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Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates

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The Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates
The History of the site of Windsor covers hundreds of years and many different reigns. This comprehensive Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates has been developed to show the major events which occurred during the various rule of each of the Kings and Queens of England. The comprehensive Windsor Castle Timeline of important dates is simple to follow and the dates of each of the reigns and the names of the relevant Kings and Queens are highlighted for ease of reference. All major building events are detailed in the Windsor Castle timeline. Key events of the history of England have also been described within the Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates.

Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates

  • The Windsor Castle Timeline of Important events and their Dates
  • Information & Facts detailing major events
  • Key Dates in the Windsor Castle Timeline
  • Important events detailed in the Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates

Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates

Windsor Castle Timeline

Windsor Castle Timeline of Events & Dates

Windsor Castle - Ancient Timeline

Bar! Dark Ages Arthurian legend states that the site of Windsor Castle was built on the site of an old Celtic camp where King Arthur once lived
Bar! Dark Ages Windsor is situated near the village called Clewer. The Celtic word Clewer is derived from Clyfware or Clyvore meaning “Cliff-Dwellers” referring to those who lived below the hill on which Windsor Castle now stands
Bar! Dark Ages The Manor of Clewer existed as a small settlement by the River Thames part of the parish of Ripplesmere in the county of Berkshire ( it still exists and is 1 mile from Windsor)
Bar! 700’s The Saxon kings of the Dark Ages established a Royal Manor and held court at Old Windsor, called Windles-ora, from the winding course of the Thames in this part and the Old English word ‘ora’ meaning bank.
Bar! 1022 - 1066 Edward the Confessor and King Harold , son of Godwin who was defeated by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings, held court at Old Windsor, which was believed to be similar to a wooden Hillfort

Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates - 1000's

1066 - 1087

William the Conqueror

Bar! 1066 The Normans invade England in September 1066 and commence their strategy of building Castles. King Harold is killed at the Battle of Hastings
Bar! January 1067 William the Conqueror is crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey in London
Bar! c1068/70 The Normans start to build a timber tower in their Motte and Bailey Castles style. It is built on the site referred to as ‘Castle Hill’. The wooden Windsor Motte and Bailey Castle was the first of nine Castles built around London
Bar! c1068/70 William the Conqueror chose the site of Windsor Castle at ‘New Windsor’ - taking the name from the ‘Old Windsor’ which was used by the Saxon Kings.
Bar! c1068/70 ‘New Windsor’ was 100 feet above the river Thames and on the edge of the Saxon hunting ground. It was a day’s march from the Tower of London and intended to guard the western approaches to the capital of England
Bar! 1066 - 1108 The names of William the Conqueror’s chief architects and builders were called Robert, Lord of Belleme and Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester. Robert de Bellême (1052-1130) was involved in a rebellion against the king in 1102 at which time his building activities ceased. Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester (1024-1108) was responsible for building the Tower of London, Rochester and Colchester Castles. The work of one of these men was probably instrumental in the fortification of the wooden New Windsor Motte and Bailey Castle.
Bar! 1086 The Doomsday Book is completed in England
Bar! 9th September 1087 William the Conqueror dies at Saint-Gervais near Rouen, France

1087 - 1100

William Rufus (son of William)

Bar! 1095 Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumberland, having joined in the conspiracy against William Rufus in 1095, was taken prisoner, and languished, we are told, thirty years in a dungeon at Windsor.
Bar! 1097 Work on the White Tower was completed and the inner ward of the Tower was enclosed

Windsor Castle Timeline of Events & Dates -1100's

1100 - 1135

Henry I (William Rufus' brother)

Bar! 1110 Two suites of Royal apartments were built in wood - a smaller royal private apartment and a larger State apartment
Bar! 1110 Henry I built a chapel, probably on the site now occupied by the Albert Memorial Chapel, formerly known as Wolsey’s Tomb-House. He kept court at Windsor for the first time
Bar! 1121 Henry married Adelicia of Louvain, the “Fair Maid of Brabant.”
Bar! 1127 The coronation ceremony was repeated when Henry received at Windsor the homage of the nobles of the land who, at the same time, swore allegiance to his daughter, the Empress Matilda

1135 - 1154

Stephen (nephew of Henry I)

Bar! No records of additional work during this period

1154 - 1189

Henry II (grandson of Henry I)

Bar! 1160 - 1179 Henry II built a stone curtain wall around the castle. The first stone Round Tower of Windsor Castle was built inside the reinforced Shell walls on the original mound. The wooden outer walls of the small royal private apartment was replaced by hard Heath Stone which was quarried 10 miles south of Windsor. The design was unusual by the fact that it had two baileys called the upper ward and lower ward. The castle kitchen was extende
Bar! 1175 Henry II held a Great Council (Parliament) at Windsor

1189 - 1199

Richard I (third son of Henry II)

Bar! 1190 Richard the Lionheart embarks on the Third Crusade.
Bar! 1190 Richard I placed Windsor Castle under the care of Hugh Pudsey, Bishop of Durham
Bar! 1193 1st Siege Prince John plots against King Richard and comes under attack at Windsor Castle when the Baron knights besiege the castle led by William Marshal. The castle was surrendered into the hands of Eleanor, the Queen Mother

Windsor Castle Timeline of Events & Dates - 1200's

1199 - 1216

John (fifth son of Henry II)

Bar! Windsor Castle suffered damage under two sieges but the castle still held
Bar! Reconstruction work on the Curtain walls around the State apartments in the Lower Ward
Bar! June 15th 1215 Signing of the Magna Carta between King John and the Barons at Runnymede. Runnymede is located between Old Windsor and Staines is the flat meadow of Runnymede, from which the castle towers are visible. Windsor Castle was used as a base during the conferences which preceded and followed the ratification of this important charter
Bar! October 1215 War breaks out again between King John and the Barons
Bar! 1216 John was at Windsor when he heard of the invasion of the French Dauphin, Louis and the siege of Dover Castle
Bar! 1216 2nd Siege The castle came under siege for three months by the rebel Barons and their French allies. The Castle successfully resisted the siege which lasted more than two months but was badly damaged by the siege engines - the mangonels and trebuchets

1216 - 1272

Henry III (son of John)

Bar! King Henry III was only ten years old when he was crowned but he immediately started on a strategy to reinforce all of the royal Castles, including the badly damaged Windsor Castle
Bar! 1220 - 1230’s The King built a complete set of fortifications round the Lower Ward. The impressive rounded Towers on the South town ward side were added. The walls around the Castle were repaired and completed by building the west end and the three towers in the Lower Ward.

  • A chapel was built, probably on the site of Albert Memorial Chapel standing on the site of the Winchester Tower
  • The chapel was connected by fortifications with the Curfew, Garter, and Salisbury Towers. The Curfew Tower was built between 1227 and 1230 and was for several centuries known as the Clewer Tower
  • Another large tower was built, called the Stone Tower, now Henry III's Tower,
Bar! 1261 Windsor was granted the right to hold a Market
Bar! 1265 The people of the City of London demonstrated against the King for not complying to the Magna Carta. The Queen tried to escape the London mob by the River Thames and was attacked with stones. She returned to the Tower of London and eventually managed to reach Windsor
Bar! 1265 The City of London were deprived of all charters and privileges in retaliation
Bar! 5th October 1265 The Lord Mayor, called FitzThomas, was summoned to Windsor with forty wealthy merchants assured of safe conduct. They were imprisoned, possibly in the Clewer Tower dungeons, as soon as they arrived at Windsor. They were only released after a ransom of 20,000 marks (about £14,000) was paid to the King. Mayor Fitzthomas was never seen again
Bar! 1238 - 1272 A massive £21,000 was spent on the Windsor fortifications and improvements during this period

1272 - 1307

Edward I (son of Henry III) also referred to as Longshanks

Bar! 1272 - 1307 King Edward I continued the castle building initiated by his father Henry III and, with his chief architect and builder Master James of St George, built massive Concentric Castles in England, Scotland and Wales.
Bar! 1275 Edward I made Windsor Castle a real family home, four of his children were born here. He held his Coronation Feast at the Castle in 1275, with jousting in the surrounding park with feasts, banquets and other forms of entertainment
Bar! 1276 The King made Windsor a Free Borough and granted the town its first Charter
Bar! 1272 - 1307 Edward I made Windsor Castle a real family home, four of his children were born here

Windsor Castle Timeline of Events & Dates - 1300's

1307 - 1327

Edward II (son of Edward I)

Bar! 1307 - 1327 Windsor Castle played a crucial role during the dangerous reign of King Edward II and was used a royal refuge outside London and to maintain royal authority.
Bar! 13th Nov 1312 Edward III was born at Windsor Castle
Bar! 1307 - 1327 The
Bar! 1324 Roger Mortimer, the first Earl of March, leads the barons in a rebellion against King Edward II. He was incarcerated in the Tower but managed to escape to France, followed by his lover, Isabella of France, wife of Edward II and Queen of England!
Bar! 1327 The king was forced to abdicate in favour of his young son, Edward III. England was ruled by Mortimer and Isabella who are believed to have arranged the murder of Edward II at Berkeley Castle

1327 - 1377

Edward III (son of Edward II)

Bar! 13th Nov 1312 Edward III was born at Windsor and known as Edward of Windsor
Bar! The reign of Edward III saw the great Chivalric Age and Windsor was the scene of many tournaments, feasts, processions and great assemblies. King Edward started the ‘Order of the Garter’ at Windsor Castle, rebuilding St. George’s Chapel for its knights who still meet there today
Bar! 1338 -1342 Edward III pawned the Crown Jewels in order to pay his troops at the start of the Hundred Years War - the practice was forbidden after his reign
Bar! 1346 King John II of France and King David II of Scotland were imprisoned in luxury in the Upper Ward until they were ransomed
Bar! 1348 The chapel of St. George was made a Chapel Royal
Bar! 1348 - 1349 The terrible Black Death ravaged England killing nearly one third of the population - in London it was much worse and the population almost halved to 30,000.
Bar! 1361 The marriage of Edward, the Black Prince and Joan of Kent
Bar! 1357 - 1367 William of Wykeham (1324 - 1404) supervised the building of additions to Windsor Castle based on his building skills acquired whilst he was secretary to the Constable of Winchester Castle. The work included the following:

  • A great part of the old Castle was demolished and rebuilt it on stronger lines
  • Extensive new stone State apartments which were supported by stone-vaulted undercrofts with separate suites of rooms for the King and Queen on the first floor
  • These were arranged around two courtyards later known as Brick Court and Horn Court
  • The Round Tower, Edward III Tower, the Norman Gateway, King John's Tower were added

William of Wykeham became Bishop of Winchester ( the Winchester Tower was named after him) and eventually appointed Lord Chancellor of England in 1367
Bar! King Edward III often used Windsor Castle as a prison. Prisoners were kept in the Devil’s Tower or in the dungeons of the Curfew Tower. When executed, their bodies were hung from the Curfew Tower as a warning to others.
Bar! 14th August 1369 Edward III died at Windsor Castle 14 Aug 1369

1377 - 1399

Richard II (grandson of Edward III, son of the Black Prince)

Bar! 1378 The extension of the Tower Wharf and the Byward Tower improvements were completed
Bar! 1381 The Monarchy was attacked by English peasants led by Wat Tyler and John Bull - most of the royals sought refuge in the Tower but some escaped to Windsor
Bar! 1390 The King appointed Sir Geoffrey Chaucer, the poet, to superintend repairs in the chapel
Bar! 1399 John of Gaunt died and King Richard seized his lands. Gaunt’s son, Henry Bolingbroke invaded England, whilst Richard was on campaign in Ireland, usurping the throne from the king
Bar! 1 October 1399 King Richard II was condemned as a tyrant. He renounced the crown in his chamber in the White Tower and Henry IV was proclaimed King the next day.

Windsor Castle Timeline of Events & Dates -1400's

1399 - 1413

Henry IV (grandson of Edward III, son of John of Gaunt)

Bar! 1399 Henry invaded England while Richard was on campaign in Ireland, usurping the throne from the king
Bar! 1413 The Earl of March and Prince James (later James I) of Scotland were imprisoned at Windsor
Bar! 1413 Henry IV died suffering from leprosy and epilepsy

1413 - 1422

Henry V (son of Henry IV)

Bar! 1419 The Royal Witch The notorious Dowager Queen of England, Joan of Navarre, was accused by her stepson Henry V of witchcraft and necromancy - she was acquitted
Bar! 1413 - 1422 The wars waged during his reign left England deeply in debt

1422 - 1461 & 1470 - 1471

Henry VI (son of Henry V)

Bar! 1465 - 1470 Henry married Margaret of Anjou and some necessary repairs were made for her reception. The mentally unstable and pious Lancastrian King Henry VI and his headstrong and ambitious wife Margaret of Anjou were imprisoned in the Tower of London from 1465 until 1470. Henry was briefly restored to power in 1470 and returned to reside in the Tower of London on the 21st May.
Bar! 22nd May 1470 The last Lancastrian king was murdered in the Wakefield Tower, whilst he was at prayer, the following day. He was probably murdered on the orders of Edward IV. He was originally buried at Chertsey Abbey but then re-buried at St George’s Chapel, Windsor
Bar! England entered the period of civil disorder and political instability known as the Wars of the Roses.

1461 - 1483

Edward IV ( youngest son of Edward III )

Bar! 1461 - 1483 Edward IV maintained and improved the castle. He built the Choir of St. George’s Chapel and commenced work on the Nave
Bar! 1483 Buried at Windsor in St George’s Chapel
Bar! 1461 - 1483 Edward IV was a notorious womaniser - his affairs led to claims of illegitimacy and ultimately led to the murder of his sons

1483

Edward V (eldest son of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville)

Bar! 1483 The boy king was on his way to his coronation in London but was intercepted by his uncle, and Protector ( who would become Richard III ). Edward was escorted to London and then to the Tower. On the 16th June 1483 he was joined by his brother Prince Richard. The coronation was cancelled.
Bar! 1483 The thirteen year old King and his ten year old brother mysteriously disappeared in the Tower after being declared illegitimate. They were believed to have been murdered and are referred to as the Little Princes in the Tower

1483 - 1485

Richard III (uncle of Edward V)

Bar! June 25 1483 Parliament declared the two little princes illegitimate and, as next in line to the throne, their uncle and Protector, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was declared the true King. The two little princes were never seen again
Bar! August 22nd 1485 A Lancastrian rebellion rose against the Yorkist Richard and on he fell in the Battle of Bosworth Field to Henry Tudor

1485 - 1509

Henry VII (grandson of Henry V)

Bar! 1485-1509 Henry VII cemented his succession and settled the friction between the Yorkists and Lancastrians by marrying the Yorkist heir, Elizabeth of York
Bar! Henry VII completed the Nave of St. George’s Chapel. He also erected personal apartments in the Upper Ward

Windsor Castle Timeline of Events & Dates - 1500's

1509 - 1547

Henry VIII (Henry VII's second son, Arthur married Katherine of Aragon but died at the age of 15)

Bar! 1509 King Henry VIII marries Katherine of Aragon
Bar! 1524 Cardinal Wolsey employed Benedetto of Florence to build a sumptuous sarcophagus of black marble at Windsor. Wolsey fell from disgrace before it was completed. It was eventually to mark the grave of Lord Nelson at St Paul’s Cathedral in 1805
Bar! 1533 Henry divorced his first wife, Katherine of Aragon
Bar! 1534 Henry VIII broke with the Church in Rome with the Act of Supremacy, which made the king head of the Church of England. Windsor Castle expands its role of prison for a large number of religious and political prisoners and its bloody history
Bar! January 25th 1533 Henry married Anne Boleyn
Bar! May 15th 1536 Anne Boleyn tried for treason, adultery and incest in the Great Hall of the Tower of London
Bar! May 19th 1536 Anne Boleyn executed on Tower Hill. Within 24 hours of Anne Boleyn’s execution, Jane Seymour and Henry VIII were formally betrothed. On the 30th of May 1536 they were married but Jane died a premature death after giving birth to Henry’s son. Queen Jane Seymour was buried at Windsor Castle
Bar! 1540 Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves but the marriage is annulled.
Bar! July 28th 1540 49 year old Henry married 19 year old Catherine Howard
Bar! 13th February 1542 Catherine Howard executed for adultery
Bar! 12th July 1543 Henry marries Katherine Parr who had a near brush with death she was linked with ‘heretical’ religious reformers including the tragic Anne Askew who was tortured on the rack in the tower
Bar! King Henry VIII built the great gateway which bears his name and completed the stone roof of St George’s Chapel
Bar! 1546 The poet, the Earl of Surrey, was imprisoned at Windsor Castle
Bar! 28th January 1547 Henry VIII died at Whitehall Palace and was buried at St George’s Chapel, Windsor

1547 - 1553

Edward V (Henry's son by Jane Seymour)

Bar! 1553 Edward died of tuberculosis and he left the throne to ‘the Lady Jane and her heirs male.’

Monday 10 July - 1553

Lady Jane Grey (Queen for just Nine Days)

Bar! Monday 10th July 1553 Proclaimed Queen of England. Lady Jane Grey and her husband Guildford Dudley were taken in full state from Syon House to the Royal Apartments in the Tower of London
Bar! 19th July 1553 Queen Jane was deposed as Queen

1553 - 1558

Mary (Henry's daughter by Queen Katherine of Aragon)

Bar! 1553 - 1558 The eldest daughter of Henry VIII is referred to as ‘Bloody Mary’ for her persecution of Protestants and political rivals
Bar! Mary erected a large number of the houses now occupied by the Military Knights

1558 - 1603

Elizabeth I (Henry's daughter by Anne Boleyn)

Bar! Elizabeth built the North Terrace and the Gallery overlooking it
Bar! 1563 When the Black Death ( Bubonic Plague ) broke out in London in 1563, Queen Elizabeth I moved her court to Windsor Castle where she erected gallows and ordered that anyone coming from London was to be hanged
Bar! 1602 Elizabeth requested William Shakespeare to write another play featuring Falstaff - he wrote the ‘Merry Wives of Windsor’ which was first printed in 1602
Bar! Elizabeth built the North Terrace and the Gallery overlooking it

Windsor Castle Timeline of Dates & Events - 1600's

1603 - 1625

James I of England James VI of Scotland (great-great-grandson of Henry VII)

1625 - 1649

Charles I (second son of James)

Bar! 1642 Civil war broke out between King and parliament.
Bar! 1643 Windsor Castle was seized from the King by parliamentarians and remained in their hands throughout the Civil War (1642-49). The castle buildings and rooms were damaged and the castle was used as a prison for Royalists
Bar! December 1647 Charles I was imprisoned at Windsor Castle
Bar! 30th January 1649 Charles was beheaded on a scaffold outside the Banqueting House in Whitehall, London and was buried at St George’s Chapel, Windsor without ceremony or religious service

1649 - 1659

The Commonwealth under the Cromwells

Bar! 1649 A bill in parliament to demolish Windsor Castle was defeated by just one vote!
Bar! 7 February 1649 The office of King was formally abolished
Bar! 1649 The Crown Jewels were ordered to be broken up as being symbolic of the ‘detestable rule of kings’.

1660 - 1685

Charles II (oldest son of Charles) Royal House of Stuart Restored

Bar! 1660 - 1685 The garrison at Windsor Castle was highly effective and the castle became a favourite safe retreat for the King
Bar! 1663 Charles created a Bowling Green where the Terraces now stand at a cost of £13.12s.0d
Bar! 1673 - 1684 The architect Hugh May was appointed to supervise the reconstruction of the Upper Ward and State apartments. He chose to use a magnificent baroque style of decor. The ceilings were painted by the Italian artist Antonio Verrio. The walls were wainscoted in Oak and heavily ornamented with carvings by Grinling Gibbons and Henry Phillips. St George’s Hall and the Kings Chapel were enhanced by murals depicting historical scenes, also by Antonio Verrio.
Bar! 1676 Charles was responsible for many improvements in the Castle, and he also created the East and South Terraces. The magnificent Long Walk was started in his reign

1685 - 1688

James II (brother of Charles II)

Bar! 1686 James spent £700 on repairing the chapel in order that he and his family could celebrate high mass
Bar! 1688 The Catholic James was deposed and replaced by by his Protestant daughter and son-in-law, Mary II and William III, who became joint Sovereigns.

1689 - 1694

William and Mary - William of Orange (grandson of Charles I) and Mary (daughter of James II)

Bar! 1690 Battle of Boyne The deposed James made one attempt to regain the crown, but his French and Irish forces were soundly defeated at the Battle of Boyne

1694 - 1702

William of Orange ruled alone after Mary's death

Windsor Castle Timeline of Events & Dates - 1700's

1702 - 1714

Anne (sister of Mary)

Bar! The Monarchy showed little interest in the castle

1714 - 1727

George I (great-grandson of James I)

Bar! The Monarchy showed little interest in the castle

1727 - 1760

George II (son of George I)

Bar! The Monarchy showed little interest in the castle

1760 - 1820

George III (grandson of George II)

Bar! 1778 The Castle was in such a state of dilapidation it was declared uninhabitable
Bar! 1779 Repairs began on the castle and the Queen’s Lodge was reconstructed
Bar! 1780’s The Royal Tomb House under the Albert Memorial Chapel was excavated. St Georges Chapel was restored and a new state entrance and gothic staircase were provided for the State apartments. The chapel was made the Royal Mausoleum
Bar! 1800 James Wyatt built a new staircase and also restored some apartments looking on to the north terrace
Bar! 1805 The King revived the ceremonies for the Installation of the Knights of the Garter at Windsor Castle
Bar! 29th January 1820 George III died at Windsor Castle and was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor

Windsor Castle Timeline of Events & Dates - 1800's

1820 - 1830

George IV (son of George III)

Bar! 1823 - 1827 George IV was responsible for the major changes to the Castle, in particular the raising of the famous Round Tower. He transformed the Castle into a palace. The architect Jeffrey Wyatt, brother of James Wyatt who George IV knighted and called Wyattville, was appointed to reconstruct parts of Windsor Castle:

  • Jeffrey Wyatt raised the Round Tower to its present height
  • Raised the level of all the roofs
  • Brick Court was adorned with a grand staircase
  • Horn Court with the Waterloo Gallery
  • Built the Brunswick, York and Lancaster Towers

  • These improvements cost £500,000. During the reconstruction the murals by Antonio Verrio in St George's Hall and the Kings Chapel were destroyed
Bar! 26th June 1830 George IV died at Windsor Castle and was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor

1830 - 1837

William IV (brother of George IV)

Bar! William IV continued making additions to the Castle, in particular the Waterloo Chamber
Bar! 20th June 1837 William IV (William Henry) died at Windsor Castle and was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor

1837 - 1901

Victoria (niece of William IV)

Bar! 1844 King Louis Philippe was entertained on a state visit at Windsor Castle and invested with the Order of the Garter
Bar! 1845 The State Apartments were first opened to the public
Bar! 1848 Revolution swept across Europe and in London the Chartist movement delivered a petition to Parliament asserting the rights of ordinary people there were fears (unfounded) that a revolutionary mob might sweep England
Bar! 1855 Emperor Napoleon III was entertained on a state visit and invested with the Order of the Garter
Bar! 1860 Anthony Salvin, a Victorian architect, was appointed to restore the west front as part of a general restoration of the Lower Ward
Bar! Victoria ordered the re-building of the Royal Stables and much work was undertaken on the Wolsey Chapel which was renamed the Albert Memorial Chapel. The roof of the Curfew Tower was copied from La Tour du Trésau, Carcassonne, France as suggested by Prince Albert
Bar! 14th December 1861 Prince Albert died of typhoid at Windsor and was buried in a spectacular mausoleum that Queen Victoria constructed at Frogmore in the Windsor Home Park
Bar! 1863 Herne’s Oak, which Shakespeare immortalised in “The Merry Wives of Windsor” was blown down in a storm in 1863 and a sapling was planted to mark the spot
Bar! 1863 The marriage of the future King Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark
Bar! 1885 The Curfew, Garter and Salisbury Towers were refaced once again, this time with heath stone as the stonework of 1860 was rapidly deteriorating. Antony Salvin had chosen stone which was far to soft.
Bar! 1901 Victoria was buried at Windsor in Frogmore Mausoleum

Windsor Castle Timeline of Events & Dates - 1900's

1901 - 1910

Edward VII (son of Victoria and Albert)

Bar! Edward continued with small additions to the Castle such as the Processional Staircase from the East Terrace
Bar! 6th May 1910 Edward VII died at Buckingham Palace and was buried at St George’s Chapel, Windsor

1910 - 1936

George V (second son of Edward VII)

Bar! 1914 - 1918 The First World War
Bar! 1917 The British royal family felt the need to change its dynasty name from the German “House of Saxe Coburg-Gotha” and the family name of Wettin. They took their new name from the castle, becoming the House of Windsor
Bar! 17th July 1917 Assumed by Royal Proclamation the name of Windsor for his House and family
Bar! The King carried on the restoration and improvements to the Castle
Bar! 20th January 1936 George V died at Sandringham House, Norfolk and was buried St George’s Chapel, Windsor

1936

Edward VIII (son of George V)

Bar! 10-Dec-36 The abdication of King Edward VIII following his affair with Wallis Simpson. He renounced the throne for himself and his descendants 10 Dec 1936 which was confirmed by the Declaration of Abdication Act 11 Dec 1936
Bar! 8th March 1937 Created Duke of Windsor
Bar! 28th May 1972 The Duke of Windsor died on 28th May 1972 and was buried in the grounds of Frogmore House

1936 - 1952

George VI (second son of George V)

Bar! 1939 - 1945 The Second World War - Windsor Castle was home to the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose
Bar! 6th February 1952 George V died at Sandringham House, Norfolk and was buried in St George’s Chapel, Windsor

1952 -

Elizabeth II (daughter of George VI)

Bar! November 20th 1992 A significant part of the upper ward of Windsor Castle (including St. George’s hall) was damaged by fire. The fire started in the Private Chapel
Bar! 1992 - 1997 A huge amount of repair work was conducted following the Windsor Castle Fire at a cost of £37 million. The money was raised at no cost to the taxpayer
Bar! 20th November 1997 The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary with a ball held at Windsor Castle
Bar! 1999 The marriage of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie Rhys-Jones
Bar! 2002 The burial of Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon
Bar! 30th March 2002 Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, died at the Royal Lodge, Windsor and was buried at St George’s Chapel, Windsor
Bar! 2005 The marriage of Prince Charles of Wales and Camilla Parker-Bowles

The Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates
The above comprehensive Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates has been developed to show the major events which occurred during the various rule of each of the Kings and Queens of England. The highly detailed Windsor Castle Timeline is simple to follow and the dates of each of the reigns and the names of the relevant Kings and Queens are highlighted for ease of reference.

The Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates

All major building, demolition and improvements are detailed in the Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates.

Key events of the history of England have also been described within the Windsor Castle timeline. Links have been provided giving access to even more facts and information about events listed in the Windsor Castle Timeline of Important Dates .

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