Who lives at Windsor Castle, who owns it and is it open to the public?

Windsor Castle was one of the late Queen Elizabeth’s favourite homes and the Royal Family have never shied away from giving us some amazing glimpses inside.

Nestled in the beautiful Berkshire countryside, Windsor Castle is a historic royal residence that has become even more iconic over the years. It was here that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tied the knot in 2018, where Queen Elizabeth spent so much of the final years of her reign and where she was laid to rest in 2022. Nearby are so many other royal homes, from the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Adelaide Cottage, to the Royal Lodge and Bagshot Park where Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward live. However, Windsor Castle is a working palace rather than a private royal residence like them and some people might be intrigued about who lives at Windsor Castle now and what it looks like inside this special residence.

Who lives at Windsor Castle?

No-one currently lives at Windsor Castle, although since it’s close to the Prince and Princess of Wales’s Adelaide Cottage home, they do sometimes undertake duties there. In October 2024, Kate attended her first public engagement since she completed her cancer treatment at Windsor Castle when she met with Liz Hatton after an investiture ceremony. King Charles has also hosted multiple receptions at Windsor Castle, including one held in 2023 in honour of US President Joe Biden and one for the recipients of The King’s Award For Enterprise.

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Throughout much of the late Queen Elizabeth’s reign she also didn’t permanently live at Windsor Castle. Instead, she went there at specific times or year, such as Easter for her Easter Court. This referred to the month over Easter where she often took up official residence at Windsor Castle and hosted events for guests.

The late monarch also used to live there for a week in June for the Order of the Garter service and Royal Ascot. During the pandemic, Queen Elizabeth and her late husband Prince Philip relocated to Windsor Castle where they lived together during the UK’s lockdowns. Queen Elizabeth then continued to live primarily in Berkshire following Prince Philip’s death and until she passed away in 2022. It was at Windsor that Prince Philip was laid to rest in April 2021 and Queen Elizabeth was buried alongside her late husband at St George’s Chapel.

Today, Windsor Castle might not have anyone living there all the time but it's still the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. It's also a working palace and it's history dates right back to the Norman conquest. It was built by William the Conqueror originally and he's said to have chosen the site because of how high up above the River Thames it was and because it was near to a Saxon hunting ground. According the Royal Collection Trust, King William reportedly never lived there himself.

Instead he used it as a defensive base at the time and the castle went on to be extended by various monarchs that succeeded him, including Edward III. King Edward is said to have intended Windsor Castle to be the centre of his government and his court in the 14th-century.

In the 1840s, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were said to love the palace and reportedly spent the majority of their year at Windsor Castle. Throughout her reign, it was understood to be the principle palace of the British monarchy. Windsor Castle is also where Queen, Elizabeth II, and her late sister, Princess Margaret, were sent as children during the Second World War, while their parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth remained living in London.

Who owns Windsor Castle?

Strange as it might sound, Windsor Castle is not owned by King Charles, but by The Crown Estate in “right of the Crown”. This means that it is owned by King Charles for as long as he is monarch and not by him personally, with ownership passing from Sovereign to Sovereign. It isn’t unusual for this to be the case for royal residences and many other iconic royal homes are owned by The Crown Estate too, including Buckingham Palace. As monarch, King Charles has the right to live there, but chooses not to make Windsor Castle his full-time home.

Is Windsor Castle open to the public?

Windsor Castle is open to the public at certain times of year and tours are available that give fans a unique glimpse inside the King’s Berkshire home. Visitors can see the State Apartments, Semi-State Rooms, and St George’s Chapel where both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank got married, as well as several other highlights.

As stated by the Royal Collection Trust, Windsor Castle is currently closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and as it is still a working palace, sometimes the Castle and the State Apartments need to be closed at short notice. The Semi-State Rooms will be closed all day on 11th November 2024 and it’s recommended that you book in advance to guarantee entry if you want to visit Windsor Castle. Prices are listed on their website and tickets include a multimedia tour.

What does Windsor Castle look like inside?

Unlike some residences, like Bagshot Park where Duchess Sophie and Prince Edward live, the interiors of Windsor Castle have been seen a lot over the years. It’s made up of private rooms for the reigning monarch and the Royal Family to use when they’re there, as well as public rooms where official royal duties can be conducted.

These public rooms are often seen in videos and pictures shared by the Royal Family over the years and if you don’t have time to pay an in-person visit, you can also take an amazing virtual tour of three rooms at Windsor Castle via the Royal Family’s website.

These include the Waterloo Chamber, Crimson Drawing Room and the State Banquet Hall where many magnificent royal events have been held. As you can see from the tours, the colour scheme inside Windsor Castle features a lot of red and gold and beautifully crafted furniture in traditional styles. There is a lot of wooden panelling in the Waterloo Chamber and State Banquet Room which also have a series of portraits on the walls.

The floors are covered with immense patterned rugs that reflect the colour palette of the rest of the rooms and add a touch of textural contrast. The chairs and sofas are all upholstered with golden-toned frames that are so luxurious and fit in perfectly with their grand surroundings.

These interiors are just what you might expect from a royal residence and a video shared by the official Royal Family YouTube Channel gives a detailed look inside as well, focusing on the State Apartments and St George’s Chapel. The State Apartments have arms and armour on display in them, as well as silver gilt and sculpture that accentuate Windsor Castle’s splendour.