A trip to see the Queen - Windsor Eaton

October 10, 2005

Cindy and I decided to take advantage of our time flexibility (read unemployment status) to hop over to Windsor to see the Queen! We are in Britain after all! Unfortunately the queen’s flag was not flying at Windsor castle, so she wasn’t in. We decided to check out her posh digs anyway. Windsor castle is the largest castle in Europe and as a guide tried to convince us, still a place very much in use today. The guide had many interesting tidbits to share illustrating this point, such as, that Queen E considers Windsor to be her home and Buckingham palace to be her place of work. We also learned about how Queen E walks her 10+ dogs each morning in the beautiful land that surrounds the castle and that she rides her horses every day. He also shared the theory that Prince Andrew is the queen’s favourite as she gave him her father’s Duke of York title and pointed to where her bullet proof car was stored. We saw the very elaborate and lavishly decorated state rooms that are used today for large state dinners and for chumming around with the leaders of the world. We also learned about the “Order of the Garter” – the highest level of chivalry. In practice for many many years (I know it was a lot, I just can’t remember how many?), the order includes a set number of people (I think around 26?) noted for their good deeds, contribution to society etc. at one time. New people enter the order only when another person passes away. Clearly a very noble, well-respected and coveted position. I later read that the order’s name comes from a situation where Edward III picked up the Countess of Salisbury’s garter off the floor (guess she dropped it?) and then put it on himself?!! Quirky….. We also visited St. George’s Chapel. A beautiful and elegant church that has 10 former monarchs buried there, including the late queen mother.

Windsor itself is a quaint little town, with non-traffic high streets and restaurant lined lanes. The area has been home to many famous people, such as Shakespeare and Christopher Wren, an architect responsible for many of England’s greatest buildings. The castle is nestled right in the town – imagine living just down the street from the Queen! If you walk through the town and over the Thames river you end up in Eaton – the school, where William and Harry went. A very swish school where we saw boys running around in tux like suits, hope they don’t have to wear that to class! I must be getting old because the kids running around looked to me like they were 12!