The British Royal Family

The Royal Family comprise the official monarchy of the United Kingdom and its dependencies, and Her Majesty Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in their history.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in Windsor
St George's Chapel of Windsor Castle
Built in the fourteenth century, St George's Chapel at Windsor has played host to numerous royal weddings and funerals and is one of England's most visited sites.
Windsor Castle
Built in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, Windsor Castle is the oldest continuously occupied palace in Europe.
Queen Mary's Doll House
Queen Mary's Dolls' House is the largest dolls' house in the world. Built between 1921 and 1924 for Queen Mary, consort of George V, by the leading British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, it includes contributions from over 1,500 of the finest artists, craftsmen and manufacturers of the early twentieth century.
State Apartments
The State Apartments are used by The Queen and members of the Royal Family to host official visits by Heads of State from other countries, investitures, and awards ceremonies.
Eton - Berkshire
Best known as the location of Eton College, the town of Eton and the village of Eton Wick are situated directly across the River Thames from the town of Windsor in Royal Berkshire.
The Long Walk
This impressive 3 miles long tree-lined avenue begins at the George IV Gateway at Windsor Castle and ends at the magnificent Copper Horse statue.

Related Tours

Windsor Castle & Eton Town: Private Full-Day Walking Tour
Enjoy a day exploring the historic towns of Eton and Windsor - including a guided tour of the majestic Windsor Castle. Windsor was said to be the favourite home of the late Queen Elizabeth II and is one of the oldest and largest inhabited working royal castles in the world. Eton is England's oldest and grandest school, famous for its uniform of white tie and black coat-tails, and was attended by Princes William and Harry.  

On your private full-day tour of Windsor and Eton you will:

  • Meet your private guide at Windsor & Eton Central train station;
  • Enjoy a pleasant stroll through the historic town of Royal Windsor;
  • Explore the beautiful grounds and gardens of Windsor Castle  with your guide;
  • Enjoy a fully guided tour of St George's Chapel the medieval gothic church situated within the grounds of the castle;
  • See the royal crypt where the late Queen Elizabeth II is buried alongside ten other monarchs;
  • Visit inside the majestic State Apartments including St George's Hall;
  • Enjoy a well-deserved lunch break in Windsor (not included) and some free time;
  • Reconvene with your guide and walk across Thomas Telford’s bridge to visit Eton town;
  • See the outside of Eton College, a bastion of traditional British education, where princes and prime ministers have studied;
  • Pop into one of the country's most renowned tailors, where the college's famous uniforms are made, and perhaps learn to tie to the illustrious 'Windsor knot'. 
  • Enjoy some free time in Eton or Windsor Great Park at the end of your tour - or let your guide escort you back to the train station. 

After meeting your guide at the train station, your tour begins with a pleasant stroll through the historic town of Windsor, where your guide will tell you about its fascinating thousand-year history. William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales have moved to Windsor - so you might see them on the school run if you're lucky! 

After passing through security, enjoy a guided tour of Windsor Castle and its gardens. Construction began in 1070 by William the Conqueror. In 1992 a fire devastated great swathes of the castle. Meticulous reconstruction work was directed by Prince Philip and took 5 years to complete. 

Begin with a tour of St. George's Chapel the spectacular medieval gothic church, named for the patron saint of England. the chapel is very special to the royal family and has hosted many royal funerals, baptisms, and weddings. It is where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married, and it is where the final part of the Queen's funeral took place. She is now buried in the royal crypt beneath, alongside her husband, her sister, her parents, and ten other monarchs, including Henry VIII (he of the six wives), Charles I (he who lost his head) and George III (who went mad). 

The state apartments are where royal ceremonies take place to this very day - from entertaining visiting heads of state to investitures and awards ceremonies. Your guide will give you a detailed history of the place, before showing you the entrance where you will be given an audio guide, as guides are not allowed to tour inside. 

You'll see the grand reception room with its sparkling chandeliers, the grand St George's Hall with its medieval suits of armour, where many royal banquets take place for the Order of the Garter, the various opulent and ornate drawing rooms, Queen Mary's Dolls House famous for its exquisite intricacy, and the impressive Waterloo dining chamber.  

After a lunch break in Windsor, wander over the bridge for a guided tour of the pretty town of Eton. See the exterior of Eton College (not open to the public). Eton is Britain's most prestigious school, famous for its traditional uniform of black coat-tails and white tie dating back to the middle ages. 

Its famous alumni include 20 prime ministers, Oscar winners such as Eddie Redmayne, writers such as Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels, and Princes William and Harry. Explore the town and pop into one of the country's most famous tailors, where the college's uniforms are made, and perhaps learn to tie to the illustrious 'Windsor knot'.

Please note
- As Windsor Castle is a working royal palace, sometimes the entire Castle or the State Apartments within the Castle need to be closed at short notice. We will endeavour to be in touch with you as soon as we have this information. 
- The Tailor shop will only be visited on tours running on weekdays (not on weekends or bank holidays) as the shops are closed. 
Windsor Castle & St George's Chapel: Private Half-Day Walking Tour
Enjoy a guided tour of Windsor Castle, St George's Chapel, the castle grounds and the historic town of Royal Windsor on this fascinating half-day tour.  Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest working royal castle in the world (begun in 1070) and was reputedly the favourite residence of the late Queen Elizabeth II. She is now buried in the royal crypt beneath St George's Chapel. 

On your private tour of Windsor, you will:

  • Meet your private guide at the entrance of the Windsor & Eton Riverside train station;
  • Enjoy a walking tour of the historic town of Windsor- if you're lucky you might bump into the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children!
  • Walk towards the majestic Windsor Castle
  • Visit the State Apartments, which are used by the Royal Family for ceremonial occasions;
  • Admire the opulence of the grand reception room and the medieval grandeur of St George's Hall;
  • Enjoy the graceful crimson and gold Queen's drawing rooms and hear about royal banquets in the Waterloo Chamber; 
  • See Queen Mary's exquisite dollhouse - inclusive of a library, globe, and leatherback chairs, which took over three years to complete;
  • Enjoy a fully guided tour of St George's Chapel, a medieval gothic church used by the royal family for private and state occasions from baptisms to weddings and funerals;
  • See where Prince Harry & Meghan Markle got married, and where the late Queen Elizabeth II's funeral ended;
  • Enter the royal crypt where several monarchs lie in rest, including King Henry VIII, King Charles I, and most recently Queen Elisabeth II alongside her husband, sister and parents;
  • End back at the train station or enjoy leisure time exploring more of Windsor Great Park where the late Queen liked to ride her horses!

Meet your guide at Windsor train station and enjoy a walk through Windsor’s medieval cobbled streets with their timber-framed houses to see the Long Walk, a three-mile avenue connecting the Castle to the Great Park, and on down to the Thames Riverside with its colourful boats and royally-owned swans.

Walk to Windsor Castle for a guided tour of this historic royal fortress, medieval stronghold, and working royal palace. 

Once you're through security, enjoy wandering around the beautiful gardens and grounds of this ancient castle as your guide tells you its fascinating history, from the time it was first built by William the Conqueror in 1070, to the devastating fire of 1992 to most recently where the late Queen Elizabeth II's funeral ended at St George's Chapel. 

Windsor Castle was Queen Elizabeth II's favourite royal residence; she and Prince Philip lived here during the pandemic, and the royal family use it today for ceremonial occasions such as State Visits from foreign countries, investiture and awards ceremonies. It is the largest and oldest working royal castle in the world! 

Visit St George's Chapel - a stunning medieval Gothic church where many royal occasions have taken place over the centuries, from baptisms to weddings and funerals. Most recently this is where Prince Philip's funeral took place, and where the Queen's state funeral ended. Enjoy a fully guided tour of this historic chapel, and see the royal crypt where the Queen is now buried alongside her family and other monarchs including Henry VIII (with his favourite wife Jane Seymour) and King Charles I (who lost his head!). 

Explore the State Apartments, (with an audio guide included - tour guides are not allowed to tour inside) where you will see the magnificent rooms,  including St. George’s Hall, the Grand Reception Room, the Queen's Drawing Room, and the Waterloo Chamber. Admire Old Master paintings, medieval suits of armour, the opulence of the chandeliers, and priceless furniture. 

Soak up the historic majesty of the place! Learn all about investiture ceremonies and state visits, and admire Queen Mary's exquisite doll house that took three years to make. Learn about the late Queen's daily life here - and how she loved to walk her corgis and ride her horses in Windsor Great Park. 

Please note: As Windsor Castle is a working royal palace, sometimes the entire Castle or the State Apartments within the Castle need to be closed at short notice. We will endeavour to be in touch with you as soon as we have this information. 

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