Windsor Castle
For the British Royal Family, Windsor Castle is just home. It’s a place to kick back and relax. But what goes on behind its castle walls? Xand Van Tulleken, JJ Chalmers, and Raksha Dave reveal centuries of roya l drama as they chart how this instantly recognizable 1000-year- old castle has grown from a defensive fortress to the breathtaking palace we know and love today.
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Windsor Castle on BBC Select
Episode 1: The Groom of the Stool
How the castle transformed from humble origins into a party palace for an indulgent king.
From humble beginnings as a defensive tower, Windsor Castle transformed into the party palace of one of the most indulgent monarchs in history: Henry VIII. There were outrageous goings-on in the King’s bedroom as Henry secretly visited his mistress, Anne Boleyn. Xand Van Tulleken get intimately acquainted with royal protocol and finds out the duties of the Groom of the Stool.
Episode 2: A Royal Breakfast
Revealing Charles III’s unusual fitness regime, and George III’s breakfast of choice.
What’s it like to actually live in Windsor Castle? The inside scoop on what the royals get up to, from Charles III’s military workouts to Kate’s kale smoothies, is revealed. JJ Chalmers is tucks into some breakfast to find out George III ’s eating habits, Raksha Dave roots out the hidden horrors in Queen Charlotte’s royal hairdo and the king who really shook up the castle is uncovered.
Episode 3: Victoria and Albert
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert move into the castle, dragging it into the present day.
The most in love couple in royal history move into the castle, Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. After honeymooning at Windsor, they fall in love with the place, and Albert drags the castle into the 19th century, including updating it with a modern sewer system, and 139 flushable toilets. Xand Van Tulleken tries out the Victorian facial fashion fad that had the queen all a flutter.
Episode 4: Party of the Century
What did a teenage Elizabeth II get up to while staying at the castle during WWII?
Edward VII, formerly a playboy prince, transformed Windsor into his ultimate party palace. JJ Chalmers finds out all about his shindig of the century that saw 8,000 revelers on the East Lawns. Just a few short years later, the castle once again protected a monarch, this time sheltering a young Princess Elizabeth during the Second World War. But what did a teenage Elizabeth get up to at Windsor?
Episode 5: Elizabeth Moves In
What were the castle kitchens cooking up for Queen Elizabeth II during the 1970s?
A young family moves into the castle when Queen Elizabeth II takes to the throne. Having enjoyed a fabulous childhood at the castle, she hopes her own children will love it just as much. JJ Chalmers puts his apron on to discover what the castle kitchens were cooking up for the Queen in the 1970s. And the one-of-a-kind invite that could get you through the castle doors is revealed.
Episode 6: The Golden Jubilee
Windsor Castle enters the new millennium with a bang, as a Golden Jubilee is celebrated.
Windsor Castle enters the new millennium with a bang as Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee is celebrated. After the horrors of the 1990s, it’s a fresh start for the Queen and the castle she loved. But the 21st century brings new challenges for Windsor unlike anything it had seen in its 1,000-year history: the COVID 19 pandemic. Can the castle survive and what does its future look like?
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