The royal family of reside in Windsor , Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) in the county of within metropolitan London. It is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world. It has been a royal home and fortress for more than 900 years. The Castle's grounds make up 13 acres. The Queen spends most of her weekends at Windsor. Other residences include in ; Buckingham , which is the Queen's official and working residence; ; and at they may be seen at in , England. Historically, " as it appears today is the result of almost a thousand years of development but four monarchs in particular have left their mark: , who founded the castle and established its outline plan and extent; Edward III (r.1327‐77), who rebuilt it in a magnificent Gothic style and established the royal apartments in the Upper Ward; Charles II (r.1660‐85), who transformed the Upper Ward of the medieval castle into a palace; and George IV (r.1820‐30) who restored the exterior to conform with romantic ideals of castle architecture and created sumptuous and richly furnished palace interiors within the ancient fabric of the building." On Windsor Castle's grounds the public can see State Apartments, art in the , Queen Mary's Doll's House, St. George's and, of course, the changing of the guard ceremony. It is open to the public from February through December. Since it is a working royal residence, being open is subject to change depending on circumstance. Security could mean long lines at the entry. "Those who live and work within the Castle include the titular head of the Castle community, the Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle; the Dean of Windsor, Canons and other staff who run the College of St George; the Military Knights of Windsor; the Superintendent of Windsor Castle and his staff, who are responsible for day‐to‐day administration; the Housekeeper and her staff; and soldiers who mount a permanent military guard in the Castle." Our tour of Windsor Castle began at Windsor Royal Station, open since 1897. The station is also close to Eaton College, which is a public school for boys (ages 13 to 18). It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eaton. In the station is the former Royal's locomotive. On it you will find Dieu et mon doit. It is the motto of the of the outside Scotland and a non‐Scottish version of the Royal coat of arms. Motto pertains to Richard I and means "God and my right," referencing the "divine right of the Monarch to govern." We walked from the station through the Windsor Royal Shopping area and crossed the street. As we crossed the street, we passed under the Jubilee Arch on the grounds of Windsor Castle. One's first site of the grounds includes a statue of and the walls and towns of the fortress used to protect the royal family. Walking along the street to the entrance we passed Windsor Parish Church of St. John the Baptist and other historical figures. The famous Round Tower rises to a height of 214 feet and offers a spectacular view of Windsor parkland, Thames Valley and London skyline. This photo program shares our experience visiting Windsor Castle.

Sources: Guided Tour, https://www.windsor.gov.uk/things‐to‐do/windsor‐castle‐p43983, https://www.royal.uk/royal‐residences‐windsor‐castle, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Windsor‐Castle, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windsor_Castle, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieu_et_mon_droit, https://www.harpersbazaar.com/celebrity/latest/a20883811/where‐does‐the‐british‐royal‐family‐live/, https://www.holidaycottages.co.uk/blog/where‐ does‐queen‐elizabeth‐live‐besides‐buckingham‐palace, https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/heres‐why‐the‐young‐royals‐may‐never‐live‐in‐buckingham‐ palace‐253547, and https://www.rct.uk/visit/windsor‐castle. acuri.net John R. Vincenti Windsor Castle