Windsor Castle is a royal residence and medieval castle at Windsor in Berkshire, England. It was built in 1070 by William the Conqueror as a Norman motte-and-bailey castle with the goal of imposing Norman rule over London (located further east along the River Thames), and King Henry I of England rebuilt the castle and turned it into a royal residence. At the start of the 13th century, Windsor Castle withstood a siege during the Barons' Wars, and, while King Henry III of England built a luxurious palace, King Edward III of England embarked on an even more bold rebuilding of the castle, creating an expensive and impressive core design which lasted through the Tudor period. King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I used the castle as a royal court and a center for diplomatic entertainment, and it was used by the Parliamentarians as a military headquarters and as a prison for King Charles I during the English Civil War. Following the Restoration in 1660, King Charles II of England rebuilt much of the castle with extravagant Baroque interiors. During the early 18th century, the castle was neglected as the Hanoverian monarchs shifted their focus to Kensington Palace in London, but, in 1778, King George III returned Windsor Castle's status as a royal residence. Windsor Castle was used as a refuge by the British royal family during The Blitz in World War II, and it became the preferred weekend home of Queen Elizabeth II during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It survived a disastrous fire in 1992, and it is still a major tourist attraction.
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