What caused the fire at Windsor Castle? True story as The Crown recreates tragic incident

The newest season of hit Netflix series The Crown, which dropped on the streaming service on November 9, recreates many iconic moments from Royal Family history including Princess Diana's bombshell interview.

Another moment that the fifth season of the show will be exploring is the fire which ravaged Windsor Castle, which was one of the Queen's most favourite residences.

In 1992, Queen Elizabeth II was left devastated when a raging fire ripped through the 800-year residence.

Here's everything you need to know about the fire at Windsor Castle including what caused it and how much the repairs cost.

When was the fire at Windsor Castle?

No one died in the fire, however five firefighters were taken to hospital and three had to receive ambulance care on site. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

The fire at Windsor Castle took place on the morning of November 20, 1992.

It broke out in Queen Victoria’s Private Chapel, before spreading to six rooms and three towers as staff rushed to save historical items from the flames.

No one died in the fire, however five firefighters were taken to hospital and three had to receive ambulance care on site.

What caused the fire at Windsor Castle?

The fire at Windsor Castle was believed to have happened because a spotlight caused a curtain on the chapel altar to catch fire.

The warm lights caused the fabric curtains to ignite, with the flames spreading quickly through the building.

At the time the Castle was being refurbished so many items of historical value had been removed from St George’s Hall which was beside the chapel.

Fire brigades from London, Surrey, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire worked until 2.30am on November 21 to put the fire out.

However, the damage to the castle was extensive by then with around 100 rooms suffering from fire damage.

How much did repairs cost?

Windsor Castle’s restoration was completed on November, 17 1997 (AFP via Getty Images)

It cost £36.5 million to restore Windsor Castle after the fire.

The Castle and the valuable Royal items in the Royal collection were not insured, as it likely was too expensive to insure.

70% of the costs were covered by opening up parts of Buckingham Palace to the public.. The Queen also donated £2 million of her own money and agreed to start paying income tax from 1993, making her the first monarch to do so.

Windsor Castle’s restoration was completed on November, 17 1997, almost five years after the fire.