William the Conqueror chose the site for Windsor Castle over nine hundred years ago. It's location, high above the River Thames and on the edge of a Saxon hunting ground suited him well. The castle was designed to protect the western approaches to the capital and was one of the nine strongholds encircling the city. Today it is a royal palace and fortress under the direct control of the sovereign. Queen Elizabeth II spends private weekends there as well as official court residences at Easter and during Ascot week.

St. George's Chapel is within the castle grounds. It was built in the fourteenth century, of Gothic design, and is the resting place of ten sovereigns.

On November 20, 1992 nine principal rooms and over one hundred other rooms were destroyed by fire. It took two hundred fifty fire fighters, one and a half million gallons of water and fifteen hours to put the fire out. The castle restoration took five years.

On special days a visitor might find the royal band practicing on the grounds.