Southampton, UK

One of Britain’s most treasured landmarks is Windsor Castle and that is where we headed for our port day in Southampton.  We took a Princess ship tour as it was the most convenient way to get to Windsor.

 We travelled through 1,000 glorious acres of amazing woodland with lots of flowering trees and shrubs on the way to Windsor Castle, one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite homes.  Unfortunately it is so green and lush because it was raining.  The rain continued all the way to Windsor, which is about an hour and a half bus ride to Windsor.  We arrived just in time for the changing of the guard, which we found out was cancelled due to the rain.  But shortly after we arrived, it stopped raining and we had a great afternoon.

Our guide, Jake Simpkin, provided a wonderful narration all the way to Windsor, recapping a thousand years the monarchy history. 

The castle was built after the Norman Invasion by William the Conquerer in 1080 AD and is a true medieval wonder.  Since the time of Henry I, it has been used by many monarchs and is the longest-occupied palace in Europe (900+ years) and the largest in England.

Internet photo of Windsor Castle

St. George’s Chapel within the castle grounds houses numerous royal tombs; including Queen Elizabeth’s parents, King George VI and “Queen Mother” Elizabeth, and younger sister, Princess Margaret.  Also Charles I and Henry VIII are interned here.  The Chapel took 51 years to build and it is magnificent.  As expected, photos are only allowed outside the castle.  No photos allowed inside the buildings at all.  However, they do provide a very nice illustrated book for sale!  J  The photos I have included here I grabbed from the internet before the cruise as someone was able to sneak some photos over the years and put them on google.

This area was once the moat around the castle

Next we followed the signs to Queen Mary’s Dollhouse.  It is a palace in miniature (1:12 scale, from 1924) and the most famous dollhouse in the world.  It was not meant to be a child’s toy, but to “show off” the beautiful rooms that the royals live in.

Queen Mary's Dollhouse

State Apartments:  These elaborate rooms feature painted ceilings, paneled walls, large fireplaces, antique furniture and priceless paintings with big names like Michaelango, Leonardo da Vinci, Rubens, etc.)

We so enjoyed the visit to this castle.  We visited Buckingham Palace last August and we both agree that this castle was much more beautiful and interesting.  We thank Pauline, our British friend, who suggested we go see this castle.

Inside the State Rooms

After leaving the castle, we finished our time in Windsor with a quick lunch in a pub named The Duchess of Cambridge, recommended by our guide.  Terry always likes to enjoy a beer that is a favorite of the locals and we shared a Fish ‘n Chips meal. 

Across the bridge from Windsor Castle is Eton College, founded in 1440 by King Henry VI.  It is a high school for boys aged 13-18.  Eton has molded the characters of 19 prime ministers, as well as members of the royal family…most recently William and Harry.  Our guide mentioned that each year 70 students from around Britain are provided scholarships to attend Eton…that would be 70 of the brightest students in Britain.  John Mayer was a scholar at Eton some years back and another well-known name that I have forgotten.

Eton College

Then with just a short time to browse a few of the shops, it was time to head back on the bus to Southampton and our ship.

The Thames River just outside Windsor

Next port…….Lehavre, France…….and we are going to PARIS!