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  Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is located in the county of Berkshire and is the oldest and largest occupied castle with a history of over 1000 years. The castle dates back to the time of William the Conqueror and historically served as a guarding post for the city of London. The castle has an area of around 5 hectares and also houses the State Apartments, St George's Chapel, Queen Mary's Dolls House and Albert Memorial Chapel. The State Apartments are truly magnificent and are a showcase of some of the treasures for the Royal Collection including paintings by Holbein, Rubens, Van Dyck and Lawrence, fine tapestries and porcelain, sculpture and amour. St George's Chapel is one of the most beautiful works of architecture is also a burial place for many British monarchs and has served as the site of many royal weddings including that of the children of Queen Victoria.
The Queen spends many weekends of the year at the castle especially during the month of Easter known as Easter Court, using it for both state and private entertaining. Foreign Heads of State are brought to the Castle in horse-drawn carriages through the George IV Gateway into the quadrangle in the Upper Ward and given a military guard of honor.
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Some of the dignitary who have visited the palace have been President and Mrs. Mbeki of South Africa, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan and President and Madame Chirac of France to name a few. The Large and aristocratic State Banquet are organized at the St George's Hall which has a table seating capacity of upto 160 guests.
Castle also serves as a royal residence in the month of June as the queen visits for the Order to the Garter and the Royal Ascot Race meeting. The Queen hosts a lavish lunch for the Knights of the Garter at the Castle's Waterloo Chamber. Garter Throne Room is the setting where the new Knights of the Garter are invested by the Queen.
The castle has hosted many Royal weddings at the St. George's Chapel; in recent times that of Prince Edward and Miss Sophie Rhys-Jones in June 1999. The castle is also where the changing of the guard takes place apart from the Buckingham Palace
The present castle building has gone through centuries of development with influences from the British Monarchy and its history has been directly related to the monarchy. The castle has serves as a garrison fortress, home, official palace, and sometimes their prison.
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