retrorocketrick
The stuff of legend!
William the Conqueror chose the site of Windsor Castle at 'New Windsor' - taking the name from the 'Old Windsor' which was used by the Saxon Kings.
Ariound 1160 Henry II starting building a stone curtain wall around the castle. The first stone Round Tower of Windsor Castle was built inside the reinforced Shell walls on the original mound. The wooden outer walls of the small royal private apartment was replaced by hard Heath Stone which was quarried 10 miles south of Windsor.
An interesting fact barely comes out ,in the more romantic versions, of this part of history. Richard the Lionhearted (as he was known) seems to always come out the hero and wronged party, while Prince John ends up always the villain.
By rights of succession Richard was indeed next in line and the rightul heir. It seems however that John had become Henry's favourite son and Richard had begun to fear he was being written out of the king's inheritance. The final thorn in Henry's side would be an alliance between his eldest surviving son, Richard, and his greatest rival, King Philip II of France, his bitter enemy.
In summer 1189, Richard and Philip of France invaded Henry's heartland of power and Henry was soundly defeated.
Weak, ill, and deserted by all but an illegitimate son, Geoffrey, Henry II died at Chinon on 6 July 1189. Chroniclers record him saying "My other sons are the real bastards. This is the one who's proved himself legitimate". The victorious Prince Richard later paid his respects to Henry's corpse as it travelled to Fontevraud Abbey, upon which, according to Roger of Wendover, 'blood flowed from the nostrils of the deceased, as if...indignant at the presence of the one who was believed to have caused his death".
Henry II's eldest surviving son was crowned "by the grace of God, King Richard I of England" at Westminster on 1 September 1189 upon his father's death. and in 1190 Richard the Lionheart embarked on the Third Crusade leaving Windsor in the care of the Bishop of Durham.
Under the circumstances did not take long for Prince John to start ploting the overthrow of his brother King Richard. and Windsor Castle in 1193 comes under attack in what is known as the "1st Siege".
The Baron knights loyal to John besieged the castle, led by William Marshal. It was eventually surrendered into the hands of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Queen Mother.
Windsor Castle
The stuff of legend!
William the Conqueror chose the site of Windsor Castle at 'New Windsor' - taking the name from the 'Old Windsor' which was used by the Saxon Kings.
Ariound 1160 Henry II starting building a stone curtain wall around the castle. The first stone Round Tower of Windsor Castle was built inside the reinforced Shell walls on the original mound. The wooden outer walls of the small royal private apartment was replaced by hard Heath Stone which was quarried 10 miles south of Windsor.
An interesting fact barely comes out ,in the more romantic versions, of this part of history. Richard the Lionhearted (as he was known) seems to always come out the hero and wronged party, while Prince John ends up always the villain.
By rights of succession Richard was indeed next in line and the rightul heir. It seems however that John had become Henry's favourite son and Richard had begun to fear he was being written out of the king's inheritance. The final thorn in Henry's side would be an alliance between his eldest surviving son, Richard, and his greatest rival, King Philip II of France, his bitter enemy.
In summer 1189, Richard and Philip of France invaded Henry's heartland of power and Henry was soundly defeated.
Weak, ill, and deserted by all but an illegitimate son, Geoffrey, Henry II died at Chinon on 6 July 1189. Chroniclers record him saying "My other sons are the real bastards. This is the one who's proved himself legitimate". The victorious Prince Richard later paid his respects to Henry's corpse as it travelled to Fontevraud Abbey, upon which, according to Roger of Wendover, 'blood flowed from the nostrils of the deceased, as if...indignant at the presence of the one who was believed to have caused his death".
Henry II's eldest surviving son was crowned "by the grace of God, King Richard I of England" at Westminster on 1 September 1189 upon his father's death. and in 1190 Richard the Lionheart embarked on the Third Crusade leaving Windsor in the care of the Bishop of Durham.
Under the circumstances did not take long for Prince John to start ploting the overthrow of his brother King Richard. and Windsor Castle in 1193 comes under attack in what is known as the "1st Siege".
The Baron knights loyal to John besieged the castle, led by William Marshal. It was eventually surrendered into the hands of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Queen Mother.
Windsor Castle