3:50pm Thursday 15th April 2010
By Emma Clayton
Sitting in the window of the Mango Lounge, sipping a spicy mojito, I wondered if the Queen ever orders a curry while spending a weekend at Windsor Castle.
If so, she need look no further than the Mango Lounge. Standing opposite the castle, on Windsor High Street, the stylish restaurant with blood red walls offers a dazzling fusion of contemporary-style Indian and Thai dishes.
During a weekend in Windsor, I indulged in the chef’s signature dishes, a delicious explosion of flavours, and one of the best meals I’ve ever had.
Next morning we headed for Windsor Castle, where the changing of the Guard was under way. Marching through town from the barracks, the Queen’s Guard is quite a sight, if you can squeeze through the crowds of camera-clicking American tourists.
Built by William the Conqueror, the castle has been enlarged by monarchs over the centuries, with the Royal legacy including the medieval St George’s Chapel, Tudor houses, Charles II’s baroque re-modelling of the sumptuous state apartments and the Gothic-themed state rooms. After the 1992 castle fire came a new legacy – the striking interior of historic St George’s Hall. The Jubilee Garden was added to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee.
The Queen and other Royals spend private weekends at Windsor Castle and we learned that Her Majesty was in residence during our visit.
The castle covers 13 acres, comprising the Royal palace, collegiate church and staff homes. At the centre is the 11th century earthen mound, supporting the Round Tower. We spent a couple of hours wandering around, taking in some of the Royal Collection’s finest works of art, including paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens, and the breathtaking St George’s Chapel, initially built in 1475 and regarded as one of England’s most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings. It houses tombs of monarchs including Charles I, Henry VIII and the Queen Mother.
A highlight was Queen Mary’s Dolls House, a masterpiece in miniature. Created in 1923 by 1,500 tradesmen it’s exquisitely furnished, with working lifts, running water and electricity. There are tiny books written by writers such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and JM Barrie, bottles in the wine cellar filled with real wines, and a gramophone playing real records!
Heading into town, we browsed around Windsor’s pretty shops, nestled on cobbled streets and splendid Georgian crescents in the castle’s shadow. High Street chains blend with designer outlets, traditional crafts and souvenir shops. We visited Windsor Royal Shopping, occupying a covered area in a 100-year-old railway station, and enjoyed a tapas lunch at La Tasca. There’s a lively café culture, with pavement cafes jostling for space with tea-rooms, wine bars, Asian and Italian restaurants, Mexican cantinas and American diners.
Outside the castle, we boarded an open-top bus for a tour of Windsor and neighbouring Eton. The ‘hop-on-hop-off’ bus is a great way to get around. Disembarking at Eton’s historic main street, near the famous college, we saw floppy-haired boys in the distinctive black tailcoat, pinstriped trousers and white tie walking to class, clutching books.
The High Street’s cluster of charming old shops – along a straight mile from the Thames to Eton College – comprise antiques, artworks, fine foods and bespoke tailors.
Wandering over the bridge to Windsor, we passed Christopher Wren’s elegant riverside house and headed for afternoon tea at the Crooked House, pictured left, a wonky timber-framed structure built in 1592, where a basement passage was used for illicit trysts between Charles I and Nell Gwynn. Next door is the 17th century Guildhall where Charles and Camilla were married. A short stroll from town is the elegant Royal Adelaide Hotel, where we stayed. Built for Queen Adelaide, Consort Queen to William IV, it stands opposite Windsor Great Park.
Next morning we boarded a boat along the Thames. Run by French Brothers, the 40-minute cruise took in splendid views of Windsor Castle, Royal Windsor Racecourse and Eton College. The view of the castle from the river is one of the best there is, but since I’m a shameless celebrity-spotter my best bit was cruising past riverside homes of the stars, including the rather grand houses of Sir Michael Caine, Jimmy Page and Natalie Imbruglia, whose album White Lilies Island is named after her Windsor home.
Boating along the river is a lovely way to take in the picture postcard beauty of the Royal Borough of Windsor, the backdrop for films including The Madness of King George, Chariots of Fire, Shakespeare in Love and Bridget Jones’s Diary.
We ended our break with a stroll along the Windsor Long Walk, a three-mile path from Windsor Castle to the 1829 Copper Horse statue of King George III at Snow Hill.
Dating from the 13th century, the park is populated by deer and was a Royal hunting ground for centuries. Rising above trees was the white domed roof of the Frogmore Mausoleum, where Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are buried.
“All is peace and quiet, you only hear the hum of the bees, the singing of the birds,” wrote Victoria about Frogmore House and its tranquil gardens. Set in Home Park, it’s a private mansion for the Royal family, with a few public openings a year.
Savill Garden is more accessible. Spanning 35 acres of Windsor Great Park, its contemporary and classically-designed ornamental garden, regarded as one of the world’s best temperate woodland gardens, has hidden glades, alpine meadows and rare plants from Asia.
We kept our eyes peeled for a lady in a headscarf and Barbour trotting through the trees on her horse. If the Queen was around, she was keeping her distance – but we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to her weekend home.
FACT FILE
* Emma travelled by train from Bradford Interchange to Kings Cross, changing at Waterloo for Windsor and Eton Riverside station.
* She stayed at the Royal Adelaide Hotel, King’s Road, Windsor. Tel. (01753) 863916 or visit theroyaladelaide.com
* For more about Windsor Castle ring (0207) 766 7304 or visit royalcollection.org.uk
* For French Brothers boat trips ring (01753) 851900 or visit boat-trips.co.uk. For City Sightseeing Bus tours it’s 0871 666000 or citysightseeingtours.com
* The Mango Lounge is on (01753) 855576 or mangoloungewindsor.co.uk
* For more about the Royal Borough visit windsor.gov.uk
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