The late Queen Elizabeth II will be laid to rest in the Royal Vault of St George's Chapel within Windsor Castle following her funeral today. The castle, built in 1070 by William the Conqueror, has been home to British kings and queens for almost 1,000 years.
The 13-acre site is famous for its royal history as part of the Crown Estate. It is one of the world's largest occupied castles and was used by Her Majesty as a personal, private residence and as a professional workplace too.
The estate on which Windsor Castle sits was not just home to the late Queen but to other members of the Royal family too. Just recently the Prince and Princess of Wales moved their family to Adelaide Cottage on the estate.
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Who owns Windsor Castle?
King Charles III inherited Windsor Castle from the Queen. Though he does not occupy the property, it is now under his ownership "in right of The Crown".
According to the official Crown Estate website, this means that the Berkshire property is owned by the monarch for the duration of their reign. It will eventually pass onto William as the next in line.
Buckingham Palace, Birkhall, Highgrove, and Clarence House are just a handful of the many properties currently owned by the Royal Family. While each estate is often affiliated with different members of the family, they are all part of the "the sovereign's public estate", meaning they are neither government property nor part of the monarch's private estate.
Who built Windsor Castle?
William the Conqueror first chose the site for Windsor Castle, high above the Thames and on the edge of a Saxon hunting ground. He began building at Windsor around 1070 and 16 years later his castle was complete.
It was originally built to secure the western approach to London, but with easy access from the capital and proximity to the royal hunting forest, it was recommended early on as a royal residence.
Who lives on the Windsor estate now?
The vast Windsor estate is home to a number of members of the royal family. Recently the Prince and Princess of Wales moved to Adelaide Cottage with their three children, George, Charlotte and Louis.
Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, although no longer married, still live together in the huge Royal Lodge. The £30 million mansion was previously the home of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
Also on the Windsor estate lies Frogmore Cottage. The home is the official UK residence of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and caused controversy when it was renovated at a cost of £2.4 million of the taxpayers' money.
The couple vacated the cottage when they first moved abroad to California but it remains their official UK residence. It is reported that Sussexes stayed at Frogmore with their two children, Archie and Lillibet, earlier in the year.
Is Windsor Castle open to the public?
Windsor Castle is open to visitors throughout the year, but it is closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and public holidays. Visitors must have a ticket to enter, but the cost does include a multimedia tour.
Adult tickets between Sunday and Friday cost £26.50 and for Saturday tickets cost £28.50. As Windsor Castle is a working royal palace, sometimes the entire Castle or the State Apartments within the Castle need to be closed at short notice.
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