Windsor Castle

The then-Princess Elizabeth and her family made Royal Lodge - a mansion in the grounds of the Windsor Estate - their weekend country home. They were a close- ...

The damage to the world's largest inhabited castle was extensive. It was a building that had deep significance to the monarch throughout her life - a place of work but also her own private retreat. The Latin reference - meaning her "horrible year" - was a flash of candour and emotion the Queen rarely showed in public. It was at this historic location and at that tender age that she spoke to her fellow young evacuees, urging them in a radio broadcast to find courage in the face of uncertain and troubling times. On the morning of her 16th birthday, she carried out her first inspection of a military regiment during a parade in the grounds. The then-Princess Elizabeth and her family made Royal Lodge - a mansion in the grounds of the Windsor Estate - their weekend country home.