The next room I visited was the King’s Drawing Room, beautifully done with gold fabric on the walls. Even over the shuffle of tourists’ feet, it’s possible to hear a clock gently chiming the hour. The King’s Bed Chamber has a gold-canopied bed, with red fabric-covered walls. A door leads to the King’s Dressing Room. I was a little surprised, as I didn’t see any closets...until I walked to the next room, said to be the King’s Closet. To me, it looked more like a sitting room, probably about 20 x 18 feet, with a lovely marble fireplace.
The Queen’s Ballroom was rather narrow and long, and was one of my favorite rooms. Walls are teal and gold fabric with the ceiling painted white and embellished with gold. Three ornate chandeliers brilliantly light the room. Chairs and ottomans are covered in a pale gold fabric with a delicate design of pink roses and green leaves. Next was the Queen’s Audience Chamber, which has elaborate tapestries on the walls, and large Chinese porcelain vases on the tables and floor on either side of the fireplace.
In the Queen’s Guard Chamber rests an ornate throne of intricately carved ivory. I was told that this was given to Queen Victoria when she was Empress of India, though there seems to be doubt she ever sat upon it. Next I entered St. George’s Hall. The walls and ceiling are covered with coats of arms; the ceiling and doors are beautifully carved wood. There are ledges on the walls where statues of knights in armor are displayed. The words, "Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense" appear many times in this room. This is the motto of the Order of the Garter, created in 1348. Roughly translated, it means, "Evil be to him who thinks evil."
Next, I walked on to the Grand Reception Room, which has soft cream walls with elaborate carvings done in gold. Large tapestries in predominantly blue tones adorn the walls, while the chairs are covered in a floral pattern of cream, blue and green. Chairs and tables are gilt. A large window, running almost floor to ceiling, looks out over the town of Windsor.
The final room I visited was the Garter Throne Room. This is an exquisite room with blue carpet and gilt chairs with blue velvet upholstery. A marble fireplace stands at one end, over which is a portrait of a youthful Queen Elizabeth. Throughout my visit, I noticed that the guards in the rooms were happy to answer questions, and all seemed to have interesting bits of history to share, making the rooms come alive.
There are several gift shops on the premises, though no refreshment facilities exist within the Castle grounds. However, the town of Windsor offers many dining options. Visitors may exit and re-enter the Castle grounds; passes are provided at the Ward shops. No photography is allowed inside the Castle, though it is possible to take photographs outside.