A
t home,whenI waslittle,
wehadanencyclopedia
withtwopagesfullof
picturesofallourkings
andqueensfrom 1066
onwards.I’vebeen
fascinatedbyourroyalseversince.But
whatI didn’trealiseuntilrecentlywasthe
extenttowhichtheymadetheirmarkon
ourlandscape.Whetherwagingwar
againsttheirneighboursandcousins,
buildingformidablefortressesorendingup
withtheirmortalremainsinspectacular
cathedrals,they’veleftplentyforustosee- if we know where to look.
The place for me is St George’s Chapel,
Windsor (above), because of its sheer
jaw-dropping magnificence. For a start, it is
incredibly tall. ‘A fine example of the
Perpendicular Gothic style,’ the guidebooks
say, and if Perpendicular means ‘soaring
high above you’, then that is certainly true.
If I’d known, I’d have taken binoculars.
Even in this magnificent (and much-
visited) place, there are quiet places where
you can stand and ref lect. One peaceful side
chapel contains the tombs of George VI, his
wife Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
and their younger daughter Princess
Margaret: a surprisingly unassuming spot
for three of the 20th century’s most
prominent royals. And that’s the beauty of
royal monuments, there’s always
somewhere you can step away from the
other visitors to form your own opinions
and imagine the backstories.COME
REIGN OR
SHINE
No matter the weather, there’s
a piece of royal-related history
you can delve into for an
afternoon. Through the centuries
our kings and queens have left
their stories all over Britain and
Caroline Taggart has explored
most of the places that tell them