The story of Windsor Castle

This is the longest-occupied palace in Europe: monarchs have used it since the time of Henry I, who reigned from 1100 to 1135. The first castle was built in the 11th century, after William the Conqueror's invasion, to show Norman power on the edge of London and guard an important stretch of the River Thames. It began as a mound with an earth-and-timber fort, surrounded by three wards, and was slowly rebuilt in stone.

At the start of the 13th century it survived a long siege during the First Barons' War, and later Henry III built a luxurious royal palace inside its walls. Today it holds almost a thousand years of architecture.

The early 19th-century state apartments are considered among the finest examples of late Georgian taste, and inside the walls stands the 15th-century St George's Chapel, a masterpiece of English Gothic. It lies about 25 miles west of central London.