Royal

Inside Windsor Castle – where the Queen and Prince Philip are spending lockdown

1st May 2020

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WITH the UK in lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic the Queen isn’t short on space after isolating at the 1,000-room Windsor Castle.

The monarch and Prince Philip, 98, have spent the last few weeks at the sprawling Berkshire castle, one of the Queen’s three official residences.

The Queen and Prince Philip have been spending the lockdown at Windsor Castle

While the 94-year-old spends a lot of time at her London home, Buckingham Palace, at weekends you can usually find her in the 950-year-old castle, which is just an hour’s drive from the capital.

The castle is a working palace, with state visits and banquets hosted in the lavish rooms, which boasts exquisite paintings, furniture and tapestries.

Members of the public are allowed to visit the Queen’s second home, which was nearly destroyed by a fire in 1992.

The blaze destroyed 115 rooms, including nine state rooms, with the castle finally restored five years to the day of the blaze, on November 20 1997.

The sprawling 1,000 room castle is 950 years old

In recent years the castle has been used by other family members, with Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, presenting their son, Archie, to the world in St George’s Hall.

The pair also held Archie’s christening photos in the Green Drawing Room, which was restored after the fire.

The estate also houses St George’s Chapel, where Prince Harry and Meghan tied the knot, and also where Princess Eugenie got married.

The Queen broadcast her 2019 Christmas message from the castle

The Queen was snapped holding her weekly meetings with the PM via the phone at Windsor Castle

The Queen usually stays at Windsor Castle over Easter, and she also spends a week in June there while attending Royal Ascot, plus it’s where she broadcast her last Christmas message.

The Queen brought forward her Easter plans this year due to the pandemic, and she and Prince Philip have remained there ever since.

We take a peek inside the sprawling castle where the Queen and Prince Philip are isolating, including some of the rooms which were restored after the fire.