The Kings and Queens of England
since AD 1066

The History Zone Index

This page is primarily intended to include the main undertakings by each monarch at Windsor such as buildings, renovation, and structural additions. Updated September 2022

 Name and Dynasty

Accession

Death

The House of Normandy

  The House of Plantagenet

Edward II

Stayed at Windsor regularly, some of his children were born here. He was routed at Bannockburn, and murdered in Berkeley Castle. Buried at Gloucester.

Edward III

Born at Windsor, and known as Edward of Windsor. He pulled down a great part of the old Castle and rebuilt it on stronger lines. The Round Tower, Edward III Tower, the Norman Gateway, King John's Tower and several other important parts of the Castle were built by Edward.
Plunged England into fruitless '100 Years War', his son, The Black Prince, was most renowned warrior in Europe. Buried at Westminster Abbey.

Richard II

Courageous but unbalanced. Ultimately deposed. Died mysteriously in Pontefract Castle. Buried first at Kings Langley, afterwards Westminster Abbey.

The House of Lancaster

Henry IV

Bolingbroke. Orthodox, devout, son of John of Gaunt, and twice married. Buried at Canterbury.

Henry V

The warrior king. Married Katherine of France. Buried at Westminster Abbey.

Henry VI

Born at Windsor. Founder of Eton College. Murdered in the Tower of London. Buried first at Chertsey, afterwards at Windsor in St George's Chapel.

The House of York

Edward IV

Handsome, despotic, patron of the arts, married Elizabeth Woodville, a widow. Built the Choir of St. George's Chapel and commenced the Nave. Buried at Windsor in St George's Chapel.

Edward V

Reigned just four months, murdered, one of 'The Princes in the Tower'. (See Richard III, below)

Buried first at Tower of London, afterwards at Westminster.

Richard III

Killed at Battle of Bosworth Field on 22nd August 1485.

For centuries the whereabouts of his human remains was unknown. There is a memorial plaque in Leicester Cathedral where it was thought that he may have been buried, but that his body was moved during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Another tradition had it that his body was thrown into the nearby River Soar, which means it could have ended up anywhere.

The mystery was finally solved when in August 2012 his remains were discovered under a car park in the city of Leicester. There is more information here.

The House of Tudor

Henry VII

Crowned at Battle of Bosworth. Thrifty, shrewd, his marriage united the Houses of Lancaster and York. Completed the Nave of St. George's Chapel. Also erected personal apartments in the Upper Ward. Buried at Westminster.

Henry VIII

Born on the 28th June 1491, Henry was an impressive and shrewd man, yet selfish. In 1509 Henry became king at the age of only 19 following the death of his father King Henry VII. Henry desperately wanted a son and heir and this led to the creation of the Church of England as a result of his long running disputes with the Catholic Church and the Pope in Rome over his right to divorce two of his six wives. Henry declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England and was responsible for the dissolution of the monasteries. He also founded the Royal Armouries in 1515 at Greenwich Palace.
Henry VIII ruled until his death on the 28th January 1547. He is buried in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. One of his favourite ships, the Mary Rose, was lifted from the bottom of the Solent in the 1980s and is now on display at Portsmouth.
Henry VIII built the great gateway which bears his name and completed the stone roof of St George's Chapel.
Buried at Windsor in St George's Chapel.

Edward VI

Weakling son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, came to throne at age of nine. Buried at Westminster.

Queen Jane

Reigned 14 days. Executed at The Tower aged 17. Buried at Tower of London,

Mary I

Embittered daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. "Bloody Mary" - Married Philip of Spain.
Erected a large number of the houses now occupied by the Military Knights. Buried at Westminster.

Elizabeth I

Majestic daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Saw England rise to be a first class power.
Elizabeth built the North Terrace and the Gallery overlooking it. Buried at Westminster.

 The House of Stuart

James I (VI of Scotland)

Married Anne of Denmark. Buried at Westminster.

Charles I

Married Henrietta-Maria of France. Charles I executed at Whitehall, London. Buried at Windsor in St George's Chapel.

Commonwealth declared 19th May 1649. Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector, 1653-58. Richard Cromwell, Lord Protector, 1658-59

Charles II

Brilliant, cynical. Knew defeat, exile and poverty. Married Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza.
Charles was responsible for many improvements in the Castle, restoring and finely decorating the State Apartments. He also created the East and South Terraces, c.1676. Thirteen years earlier in 1663 Charles had created a Bowling Green where the Terraces are now at a cost of £13.12.0. The magnificent Long Walk was started in his reign. Buried at Westminster.

James II (VII of Scotland)

Fled to France, where he died. Married twice. Buried at St. Germains, France.

William III and Mary II

Prince of Orange. A courageous fighter with few friends. Reigned and crowned together as Joint-Sovereigns. Mary died in 1694. William III and Mary II were both buried at Westminster.

Anne

Daughter of James II and Anne Hyde. Married George of Denmark. Her many children died young. Buried at Westminster.

 The House of Hanover

George I

German. Died in Hanover. Never learned the English language. Married Sophia-Dorothea of Celle, a prisoner until her death. Buried at Hanover.

George II

Ambitious of military glory. Niggardly, irritable. Married capable, adroit Caroline of Ansbach. Buried at Westminster.

George III

During his reign England lost the American colonies. George III married Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz in 1761 to whom he was devoted. The couple had fifteen children, nine sons and six daughters. At Windsor, he excavated the Royal Tomb House under the Albert Memorial Chapel and commenced a number of restorations which were to be completed by his son, George IV.
George III suffered from porphyria, a debilitating disease which affected him as early as 1765 and throughout the last years of his reign. George III died blind, deaf and mad at Windsor Castle on January 29, 1820. Buried at Windsor in St George's Chapel.

George IV

Gifted, but dissolute and extravagant. Married Caroline of Brunswick (who was refused admission to Coronation)
George IV was responsible for the major changes to the Castle that we can see today, in particular the raising of the famous Round Tower. He transformed the Castle into a palace. Buried at Windsor in St George's Chapel.

William IV

Served 10 years in the Navy. Married Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen.
Continued making additions to the Castle, in particular the Waterloo Chamber. Buried at Windsor in St George's Chapel.

Victoria

Crowned at 18, reigned for 64 years. Married Albert of Saxe-Coburg.
Victoria rebuilt the Royal Stables and undertook much work on the Wolsey Chapel which was renamed the Albert Memorial Chapel. Buried at Windsor in Frogmore Mausoleum. The Funeral of Queen Victoria

The House of Saxe-Coburg  

 Edward VII

Man of the world and keen sportsman. Married Alexandra of Denmark. Died Sandringham.
Continued with small additions to the Castle such as the Processional Staircase from the East Terrace. Buried at Windsor in St George's Chapel. The Funeral of Edward VII

The House of Saxe-Coburg
The House of Windsor - From 1917

George V

Married Victoria Mary of Teck (Queen Mary). Died Sandringham.
Carried on the restoration and improvements to the Castle. Buried at Windsor in St George's Chapel. See also Memorial at Windsor and The Funeral of George V.

Edward VIII

Born 23rd June 1894. Died 28th May 1972. Buried in the grounds of Frogmore House.

Edward VIII reigned 11 months following the death of George V. Abdicated December 10th, 1936 to marry Mrs Simpson, a divorcee. Later to become Duke of Windsor. Lived in Paris subsequently. Buried at Windsor in the gardens of Frogmore. The Abdication Speech is included here. For more detail about The Abdication please see Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother

George VI

A popular and much loved figure, given great support and encouragement by his consort, who, after his death became Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Buried at Windsor in St George's Chapel. HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother was buried beside him in 2002. See The Funeral of George VI (Includes Order of Service).

Elizabeth II

A very popular monarch. Despite family difficulties over the years, Queen Elizabeth was widely respected worldwide.

By this time modernisation of the Castle, in terms of structural alterations, was out of favour. It would be impossible today to make the major external alterations that took place, say, in George IV's reign. A number of changes were however incorporated following the Windsor Castle Fire of November 1992. These alterations, although highly successful, would not otherwise have been incorporated.

The New Elizabethan Age comes to an end.

Golden Jubilee reports