St George’s Chapel is the place of worship at Windsor Castle. It is both a Royal Peculiar and the Chapel of the Order of the Garter.
The castle chapel was established in the 14th century by King Edward III and began extensive enlargement in the late 15th century. It has been the location of many royal ceremonies, weddings and burials. The chapel is located in the Lower Ward.
In 1348, King Edward III founded two new religious colleges: St Stephen’s at Westminster and St George’s at Windsor. The new college at Windsor was attached to the Chapel of St Edward the Confessor which had been constructed by Henry III in the early 13th century. The chapel was then rededicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Edward the Confessor and St George the Martyr. Edward III also built the Aerary Porch in 1353–1354.
The chapel was a popular destination for pilgrims during the late medieval period. The chapel was purported to contain several important relics: the bodies of John Schorne and Henry VI of England and a fragment of the True Cross held in a reliquary called the Cross of Gneth.
- More of the history can be viewed here.
Very appropriate. I haven’t been to Windsor for years and have never made it to the chapel. It always looks stunning, never more so than during Her Majesty’s funeral.
We visited during the Jubilee weekend. It wasn’t fully open inside so we didn’t experience it at its best.
We were able to see the side Chapel where now both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are now laid to rest alongside her parents.
We hope to revisit the chapel soon and maybe attend evensong there. A slightly delayed (planned visit) due to the sad circumstances.