Windsor Castle is a royal residence in Berkshire. The castle embodies almost 1,000 years of architectural history and is strongly associated with the British royal family. It is also the longest-occupied palace in Europe.
The original Windsor castle was built in the 11th century, right after the Norman invasion of England by William the Conqueror, to oversee a strategically important part of the River Thames.
The castle was originally built as a motte-and-bailey with three wards surrounding a central mound. This structure was gradually replaced with stone fortifications. Henry III built a luxurious royal palace within the castle during the middle of the century, and Edward III rebuilt the palace to an even grander set of buildings, “the most expensive secular building project of the entire Middle Ages in England“. Henry VIII and Elizabeth I also made increasing use of the castle as a royal court and centre for diplomatic entertainment.