Windsor

St Georges Chapel Windsor

 In the Precint of Windsor Castle

This amazing building is one of the architectural marvels of the Middle Ages.  Built as a chapel for the Kinghts of the Order of the Garter. It lies within the Castle walls and has been the scene of Royal weddings and funerals for centuries.  The intricate fan vaulting on the ceiling of the Chapel - all carved of stone, but looking like it has been made of icing sugar - draws gasps of amazement from visitors. 

Among the Royals buried here are Henry VIII, and King George VI and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, and their younger daughter Princess Margaret.

The 24 carved wooden "stalls" (or seats)  of the Knights of the Garter are in the Choir, and over each of of the stalls  hangs the personal banner of the Knights, who number among their members Sir Edmund Hillary and Margaret Thatcher.  One of the great days of pageantry for which the UK is famous occurs each June, when the 24 Knights all have lunch with the Queen in the Castle, then process down the hill to the Chapel for their annual rededication service.  This draws thousands of visitors to witness the spectacle.  The Knights of the Garter are personally chosen by the Queen herself, and she rewards people who have had records of public service and have "made a difference" to our society.

 Below: Margaret Thatcher and Sir Edmund Hillary in the procession of the Knights of the Garter in June 1995

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