti-German feeling in the First World War, George V changed the dynasty’s name from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the House of Windsor.
In the Second World War the windows were blacked out, important artworks were removed and the chandeliers were lowered to the floor. Heavy water rescued from France in 1940 was stored in the basement alongside the Crown Jewels. Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, designed by Edwin Lutyens, was furnished by leading craftsmen of the 1930s.
The 1992 Fire in Windsor Castle History
The most dramatic chapter of recent Windsor Castle history began on 20 November 1992. Wikipedia says a spotlight used in renovation is believed to have set fire to a curtain by the altar in the Private Chapel. The fire burned for about 15 hours, destroyed nine principal state rooms and severely damaged more than 100 others, and over 1.5 million gallons of water were used. Restoration cost £37 million, about £67 million in 2015 terms, and finished in 1997. The castle was not insured, so the cost was met by opening Buckingham Palace to the public at selected times and charging for access to the grounds nearby.
14 Windsor Castle Facts With Sources
William the Conqueror commissioned it in the decade after 1066 (Wikipedia).
Wikidata gives 1070 as the opening year and Hugh May as the architect (Wikidata).
Wikidata gives an elevation of 54.9 metres (Wikidata).
Windsor is about 25 miles (40 km) west of central London (Wikipedia).
Henry II ordered building from 1165 to 1179, including a stone shell keep (Wikipedia).
Edward III spent £51,000 on renovation from 1350 to 1377, against an annual income of £30,000 (Wikipedia).
The earliest weight-driven mechanical clock in England was installed in 1354 (Wikipedia).
Edward IV began St George’s Chapel in 1475 (Wikipedia).
Henry VIII was buried in the chapel in 1547 (Wikipedia).
Parliament voted £300,000 for Wyatville’s work, and the total ended up over £1 million (Wikipedia).
The House of Windsor name was adopted in 1917 (Wikipedia).
The 1992 fire began on 20 November and burned for about 15 hours (Wikipedia).
Nine principal state rooms were destroyed and more than 100 others severely damaged; restoration cost £37 million (Wikipedia).
About 500 people lived and worked at the castle in 2006, and 993,000 tourists visited in 2007 (Wikipedia).
See Windsor Castle History With a Ticket or a Tour
Most of the Windsor Castle history above is visible on a standard visit, and the entry ticket is the option with the review volume behind it. It costs $43, rated 4.7 from 8,291 reviews, and the listing includes a multimedia guide and access to St George’s Chapel except on Sundays.
Royal Collection Trust
Windsor Castle Admission Ticket
★4.7 (8,291 reviews)
24-hour ticket
Free cancellation
My pick: The entry ticket at $43: 4.7 from 8,291 reviews, with a multimedia guide and St George's Chapel except on Sundays.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Windsor Castle admission ticket
✓ Multimedia guide
✓ Access to St. George's Chapel (except on Sundays)
Not included / not suitable
✕ Transfers
✕ Tour guide
✕ 1-Year Pass
Meeting point: Windsor Castle. Windsor SL4 1NJ, UK
Duration: 1 day
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Loved the castle! Was so beautiful and the staff were really friendly.” – GetYourGuide review
If you want transport from London in the same booking, the Windsor Castle Royal Afternoon Sightseeing Tour runs about 5.5 hours at $92, rated 4.3 from 310 reviews. The listing includes entry to the State Apartments, Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and St George’s Chapel.
Golden Tours - Gray Line London
Windsor Castle Royal Afternoon Sightseeing Tour
★4.3 (310 reviews)
5.5 hours
Free cancellation
My pick: The guided option with transport from London: $92, 4.3 from 310 reviews, about 5.5 hours with the State Apartments and the Dolls' House.
What you get, where you meet, what reviewers say
Included
✓ Entry to Windsor Castle State Apartments
✓ Visit Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House & St George’s Chapel
✓ Transportation to Windsor Castle from Central London and back
✓ Audio guides are provided in different languages at Windsor Castle: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish
Not included / not suitable
✕ Live guide
✕ Food and drink
Meeting point: Meeting point may vary depending on the option you select. Check availability for more details.
Languages: English
Duration: 5.5 hours
Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
“Bus was very comfortable. Guide was great. Had enough time to see castle and surrounding shopping areas. May need more time if want to see all the art. Also got to skip the line which is nice to enter.” – GetYourGuide review
Wikipedia says William the Conqueror commissioned it in the decade after the Norman Conquest of 1066. Wikidata gives 1070 as the opening year. Henry II ordered extensive building from 1165 to 1179, including a stone shell keep.
Who built Windsor Castle?+
William the Conqueror commissioned the original castle, according to Wikipedia. Later kings reshaped it: Henry II, Henry III, Edward III, Edward IV, Charles II (with the architect Hugh May) and George IV (with Jeffry Wyatville). Wikidata lists Hugh May as the architect.
What happened in the Windsor Castle fire of 1992?+
Wikipedia says the fire began on 20 November 1992, probably when a spotlight used in renovation set fire to a curtain in the Private Chapel, and it burned for about 15 hours. Nine principal state rooms were destroyed and more than 100 others were severely damaged. Restoration cost £37 million and finished in 1997.
Is Windsor Castle the oldest and largest inhabited castle?+
Wikipedia says that in terms of population it is the largest inhabited castle in the world and the longest-occupied palace in Europe, but it gives no source for the claim in the text I read. Use it as a description, not a measured record.
Who is buried at Windsor Castle?+
Wikipedia records that Henry VIII was buried in St George's Chapel in 1547 after an elaborate funeral, and that Charles I's body was taken back to Windsor after his execution in January 1649. The article text I read does not cover later burials, so check the official Royal Collection Trust site.
Is Windsor Castle still a royal residence?+
Yes. Wikipedia describes it as a royal residence at Windsor in Berkshire, about 25 miles (40 km) west of central London, and says Elizabeth II used it as her main residence from 2011 to 2022. Parts of the castle can close when it is in official use, so check the official site before you go.
