Windsor Castle is English history in a nutshell, and what a majestic nutshell it is! The site has been the official residence of kings and queens from William the Conqueror to the present day. Royals have been born, married and buried in the castle.
Windsor Castle began its life as a wooden fort built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, and later kings and queens had a hand in its evolution. Henry II pulled down the wooden buildings and rebuilt it in stone. George IV turned it into a palace. In 1917, King George V chose the castle's name as the Royal Family's, replacing the old one, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. From that time, the name of the monarchy would be the House of Windsor.