0:00:21 > 0:00:26Windsor Castle is the ultimate monument to English tradition.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28But it's also more than that.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32It's a building that at different times in our history has stood
0:00:32 > 0:00:34as a symbol of momentous change.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Windsor is the oldest, and the largest
0:00:55 > 0:00:58inhabited castle in the world.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02It's been home to the country's monarchs for almost 1,000 years.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07And it certainly looks every inch an ancient medieval fortress.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10But the fascinating thing with this castle
0:01:10 > 0:01:14is that not everything about it is as it seems.
0:01:21 > 0:01:26From the outside, the heavy stone battlements and looming towers
0:01:26 > 0:01:29make it a forbidding spectacle.
0:01:29 > 0:01:36Yet what makes it so special is how a castle was transformed into a palace.
0:01:41 > 0:01:47Because Windsor is the creation of different monarchs, each with their own style and ambition.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52The elegant rooms, the works of art, the grand
0:01:52 > 0:01:54and the intimate,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58the strange and the exotic.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02During its long life, Windsor has been many things -
0:02:02 > 0:02:06a home to medieval chivalry and romance,
0:02:06 > 0:02:12a baroque palace to restore royal fortunes after a king lost his head,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and an architectural fantasy.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13The state apartments at the heart of Windsor seem a world apart
0:03:13 > 0:03:17from the stern castle walls that enclose them.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21So many objects within these rooms
0:03:21 > 0:03:27have stories to tell of the nation's history, through all its shifting fortunes.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Of all the treasures of Windsor Castle, perhaps this extraordinary painting speaks
0:03:39 > 0:03:44most powerfully of the glory, and in some cases the tragedy
0:03:44 > 0:03:47of the monarchs who passed through here.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50This unusual triple-headed study is of Charles I
0:03:50 > 0:03:52at the height of his powers.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54And the artist, Van Dyck,
0:03:54 > 0:03:59was asked to paint it this way as a study for a later sculpture.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01But it's a masterpiece in its own right.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05I mean, look at the quality of the fabrics, for example.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14And then how he's captured the character
0:04:14 > 0:04:20of King Charles and his air of melancholy.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24And, in fact, when you look at it, you can't help but remember
0:04:24 > 0:04:27that this is a king who soon lost his head,
0:04:27 > 0:04:31at a dark and uncertain time for the nation.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44Windsor Castle is full of gems like this - objects that are not only
0:04:44 > 0:04:47beautiful in themselves, but are also clues
0:04:47 > 0:04:51to the lives of the kings and queens who, in their different ways,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54have helped shape this unique building.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03The castle's story begins with William the Conqueror.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Around 1070, just a few years after he'd invaded England,
0:05:06 > 0:05:12William chose to build a fortress at Windsor, at the top of a steep chalk cliff.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16He chose this location for a good reason.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26This is easily the highest spot for miles around.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29You'd have seen the enemy coming from a long way off.
0:05:29 > 0:05:35And strategically it was important too, commanding the main route west out of London.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54In its early years, the castle was a military machine,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58designed to maintain tight control of the land around it.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05The original appearance of that ancient castle is now almost hidden by later changes...
0:06:07 > 0:06:12..but if you know where to look, you can still find evidence of its war-like origins.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22Now, this is an office just tucked away in a corner of Windsor Castle.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24But look under here.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27As if by magic,
0:06:27 > 0:06:29just lift these,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and the medieval castle emerges.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Because if you were a soldier
0:06:36 > 0:06:38in Windsor under siege, you'd need a way to get out.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43And this is the secret passage.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55This is exactly what it looked like
0:06:55 > 0:06:59in the 1200s. You can see it's wide enough to accommodate
0:06:59 > 0:07:03a whole army of men, you can imagine them rushing down the stairs,
0:07:03 > 0:07:06and it leads out on to the street.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10And this is the clever bit - they'd then be able to sneak up
0:07:10 > 0:07:13on the enemy and attack them from behind.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23For nearly three centuries,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27the castle remained more of a fortress than a royal home.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31But one king's dream of a more heroic England
0:07:31 > 0:07:33was to change that completely.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Edward III came to the throne in 1327
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Windsor castle is Edward III's birthplace
0:07:42 > 0:07:46and he is associated with Windsor Castle from the day of his birth.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49That's not just because it's where he came from,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52it's also because he is prophesied
0:07:52 > 0:07:55to be the great king that comes out of Windsor, who will conquer France,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58the saviour of England and who will achieve great things.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02So his fortunes are bound up with Windsor Castle from day one.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11The Windsor prophecy would soon become a reality,
0:08:11 > 0:08:15as Edward led England to victory against the French.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23But perhaps Edward's greatest achievement was at Windsor Castle itself.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34Edward III had a new vision for the castle.
0:08:34 > 0:08:40He would transform Windsor into the home of English chivalry - a new Camelot.
0:08:45 > 0:08:51This would be an age of courtly love, when knights sought honour
0:08:51 > 0:08:53both in battle, and in romance.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03Edward created a new order of knights - the Order of the Garter.
0:09:04 > 0:09:10His dream was to recreate the glories of the Round Table and the Court of King Arthur.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19The first tournament of the Order of the Garter is held on St George's Day, 1349.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21That is at the very height of the Black Death,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24when 40% of the country is dying around him.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Even in the face of this terrible calamity that had come to England,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34it's a demonstration
0:09:34 > 0:09:37that it's royalty as usual, it's business as usual,
0:09:37 > 0:09:42it's Edward being a king as usual.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46So the Order of the Garter is a powerful symbol.
0:09:52 > 0:09:58For centuries to come, Windsor would remain home to Edward's illustrious order of knights.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02And his vision would culminate in one of the finest of all medieval buildings -
0:10:02 > 0:10:09the spectacular St George's Chapel, spiritual home of the Order of the Garter.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20There are some wonderful details on the building, like the animals
0:10:20 > 0:10:24known as the King's Beasts that perch along the top.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32There are 76 of these heraldic creatures in all -
0:10:32 > 0:10:34such as the bull for bravery,
0:10:34 > 0:10:40the griffin for vigilance, the unicorn for strength,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43the swan for grace and perfection.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52But what makes St George's Chapel so special is the soaring windows.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Gothic architecture was all about height and light.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01And the sheer quantity of stained glass held up by delicate stone tracery
0:11:01 > 0:11:07makes the interior feel vast and almost supernaturally lit.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Once inside, rows of carved stone angels
0:11:28 > 0:11:35draw the eye up to one of the last great flowerings of English gothic -
0:11:35 > 0:11:39this magnificent fan vault ceiling,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42studded with badges of the Knights of the Garter.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50The legacy of the Garter has endured.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54It is now the oldest surviving order of chivalry in the world.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06But by the 1500s, the medieval world of Edward III
0:12:06 > 0:12:08was well and truly over.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12England would enjoy a time of relative peace and plenty.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21So castles everywhere were falling out of favour.
0:12:23 > 0:12:28English kings and queens began to value comfort over battlements.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38But the castles of England, and Windsor among them,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42were to have one last day in the firing line.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51By the 1640s, the country was in the grip of a bitter civil war.
0:12:53 > 0:12:58Castles were once more being used to fight bloody battles.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05The King himself, Charles I, was captured and imprisoned here,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07in his own royal castle.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09A month later, he was executed.
0:13:13 > 0:13:19After a public beheading in Whitehall, Charles's body was buried at Windsor.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25Monarchy was abolished, and Oliver Cromwell was in charge.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31Cromwell's men set about flogging off all the King's assets.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36Now, Charles I was the first great royal art collector, and there was
0:13:36 > 0:13:42a monumental quantity of paintings and precious objects to be disposed of.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Windsor Castle itself was very nearly sold off,
0:13:44 > 0:13:49but parliament voted by the narrowest of margins to keep it.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51It was a low point for the castle,
0:13:51 > 0:13:56and yet it paved the way for a glittering transformation.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11Within the walls of the castle, the son of Charles I, Charles II,
0:14:11 > 0:14:17created a sumptuous palace, to revive once more the glories of royalty.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22It was a bold move after the anti-monarchist years
0:14:22 > 0:14:25of Cromwell's republic, when it had seemed impossible
0:14:25 > 0:14:29a king would ever again sit on the English throne.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35If Charles II was going to avoid losing his head like his father,
0:14:35 > 0:14:40he needed to re-establish a clear sense of royal authority.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42And Windsor Castle was key to his plan.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Right from the start of his reign in 1660,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Charles wanted to reconnect with the royal past.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00But he set about it with a flamboyance never before seen in England.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08This is the King's dining room, and appropriately enough, the theme is food.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Just look at this amazing ceiling
0:15:11 > 0:15:13painted by the celebrated Antonio Verrio.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18And it certainly lives up to its title, The Banquet Of The Gods.
0:15:24 > 0:15:30Charles chose to create his palace in the latest style sweeping through Europe - baroque.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35Its grandeur and ambition proclaimed the restoration of the monarchy.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41I think the Baroque style
0:15:41 > 0:15:46fitted very well with Charles II's sense of what monarchy looked like,
0:15:46 > 0:15:51it was big, bold, it smacked you on the chops.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55It's not a restrained style, it's kind of exuberant, it's colourful,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and it's full of human beings.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01It's kind of fleshy, if you like.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04It really was like a fabulous stage set.
0:16:07 > 0:16:13For the walls, Charles employed the master carver, Grinling Gibbons,
0:16:13 > 0:16:18to create some of the plumpest, most luscious fruit, flowers and animals
0:16:18 > 0:16:20you'll ever see in wood.
0:16:22 > 0:16:29Charles II spared no expense in reflecting the glory of his rule.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34And certainly, anyone walking in here would know immediately that
0:16:34 > 0:16:39the austerity of the Cromwell years was over, and a new era had dawned.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50And where Charles's father had been seen as cold and distant,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Charles knew he needed to be more approachable -
0:16:52 > 0:16:55albeit in a suitably regal way.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59So he created a new architecture for a new court.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12This sequence of rooms gives us a good idea of how the system worked.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16You started off in the larger, more public rooms,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19and then depending on your importance and status,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22you'd be allowed to penetrate further and further
0:17:22 > 0:17:26into the private rooms, and therefore closer to the King.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31And you'd know you'd made it if you got this far.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33This is the King's bedchamber.
0:17:33 > 0:17:34He didn't actually sleep here -
0:17:34 > 0:17:37that was in a private, smaller room elsewhere.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41But this is where he would perform a ritualised getting-out-of-bed
0:17:41 > 0:17:45called a levee, which is an idea he brought over from France.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49And he would actually get out of bed in his underclothes,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52the pages of the body would dress him, and those
0:17:52 > 0:17:55lucky enough to be invited in to watch could take the opportunity
0:17:55 > 0:17:57to have an informal word with the King.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01A bit of networking, if you like.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08Charles II had a PR job on his hands to reinforce that message
0:18:08 > 0:18:12that monarchy is the most glorious thing,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15to which everybody must instinctively owe their loyalty.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19But he does it in a way that makes people feel warm towards him,
0:18:19 > 0:18:24because what he does is push back the boundary of where the sort of closed door is, so that people are
0:18:24 > 0:18:26able to come into his inner rooms
0:18:26 > 0:18:30and see him doing a lot of domestic things that no-one would have...
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Only a really small number of people would have seen Charles I doing.
0:18:38 > 0:18:43Within two years of Charles's restoration as king, he married.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49The new queen arrived in England in April 1662.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03This spectacular scene on the ceiling is of Charles's Portuguese wife,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Catherine of Braganza.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10She's being transported up on the clouds of heaven,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14and winged zephyrs are supporting her billowing canopy.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24But in reality, Catherine had a lot to put up with.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29She often felt upstaged by Charles's string of mistresses,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32most notably the luscious Nell Gwyn.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Charles's wife had an almost impossible position, really.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45He was fond of her, and when she arrived at Court he said,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48"I want to be the best husband I could possibly be" to her,
0:19:48 > 0:19:50his intentions were good.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53But the kind of, you know, the attractions of the beauties
0:19:53 > 0:19:57of his Court proved too much of an eye-catch for him.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01So he doesn't remain faithful to her.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05But the thing that was the real killer for her was that she wasn't able to have children,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09and as a Queen, this is your primary role, is to provide an heir.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11And she was obviously haunted by it.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21In the end, Charles stuck by his wife -
0:20:21 > 0:20:25but he was always seen as the king who loved pleasure,
0:20:25 > 0:20:29whether it was women or art.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33And to furnish his magnificent new palace at Windsor,
0:20:33 > 0:20:38he resolved to restore the fortunes of the royal art collection.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53Most of it had been sold off by Cromwell to repay debts.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Now Charles began to hunt it down and reclaim it.
0:21:02 > 0:21:08Some of it was easy - from Cromwell's widow alone, he managed to retrieve 17 cartloads
0:21:08 > 0:21:10of paintings and sculptures
0:21:10 > 0:21:15and other precious objects. And this room is a kind of memorial
0:21:15 > 0:21:17to just a tiny selection
0:21:17 > 0:21:23of Charles I's paintings, here by great Italian Renaissance masters.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25There's one in particular that caught my eye.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29This is thought to be by Titian.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32On first appraisal, it looks like the artistic equivalent
0:21:32 > 0:21:35of a top-shelf magazine.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41But no-one's quite sure what's happening in this painting.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46Has the young woman fainted, and the man is actually feeling her heartbeat,
0:21:46 > 0:21:51or is she a faithless wife, he is her lover and that's her cuckolded husband behind her?
0:21:51 > 0:21:55There's a lot of mystery surrounding this painting.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58But one thing's for sure, it's rather saucy.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Charles was both sensuous and serious in his love of the arts.
0:22:19 > 0:22:25And nothing has a more important place in the collection that Charles assembled
0:22:25 > 0:22:30than the drawings of the Renaissance artist and anatomist Leonardo da Vinci.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Now, tell me about this book.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39This album, which is now empty, was the album in which 600 drawings
0:22:39 > 0:22:44by Leonardo came to England in the 17th century, into the collection in the reign of Charles II.
0:22:44 > 0:22:50So the largest quantity of Leonardo drawings of flowers, of plants...
0:22:50 > 0:22:51And his studies for paintings,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54The Last Supper, Madonna and Child with St Anne, all in here.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56And so then they were cut out, were they?
0:22:56 > 0:23:02Well, they were removed, shall we say, in Queen Victoria's reign for individual mounting,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06so they could be exhibited, and to prevent them rubbing against each other on the pages.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10- And then this was originally in this book?- Yes.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11He's got this absolutely perfect,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14it's very tender, this little drawing, isn't it?
0:23:14 > 0:23:18It's a beautiful thing, little curled up figure with red chalk,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21feeling like flesh and blood. Very moving.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26- Incredible. And what about this, this is his famous mirror writing? - It's his backwards writing.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31- Yes, because he was left handed, he wrote throughout his life in mirror writing.- And why did he do that?
0:23:31 > 0:23:36We don't really know. It must have been simpler for him, as a left hander, without smudging the ink.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40And so all his writing here, what's he doing here, he's making notes about...?
0:23:40 > 0:23:44He would use these sheets as little mementoes and he would remind himself
0:23:44 > 0:23:49of whatever it was he was studying at any one time.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Now we've got both sides of the page here.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55Look at that.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Now what are we seeing here, is that a liver?
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Yes, it's a study of the internal organs of the foetus.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Leonardo clearly dissected pre-term children.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09Yuk! Were they allowed to do that?
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Yes, he was doing it in monastery hospitals in full knowledge of the church.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15In a Catholic country? How surprising.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20As long as it was done respectfully there was direct papal sanction to conduct this sort of work.
0:24:20 > 0:24:26When Charles II acquired these, would he have felt that they added to his stature as a monarch
0:24:26 > 0:24:28interested in the arts and in sciences?
0:24:28 > 0:24:32He clearly had an interest in the arts and the sciences, he founded the Royal Society.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34I think they would have been regarded
0:24:34 > 0:24:38primarily as a curiosity in many ways, rather than
0:24:38 > 0:24:41understood in the way we do today.
0:24:41 > 0:24:46- So they wouldn't have been regarded as works of art?- Yes, both works of art and scientific studies.
0:24:46 > 0:24:53Leonardo had a reputation at the time as a bizarre genius in some ways, and it was very obvious that he was
0:24:53 > 0:24:57taking the subject far beyond what anybody else at the time was doing.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01These drawings are unique, they are probably the jewel of the entire collection.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20By the time building work was completed on Charles's palace,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23he had only one year left to enjoy it.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26He died in 1685.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31For the next 100 years, Windsor went into decline,
0:25:31 > 0:25:35as successive monarchs chose to spend their time elsewhere.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48A series of watercolours by the artist Paul Sandby show that
0:25:48 > 0:25:53by the 1770s, parts of the castle had become almost a public thoroughfare.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57So what have we got here?
0:25:59 > 0:26:02This is a rather wonderful cross-section
0:26:02 > 0:26:05- of English life in the 1770s. - What's this chap doing?
0:26:05 > 0:26:13- This is a knife grinder, sparks coming off, and tiny boy for going up chimneys.- Black from head to foot.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17Black from head to foot, exactly, contrasting with these posh girls.
0:26:17 > 0:26:23This is the water carrier, this lady beating her mules, and behind is water.
0:26:23 > 0:26:29So was it just that anybody could kind of... Once the monarchs had started to live elsewhere,
0:26:29 > 0:26:31it just became open season at Windsor?
0:26:31 > 0:26:35People could just come in the gates and wander round as if it were a town?
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Up to a point, it was still a military garrison,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42and so you see in these views, you see soldiers around the place.
0:26:42 > 0:26:48And in one of them, you can see a lady in a red cloak.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53And one of the surviving printed instructions that we have says specifically
0:26:53 > 0:27:00- that ladies in red cloaks are not allowed into the quadrangle, the upper area.- Why?
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Cos that was considered a bit racy?
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Well, they were presumably people of ill repute.
0:27:05 > 0:27:10This sad lady has got a crutch and a basket and a red cloak.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12I think she's perhaps even lost her leg.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15She has, yes, I don't think she looks racy, but...
0:27:15 > 0:27:18- Indeed.- And what about this, what have we got here?
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Here it looks very run down, there's a door
0:27:21 > 0:27:25hanging off its hinges, so it's in a real state of disrepair.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28It looks like weeds are growing out of the top here.
0:27:28 > 0:27:35Yeah. And here you have a soldier chatting up a pretty girl here.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39While this chat-up is going on,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43this old crow is looking out of the window saying, "You stop that!"
0:27:43 > 0:27:47Meanwhile, there's a punch-up going on behind this gate which is about to fall off.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49Fisticuffs! Fantastic.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54So it gives the impression of a slightly run-down extension of the town.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Yes, indeed.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58And certainly not a royal castle.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14By now, the castle was little more than a public thoroughfare.
0:28:14 > 0:28:20Then, in 1776, George III decided to move the royal household back to Windsor.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25Though to begin with, they didn't actually live in the castle.
0:28:32 > 0:28:40Unlike his ancestor Charles II, George III was a much more sober, serious-minded kind of chap
0:28:40 > 0:28:43with simple taste and a love of the countryside.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45His nickname was Farmer George.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48And rather than move into this rambling old castle,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51he and his family chose to live in a much more modest building
0:28:51 > 0:28:54that once stood on this very spot - the Queen's Lodge.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57You can just imagine them gazing out their window
0:28:57 > 0:29:00at what was a dilapidated old castle -
0:29:00 > 0:29:03a bit like having an oversized romantic ruin
0:29:03 > 0:29:05at the bottom of your garden.
0:29:09 > 0:29:14Unlike George I and II - both born and raised in Germany -
0:29:14 > 0:29:19George III was eager to prove he was an English king through and through.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23He would restore Windsor Castle as a royal home.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25Repairs began in 1781.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36George and his family gradually moved into the castle
0:29:36 > 0:29:39that was always rather short on home comforts.
0:29:39 > 0:29:40There were no carpets for example -
0:29:40 > 0:29:42the King thought they were unhygienic.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44And it was always freezing.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48Queen Charlotte complained bitterly that, "This is the coldest house
0:29:48 > 0:29:52"that ever existed, and all idea of comfort is vanished with it."
0:30:08 > 0:30:12George III is often remembered as the King who went mad.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15It's now thought he suffered from porphyria,
0:30:15 > 0:30:19a chemical imbalance of the brain that caused bouts of insanity.
0:30:19 > 0:30:20In fact, when he was well,
0:30:20 > 0:30:25George was an intelligent, if eccentric, man who appreciated the arts.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32In 1789, when George III was 50
0:30:32 > 0:30:36and had recovered from his first serious bout of madness,
0:30:36 > 0:30:40this glorious china service was commissioned to celebrate his return to health.
0:30:40 > 0:30:45It's of the finest French Sevres porcelain, and it's a tea and coffee service.
0:30:45 > 0:30:50And you can see the plates here, each one with a cursive G for George...
0:30:50 > 0:30:53the coffee cups...
0:30:54 > 0:30:56..the tea cup...
0:30:56 > 0:30:59and the rather charming slops bowl, as it was known,
0:30:59 > 0:31:02where you could put the detritus from your plates.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06And each piece has a celebration of the King, if you like.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09So here, "Huzza the King is well!"
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Then we have...
0:31:11 > 0:31:16"The Patron of Arts", because George III founded the Royal Academy.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Then my particular favourite,
0:31:18 > 0:31:22"The Best of Fraters".
0:31:22 > 0:31:25That's supposed to be "The Best of Fathers", but it is French,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28so I suppose we can allow them the odd spelling mistake.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49When the King's reason finally deserted him for good,
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Windsor Castle became his prison.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56He was kept under lock and key for the sake of his own safety...
0:31:56 > 0:31:59and the safety of others.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08This remarkable and rather heartbreaking little portrait
0:32:08 > 0:32:12of George III is of him in the last few months of his life.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15And you won't see another royal portrait like this,
0:32:15 > 0:32:21because they are always designed to project status, power and wealth.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25And here, look, he's just a frail old man.
0:32:25 > 0:32:30And by this time, he was hopelessly mad, completely deaf,
0:32:30 > 0:32:33and he's staring into a middle distance he can't actually see,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36because he was completely blind as well.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Soon after this was painted, the King was dead.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55Now the crown passed to a very different character...
0:32:55 > 0:32:59his son, who would completely reinvent Windsor Castle.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06George IV has gone down in history
0:33:06 > 0:33:09as one of the most unpopular monarchs of all time -
0:33:09 > 0:33:13bloated, self-indulgent, ludicrously extravagant.
0:33:13 > 0:33:19But he had an eye for great art, and a real creative vision.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21And though it made him unpopular at the time,
0:33:21 > 0:33:23we're reaping the benefits now.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Because the Windsor Castle we see today,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29with its romantic skyline of turrets and battlements,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32is essentially George's creation.
0:33:40 > 0:33:46In 1824, George IV commissioned Windsor's most ambitious scheme yet,
0:33:46 > 0:33:49to transform the castle's hotchpotch of styles
0:33:49 > 0:33:52into a single gothic invention.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02Where there were plain walls, he spiced them up with parapets...
0:34:02 > 0:34:03arrow loops...
0:34:03 > 0:34:05gargoyles...
0:34:06 > 0:34:08..and pointed gothic arches.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13For George, the central Round Tower wasn't dramatic enough,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16so he added an extra 30 feet in height!
0:34:18 > 0:34:22His was a romantic idea of how a medieval castle should look.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28I think George IV is creating a fantasy castle, if you like.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31It's all about recapturing the past
0:34:31 > 0:34:34and identifying with those great medieval monarchs.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Often the great medieval fighting monarchs,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39like Edward III, like Henry V.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43It's his celebration of British history,
0:34:43 > 0:34:45almost to make people forget that his dynasty,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48of course, was intrinsically German.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58But inside the palace, George looked forward, not back.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15George modernised what was a draughty, run-down building
0:35:15 > 0:35:18with the greatest luxuries of the day,
0:35:18 > 0:35:21and filled it with his favourite art and furniture.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39George adored the grand and extravagant.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43And nobody did grand and extravagant better than the French.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46And luckily for George, while he was Prince of Wales,
0:35:46 > 0:35:51the French Revolution was happening, releasing a cultural goldmine of treasures.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55So, while the French aristocracy were being marched towards the guillotine,
0:35:55 > 0:35:59George had no scruples in snapping up their masterpieces -
0:35:59 > 0:36:02going cheap - and shipping them to England.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13George was the collector par excellence
0:36:13 > 0:36:18of objects that, to our eyes, look outrageously over the top.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23But they're undeniably examples of supreme craftsmanship.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29I think it's fair to say that George IV's motto
0:36:29 > 0:36:34could well have been, "Never knowingly underspent or understated."
0:36:34 > 0:36:39And this fabulous ornamental cup is a prime example of that.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42It's a masterpiece of its kind.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49It's from Germany, it's silver gilt and exquisitely carved ivory.
0:36:49 > 0:36:53And it's a hunting scene, so we've got Diana here, goddess of the hunt,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56surrounded by her sleeping nymphs
0:36:56 > 0:36:59and various animals associated with the hunt.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02We've got boars and rabbits here.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06And then here's Hercules, propping the whole lot up.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10And then more contemporary hunting scenes round here.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14Now, the thing is, when George IV bought this,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16it just wasn't quite splendid enough for him,
0:37:16 > 0:37:19so he had these ivy leaves added.
0:37:20 > 0:37:26And also emeralds, rubies and turquoise, just to make it...
0:37:26 > 0:37:28that little bit more splendid.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Oh, and these days, the cup has earned itself
0:37:31 > 0:37:35an affectionate nickname here at Windsor Castle - it's known as The Brain.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47George IV bought some marvellous things,
0:37:47 > 0:37:52but he had a butterfly mind, and his attention span was very short.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57He loved things when he got them, but week after, was either bored and tried to sell them
0:37:57 > 0:37:59or often tried to augment them.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03You know, putting gilt mounts on a piece, adding more jewels.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07It's a constant reinvention of his marvellous collection.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Sometimes George added such lavish embellishments to his treasures,
0:38:17 > 0:38:21it's hard to tell what they were originally designed for.
0:38:23 > 0:38:28Now, when I look at this fantastic confection of a clock, I must admit
0:38:28 > 0:38:31that the fact it's a clock is the last thing I notice,
0:38:31 > 0:38:33cos then you've got all this on top.
0:38:33 > 0:38:37This statuette was added on by George IV, wasn't it?
0:38:37 > 0:38:42Yes, George and the Dragon was very much a sort of castle symbol
0:38:42 > 0:38:43of the patron saint -
0:38:43 > 0:38:46you see George and the Dragon appear all over the castle.
0:38:46 > 0:38:51So he had this mid 17th-century piece put on top of the casket.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55- Now, this bit is a reliquary, isn't it? So for keeping holy relics.- Yes.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58And this book inside, what is it?
0:38:58 > 0:39:00That's General Gordon's Bible.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02- Which is from a different period? - Yes.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04General Gordon, the great Victorian military hero,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06who died at the siege of Khartoum.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08It's seen a bit of wear, this Bible, hasn't it?
0:39:08 > 0:39:12Yes, some people say that that's his blood on that page there.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Ooh! Ooh, my goodness.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18- But we can't be sure?- No.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20- It's a great story, though. - Yes, it is.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24The section with the clock face is from yet another period, isn't it?
0:39:24 > 0:39:29- Yes. The clock itself is from 1734. - So the time of George II.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34Absolutely. But George IV embellished it with all these scrolls here.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36Oh, I see, the dragons.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- Cos he loved the exotic, didn't he? - Yes, absolutely.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43And so we have the clock movement behind here and the organ down here.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45There's an organ in here? I thought it was a stand!
0:39:45 > 0:39:48No, it's an organ. It plays ten pieces by Handel,
0:39:48 > 0:39:53- five of which he arranged specially for the clock. - Can we hear it?- Yes, certainly.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03JAUNTY TUNE PLAYS
0:40:04 > 0:40:06- Fantastic!- Yes.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26Oh, that's almost frenetic! That's so fast, isn't it?
0:40:26 > 0:40:30- If I make it much slower, it doesn't get over the whole tune. - Oh, I see. Wow.- Yes.
0:40:37 > 0:40:44At the heart of Windsor Castle is a celebration of what George IV saw as his proudest moment.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49On the 18th June 1815, while George was still Prince Regent,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Britain had defeated Napoleon at Waterloo.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00After 16 years of war, at last there could be peace in Europe.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04For George, the victory would always feel somehow personal.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11George sees himself, rather oddly, as the nemesis of Napoleon,
0:41:11 > 0:41:14although in fact he plays, you know,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17only a walk-on role in Napoleon's defeat.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20His fantasy, increasingly as his reign wore on,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23was he really was at the Battle of Waterloo
0:41:23 > 0:41:25and he'd led the charge that won the battle,
0:41:25 > 0:41:30and of course he was King, so no-one said, "I think you're wrong there."
0:41:32 > 0:41:37And the perfect place for George to play out his heroic fantasy...
0:41:37 > 0:41:38was Windsor Castle.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51This room, today known as the Waterloo Chamber,
0:41:51 > 0:41:55is the final result of a tribute dreamt up by George IV
0:41:55 > 0:41:58and, typically, on a monumental scale.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03He commissioned these portraits of the great and the good,
0:42:03 > 0:42:07deemed to be key players in the defeat of Napoleon.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09And George himself is here, of course -
0:42:09 > 0:42:13he wanted to make sure he was counted among the heroes!
0:42:19 > 0:42:24But pride of place is given to a magnificent portrait of the Duke of Wellington,
0:42:24 > 0:42:28who of course led Britain's troops in the final battle against Napoleon.
0:42:28 > 0:42:29And just look at him!
0:42:29 > 0:42:34Grand, imposing, every inch a victor,
0:42:34 > 0:42:38brandishing his sword under a Roman-style triumphal arch.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43And if you look carefully in the background,
0:42:43 > 0:42:49you can just see a procession leading up to St Paul's Cathedral for a service of celebration.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03The nation's sense of relief at defeating Napoleon was overwhelming,
0:43:03 > 0:43:05rather like VE Day in 1945.
0:43:07 > 0:43:13Before long, there was a national craze for commemorative objects from the war.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15And one of the strangest mementos,
0:43:15 > 0:43:17which is kept here at Windsor Castle,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20is the musket ball that killed Admiral Nelson
0:43:20 > 0:43:22at the Battle of Trafalgar.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28So this is actually taken from Admiral Nelson's body.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32But you have part of his uniform and gold braid
0:43:32 > 0:43:35that came with the musket ball through his body.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39And also gold braid that's fused to the remains of the musket ball.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43Oh, yes, you can see the braid actually on the musket ball there.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45And without wishing to be too gruesome,
0:43:45 > 0:43:48the reason that is attached to the musket is because
0:43:48 > 0:43:51as it passed through his body, it took some of the braid with it?
0:43:51 > 0:43:53That's right, and his uniform.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56It hit his left shoulder, entered his lung,
0:43:56 > 0:43:59- severed some arteries and lodged in his spine.- Gosh.
0:43:59 > 0:44:01So he didn't stand a chance, did he?
0:44:01 > 0:44:04No, he died with his officers on the Victory.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07He's reputed to have said, "Kiss me, Hardy." I don't know if he did or not.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11Well, according to the... according to the accounts, he did.
0:44:11 > 0:44:12Right.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14Well, it was clearly an emotional moment.
0:44:14 > 0:44:16Who took this out of his body, then?
0:44:16 > 0:44:19Right, the ship's surgeon was called Dr William Beatty.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23- He took the musket ball and placed it in this locket.- Did he wear it?
0:44:23 > 0:44:26It's believed that he did, yeah.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29And he finally bequeathed it to William IV,
0:44:29 > 0:44:33who put it with, I think, a lot of pride into the Royal Collection.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37So it's an extraordinary treasure but very gruesome.
0:44:37 > 0:44:38It certainly is.
0:44:51 > 0:44:56George IV didn't live long enough to see his new apartments at Windsor completed.
0:44:57 > 0:45:01The first monarch who made full use of them was George's niece...
0:45:01 > 0:45:03Queen Victoria.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11Windsor Castle would become a playground
0:45:11 > 0:45:13for Victoria's young family...
0:45:16 > 0:45:20..as well as a place to entertain the grandest of visitors.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30But for Victoria, the castle ultimately became a place of grief.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34After her beloved Albert died of typhoid in 1861,
0:45:34 > 0:45:39she spent many hours secluded behind these walls, shrouded in black,
0:45:39 > 0:45:41earning herself the nickname "The Widow Of Windsor".
0:45:54 > 0:45:58Yet Windsor would once again become a symbol of the nation's identity.
0:45:59 > 0:46:05In the dark days of the First World War, Victoria's grandson, George V,
0:46:05 > 0:46:10dropped the royal family's German name of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
0:46:10 > 0:46:14So by proclamation on 17th July 1917,
0:46:14 > 0:46:18the Royal family became known as the House of Windsor.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29It's extraordinary to think that the name the royal family chose -
0:46:29 > 0:46:31and are still known by today -
0:46:31 > 0:46:33was the name of a building.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35THIS building.
0:46:35 > 0:46:39They chose it, because Windsor was the greatest symbol they had
0:46:39 > 0:46:43of Britain's strength and sovereignty.
0:46:49 > 0:46:55The House of Windsor was one of the few European monarchies to survive the First World War.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58And one of the most extraordinary objects at Windsor
0:46:58 > 0:47:02captures that moment of continuity.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13More than 1,000 of Britain's finest artists and craftsmen
0:47:13 > 0:47:17created Queen Mary's Dolls' House.
0:47:17 > 0:47:22It celebrated, in miniature, a very British way of life.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30One of my favourite rooms in the house
0:47:30 > 0:47:33is actually the wonderful King's Library, here.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35- Look at all the books! - I know - aren't they wonderful?
0:47:35 > 0:47:38All the contemporary authors of the day in Britain
0:47:38 > 0:47:40contributed a book to the library.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44And it's an absolutely astonishing record of the 1920s, of that period,
0:47:44 > 0:47:46of what was being done in literature.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49And is each book really a book?
0:47:49 > 0:47:50Absolutely, yes.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53I can show you the inside of a printed book, and you can see...
0:47:53 > 0:47:55The Tempest...look at that!
0:47:55 > 0:47:58Yes, this is a little copy of one of the volumes of Shakespeare.
0:47:58 > 0:47:59Incredible!
0:47:59 > 0:48:03So they were all especially bound for the Dolls' House.
0:48:03 > 0:48:04What about the furniture?
0:48:04 > 0:48:07Is that all made by the finest craftsmen of the time as well?
0:48:07 > 0:48:10Yes, and every single piece is made so beautifully
0:48:10 > 0:48:13and with incredible amount of detail.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17So if you open a drawer on a piece of furniture,
0:48:17 > 0:48:20you'll see that every piece has been dovetailed properly,
0:48:20 > 0:48:21and everything works.
0:48:21 > 0:48:22Can we open a drawer?
0:48:22 > 0:48:27I'll, um...try and give it a go.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29I've put you on the spot now.
0:48:29 > 0:48:30Right, that's...
0:48:30 > 0:48:33Oh, look at that! And then all the things inside!
0:48:33 > 0:48:36There's the King's stationery inside.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39And on top of here, you can see the despatch boxes,
0:48:39 > 0:48:41which were made for George V.
0:48:41 > 0:48:43What's that - "The King..."?
0:48:43 > 0:48:46- That says, "The King," and then his royal cipher on top.- Lord Chancellor.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48Yes.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51- And the clocks, are they real clocks?- Yes, yes.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54And they were made by Cartier. They do actually work.
0:48:54 > 0:48:56And the guns, look at those!
0:48:56 > 0:48:59I know, those were some of King George V's favourite objects.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01The first time the Dolls' House was seen by the public
0:49:01 > 0:49:04was at the Empire Exhibition in 1924.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06And that was to showcase British manufacturing
0:49:06 > 0:49:10- at its best, wasn't it? - Absolutely, yes.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17The Dolls' House is an evocative glimpse
0:49:17 > 0:49:19of a moment in time.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23Everything in it represents royal daily life
0:49:23 > 0:49:26exactly as it was in the early 1920s.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44One of the things that's interesting about the house
0:49:44 > 0:49:47is it's a real snapshot of life both above stairs and below stairs.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50Ooh, I love looking at downstairs.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52Yes, this is the wonderful kitchen.
0:49:52 > 0:49:56- And what have we got here? Look, Colman's mustard.- Yes, yes.
0:49:56 > 0:49:58And look at all the copper pots and pans.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00Yes, it was all perfectly made.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03And I just wanted to show you the kettle, this is rather fun,
0:50:03 > 0:50:04because it was actually...
0:50:04 > 0:50:08You can see, if you turn it over, it was made from a penny,
0:50:08 > 0:50:09and you can still see the King's head.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Oh, yes, there he is.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14His ear, the most prominent bit.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17Incredible. And what about all the plates here?
0:50:17 > 0:50:18Yes, they all have a K on,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21so they were clearly for kitchen use, not for upstairs.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23Lest anyone commit the terrible faux pas
0:50:23 > 0:50:26- of taking them above stairs. - That's right.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30And do you know what I really love as well, is the perfect...
0:50:30 > 0:50:34locks on the doors and the little brass light switches.
0:50:34 > 0:50:36I know, and they're in each room.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39Again, this shows the exact attention to detail.
0:50:44 > 0:50:48And not only is the house electrically wired throughout,
0:50:48 > 0:50:51it even has its own fully functioning plumbing!
0:50:58 > 0:51:03Of course, although this is in many ways just a country house,
0:51:03 > 0:51:04it is obviously a royal house,
0:51:04 > 0:51:07and we've got the crown jewels here in the little strongroom.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10There we are, complete replicas of the crown jewels -
0:51:10 > 0:51:12they've got real diamonds and real rubies.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16- Really?- Absolutely extraordinary. - We have got the orbs and sceptre,
0:51:16 > 0:51:18and they're gold, presumably.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22Yes, absolutely, all supplied again by the crown jewellers, Garrard's.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26And even the Prince of Wales' crown, coronet, is at the front there.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28How exquisite.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30Now a final surprise.
0:51:30 > 0:51:33You may not know this, there's a garden to this house,
0:51:33 > 0:51:37- it's hidden away at the moment.- Where is it?- Perhaps you'd like a look.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40- I would.- If I ask you to put these gloves on, then we can open it up.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43- Where is it, then? - It's just in this drawer down here.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46Oh, I see.
0:51:46 > 0:51:47How fascinating.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49So if you take this, it's quite heavy.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53- Right.- We need to pull it out as far as it'll go.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55- There we go. - Ooh, gosh, you weren't kidding.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57- Keep going, keep going?- Keep going.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01- And if you just gently pull the balustrade...- You sure?
0:52:01 > 0:52:04..it should just open up, there we go.
0:52:04 > 0:52:09- Ah, wow, look at that! - And there's the garden.
0:52:09 > 0:52:10Isn't it wonderful?
0:52:10 > 0:52:12Just wonderful.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16And then here, garden implements.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19- Yes, and even a baby's pram for the little...- The royal offspring?
0:52:19 > 0:52:22The royal offspring. Again, the detail is astonishing.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25Fantastic - old lawnmower there.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28And all hidden away.
0:52:28 > 0:52:29How ingenious!
0:52:40 > 0:52:42But Windsor Castle and all its treasures
0:52:42 > 0:52:48would face their darkest hour on Friday 20th November 1992.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55'Fire has swept through Windsor Castle
0:52:55 > 0:52:59'and it's still burning, and this is the scene from Windsor tonight.'
0:52:59 > 0:53:02'150 firemen have been battling the blaze,
0:53:02 > 0:53:05'which has caused millions of pounds' worth of damage.'
0:53:05 > 0:53:07'The fire apparently started in the private chapel,
0:53:07 > 0:53:10'on the first floor of the northeast wing of the castle.'
0:53:10 > 0:53:13As fire raged through the State apartments,
0:53:13 > 0:53:16suddenly it looked as if this historic building
0:53:16 > 0:53:19and all its contents might be lost forever.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Everyone in the castle fought to save what they could.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29'The then Director of the Royal Collection, Sir Hugh Roberts,
0:53:29 > 0:53:31'was part of the rescue operation.'
0:53:31 > 0:53:35On the day of the fire, the afternoon of the fire,
0:53:35 > 0:53:37I came into the end of this room here,
0:53:37 > 0:53:40and you could hear the noise of the fire
0:53:40 > 0:53:42- coming through at roof level. - How terrifying.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46It was, and the fire brigade, who were absolutely fantastic,
0:53:46 > 0:53:50marvellous over fighting the fire, said that this room would go,
0:53:50 > 0:53:53so would the next-door room, and there was no way of stopping it.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56The fire brought the whole ceiling down
0:53:56 > 0:53:58and brought everything else with it,
0:53:58 > 0:54:00including, of course, this chandelier,
0:54:00 > 0:54:05which we'd only just put back up after it had been rewired.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08And that was buried under a huge mound of debris.
0:54:08 > 0:54:12And the room was really burnt right back to the brick and to the stone
0:54:12 > 0:54:14and just open to the sky.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17So what happened in terms of the process of restoring this room?
0:54:17 > 0:54:20The decision was taken, I think and hope rightly,
0:54:20 > 0:54:24to put it back as it was and to follow the original designs.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28- And this was George IV's designs? - These were George IV's designs, yes.
0:54:28 > 0:54:33When this was burnt down, the fabrics for example had been put there in the '20s by Queen Mary?
0:54:33 > 0:54:37Queen Mary, yes. Yes, well, we've got that here, in fact, a piece of it which survives.
0:54:37 > 0:54:42It's a pattern called Torcello, and it's, as you can see,
0:54:42 > 0:54:47a huge pattern and actually really in many ways too big for the room.
0:54:47 > 0:54:53And we had this marvellous drawing from the 1820s,
0:54:53 > 0:54:55which was done for King George IV.
0:54:55 > 0:55:00And we could see what the original design more or less was,
0:55:00 > 0:55:05which was able to be copied for the walls and for the seat coverings.
0:55:05 > 0:55:11And of course, these drawings were all shown to George IV for him to approve.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14- And as you can see, he approved it. - Oh, yes, he signed it there.
0:55:14 > 0:55:19- So his attention to detail was incredible, then.- Yes.
0:55:19 > 0:55:22Now, at the time, when George IV created this room, it was...
0:55:22 > 0:55:26it was beyond extravagant, it was phenomenally extravagant.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28Obviously in '92, rather different times,
0:55:28 > 0:55:30so it had to be done presumably with an eye to the budget?
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Yes, I mean I think the view was that we should try
0:55:33 > 0:55:38and restore something of the magnificence that George IV was...
0:55:38 > 0:55:44attempting to do but without really spending quite the amount of money that he thought was normal.
0:55:44 > 0:55:45Without bankrupting the nation!
0:55:51 > 0:55:54Today, thanks to a team of specialist restorers,
0:55:54 > 0:55:58you'd never know there'd been such a catastrophe.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08The fire also led to some surprising discoveries.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17This is the oldest working kitchen in the country.
0:56:17 > 0:56:21Now, at first glance, it looks like a very impressive
0:56:21 > 0:56:24but modern standard industrial kitchen.
0:56:24 > 0:56:28But then look up and you'll see something quite different -
0:56:28 > 0:56:32the original medieval timbered ceiling.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37The ancient timbers were only revealed
0:56:37 > 0:56:41when layers of later alterations were stripped away by the fire.
0:56:47 > 0:56:52One of Windsor's grandest rooms did not fare so well.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56It was decided, instead of recreating it exactly the way it was,
0:56:56 > 0:56:59this would be an opportunity for fresh invention.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04This is St George's Hall,
0:57:04 > 0:57:10right by where the fire started, and it was completely destroyed.
0:57:10 > 0:57:15It was decided that craftsmen should try to recapture the medieval spirit of the hall
0:57:15 > 0:57:16but with a twist.
0:57:20 > 0:57:25The magnificent oak ceiling may seem like it's been here for centuries,
0:57:25 > 0:57:28but the hammerbeam design is entirely new,
0:57:28 > 0:57:33created to replace a rather plain, flat roof.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37What is faithful to the original, though,
0:57:37 > 0:57:41is all these heraldic shields on the ceiling,
0:57:41 > 0:57:44each one representing a Knight of the Garter.
0:57:44 > 0:57:48And every one has been painstakingly repainted.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50But if you spot the odd white one,
0:57:50 > 0:57:53that's not cos they haven't got round to it yet -
0:57:53 > 0:57:55it represents a knight whose colours were removed,
0:57:55 > 0:57:59because he brought dishonour upon the Order.
0:58:15 > 0:58:20No building in British history can lay claim to have reinvented itself
0:58:20 > 0:58:23so often and so effectively.
0:58:23 > 0:58:27That's what makes it unique among Britain's great buildings.
0:58:35 > 0:58:38When I look at Windsor now, I don't just see a castle.
0:58:38 > 0:58:41With its many layers, its years of glory
0:58:41 > 0:58:46and of neglect, its bits added on, knocked down, embellished, restored,
0:58:46 > 0:58:51Windsor is the story of the last 1,000 years of our nation.
0:59:10 > 0:59:13Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:59:13 > 0:59:16E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk