… and your ultimate guide to enjoying summer like royalty
You can spend time in the garden the Queen has loved since childhood
STROLL IN THE QUEEN’S WINDSOR CASTLE GARDEN
When the Queen had a special rose planted in her garden at Windsor Castle to mark the 100th anniversary of her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh’s birth, the world got a rare glimpse of the monarch in one of her favourite places.
Stretching out beneath her private apartments, the beautifully landscaped East Terrace Garden was the place where Her Majesty enjoyed a spot of fresh air and exercise during lockdowns.
Now, with the monarch at her Scottish holiday home Balmoral for the summer, you too can spend time in the garden she’s loved since childhood.
For the second summer running, East Terrace Garden is open to the public after remaining under wraps for 40 years. Until September, weekend tickets to Windsor Castle include entry to the Queen’s private
sgarden, which includes 3,500 rose bushes and a bronze lotus fountain centrepiece designed by Prince Philip himself, as well as the newly planted Duke of Edinburgh rose.
Founded by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world and has been home to 39 monarchs. It’s where the Queen traditionally spends her weekends, but during the pandemic she and Philip relocated there full time and formed a bubble with their staff.
East Terrace Garden was created in the 1820s for George IV and designed by architect Sir Jeffry Wyatville; Philip redesigned the flowerbeds some years ago and the garden is particularly special to Her Majesty. During the Second World War, the then Princess Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret, used to enjoy growing vegetables there after each being assigned a small plot of land, while Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were woken each New Year’s Day by a band playing on the East Terrace outside their window.
PRINCESS PASTIMES
Inside the castle, you can see huge pictures of fairytale characters that used to provide the backdrop for Elizabeth and Margaret’s charity pantomimes during the war. You can also wander through the magnificent State Apartments and visit an exhibition commemorating the Duke’s life, Prince Philip: A Celebration, which runs until 20 September and has as its centrepiece the robe and coronet he wore at the Queen’s coronation in 1953.
Meanwhile, if you want to get up close to where the Duke and
Duchess of Sussex tied the knot in 2018 in front of a host of Hollywood stars, you can step inside St George’s Chapel, the magnificent medieval church that was also the wedding venue for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the Earl and Countess of Wessex and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.
Outside the castle walls in Great Windsor Park, open- air performances of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on The Lawns by the Chapterhouse Theatre Company are sold out this year, but if you’re inspired by the Queen, who still rides in the park at the age of 95, why not enjoy a carriage ride tour, taking in views of the castle and the Long Walk while coachmen share stories and royal history passed down through generations.
For more information, visit rct.uk.