Up next in 10
Windsor Castle, A Royal Year - Ep3 - The Ranger
104 views
Jul 4, 2025
Royal reality in a landmark series produced for the BBC. For the first time ever, cameras go behind the scenes at Windsor Castle, the largest inhabited castle in the world and home to Queen Elizabeth since childhood. The result is an intimate glimpse of castle life above and below stairs over the course of a year that includes a historic state banquet and the wedding of Prince Charles to Camilla Parker-Bowles. Meet some of the 300 people who live and work in the castle's 900 rooms: the Queen's housekeeper, grooms, fendersmiths, and military knights, to name just a few. Accompany HRH Prince Philip, the ranger of Windsor's 15,000-acre Great Park, as he tours the grounds and speaks candidly about the ups and downs of running this amazing public space. Bonus Footage! Includes over two hours not seen on the PBS broadcast, including exclusive new footage of the wedding of Charles and Camilla. Prince Philip is the longest-serving ranger in Windsor Castle's history.
View Video Transcript
0:00
Over the course of a whole year, we have been given exclusive access to the hidden world behind the scenes of Windsor Castle, the Queen's favourite home
0:12
A world of royal ceremony, of pomp, history and tradition, but also of fun, excitement and colour
0:22
We meet some of the 300 staff who work and live here
0:27
serving the monarch, keeping her state apartments clean, tending the fireplaces, grooming the horses
0:34
exploring its darkest corners, and preparing the sumptuous banquets. And we meet the member of the royal family
0:44
who for over 50 years has been ranger of the great park
0:48
The castle has stood for 1,000 years, but this is the first time it's thrown its most private doors open to the world
1:03
Spread out over 13 acres, Windsor is the largest inhabited castle in the world
1:09
It is a palace filled with great treasures. And the odd mystery
1:15
Got me torch, yes. Found it in the back of the locker in my office. I'm sure she sees this now, she'll probably want it back
1:20
Windsor's cathedral-sized chapel is at the forefront of royal family life and is home to clergy with pressing modern demands
1:28
I don't like the image of St. George's at all. Just as remarkable as the castle is the great park itself
1:36
miles of idyllic public countryside wedged between the River Thames, London's suburbs, three motorways and the world's busiest airport
1:44
The famous story, of course, is that American tourists was heard to say
1:47
well, why did they build the castle so close to London Airport? Both house and garden have to pay their way in an unforgiving world
1:55
The castle depends on visitors to maintain its art. The chapel must fund itself as well
2:01
The cost estimate is £404,000. The estate also has to make ends meet
2:06
Isn't it good, are they? Beautiful. Absolutely excellent. Organic. It's a vast stage, too, for favourite family events
2:17
and a playground for everyone. Look at this. This is England. This is fantastic
2:23
You couldn't buy this in a million years. The person in charge of this, by tradition
2:27
is the ranger of the great park. The present one has held this position for more than 50 years
2:33
longer than anyone in history. But the Duke of Edinburgh has never previously given an interview
2:41
while on his rounds. He's taking yet another picture of me getting into the car
2:45
I've done absolutely persistently every time. Like every ranger, he knows it's his duty
2:52
to hand it on in good shape to the next generation. Windsor stretches far beyond the castle walls
3:05
Friends had some of these parakeets or budgerigars, and we thought we'd got some of those
3:12
and then I thought it'd be real fun to have some doves floating about
3:19
So the problem is they get nicked by sparrowhawks and things, but on the whole their breeding seems to keep up
3:29
Within weeks of becoming monarch in 1952, the Queen appointed the Duke of Edinburgh to the position of Ranger of the Great Park
3:37
He must make sure that this ancient estate is run efficiently. The greenhouse production has recently been reduced
3:43
The difficulty is that we're either here by ourselves or we've got 100 people living in the place
3:49
You know, if you've got a greenhouse, you need to have a sort of constant production
3:53
It's much more expensive growing our own stuff and getting it from Tesco, wherever it is
4:00
He has not surrendered to the big guns of retail, though. He's recently opened Windsor's very own farm shop
4:10
The Windsor Farm Shop sells stock from all the royal estates. All the butchering is done in the back there, or right here in front of everybody
4:24
And the majority of this comes from off the estate, but a lot of it comes from other local producers
4:31
I think we're going to sort of clog up the system if we stay in here much longer. Yes
4:38
What do you think? Morning. Morning. Morning. The public are about to arrive at the castle tomb
4:47
Castle superintendent, Major Alan Denman, begins his daily patrol. I'm pretty fond of it
4:55
It's obviously over 1,000 years old. Is it 1,000 years? And, you know, something's got to be taken care of
5:04
Oh, it's coming through, all right? Even though I've been here the year
5:13
there's still parts of the castle I've not been into. Every morning, he walks the entire visitor's route
5:19
and makes sure the staff are happy. Hi, Mum, how are you? Ladies are doing their work
5:23
Hello, ladies, how are you? Fine. Come on, ladies, all right? Saturday, I'm down
5:31
I was hallowing Thai, nothing else. So the public will be coming through here at ten o'clock
5:37
All the lights now, make sure the lights are working. Again, all the chandeliers, make sure the lights are working
5:43
Good place for bowls here. They make sure this door's locked, don't they
5:49
Yes. Major Denman is a stickler for security and tidiness. There's some glass down here
5:55
They've obviously broke some glass the other night on the Prince of Wales function. Out in the home park, the castle's back garden
6:03
the rangers' thoughts turn to sport. Once an avid cricketer and polo player
6:09
he has taken up carriage driving in later life. I was president of the International Equestrian Federation
6:14
back in the 60s and 70s, and it was just at the time that I was giving up polo
6:22
And so when I was looking around for what else to do, I thought I might as well have a go at this driving business
6:26
as if we had horses and carriages and things in London. At 83, he's looking forward to the Royal Windsor Horse Show
6:36
This is the proposed site for next year's Windsor Horse Show in this field here
6:42
The Duke is president of the show. It's grown so large that he's moving it to a bigger site
6:48
This will all be the new area of the new show. No, on that side there, the far end of that
6:54
It's so good doing it that way for the park, anyway. One of the problems when they try and do the Christmas broadcast here
7:01
is they have to do it in a sort of 30-second slot. You must get used to it
7:08
Well, you don't, really. It's too bloody record. The Windsor Horse Show is now a major international equestrian fixture
7:18
On the estate, it's always a sign that summer has arrived. Competition is fierce from the highest levels to the lowest The Queen likes to blend in with the crowd but her main concern is entry number 72 in the three carriage driving Grand Prix
7:39
The Duke is up against European opposition less than half his age
7:47
There's no cutting corners, even for a royal driver. it's not quite enough though the duke must settle for third place as the queen presents
7:59
the prizes to others none of the family has ever broached the subject of the plan
8:05
yeah he will be yes but i don't know when yet do other members of your family keep pressing you to
8:12
no no no no no i think we tend to let each member of the family get on with whatever lunacy they
8:19
feel like indulging him in the castle major denman continues his inspection at his own brisk pace
8:28
do you want to see the pedometer yeah there we go i bought a pedometer um obviously since leaving
8:33
the army trying to lose a bit more weight but uh i'm trying to do uh 20 000 steps a day
8:38
and there's where i am it's now 12 000 It's nice to look at the tourists
8:46
because every sort of unit go past, they pay my wages. So, no, it's good to have a tourist in
8:52
So that's important, you know, for the castle. Hello. Hello, Frank. Tourism is crucial to Windsor
9:00
One million visitors bring in £8.5 million each year. The money supports the Royal Collection's national treasures
9:07
and the rest helps repay the castle's £4 million maintenance bill. Very good morning. Welcome to Windsor Castle. My name's Peter
9:16
My name is Penny. Welcome to Windsor Castle. Welcome to Windsor Castle. Enjoy it
9:21
It's an alluring mix, a royal home and a thousand years of history
9:26
William the Conqueror built Windsor Castle, defeated the English in 1066 in the Battle of Hastings
9:31
Now, the Queen spends lots and lots of time here at Windsor
9:35
She's looking very royal, isn't she, in this picture. You haven't met the Queen
9:41
Yes, I have met the Queen, actually. A lot of people want to know, have I met the Queen
9:47
Several children have asked if I am the Queen. The castle and estate help bring more than £300 million each year
9:56
into the local economy. Teasing the sentries is one of the castle's enduring attractions
10:02
I wonder if they get fired if they laugh. No, it's got to be hard. It's going to be hard
10:05
No, he's gonna laugh. He's biting his tongue right now. No, he's good. He's not gonna blow it
10:14
He goes home to his wife and says, Hey, let me tell you about my day
10:24
Okay, you ready? Yeah. Say poop. Poop! Hello! It's a unique community. If you look on the hill here now
10:38
I mean, here's a good example. You know, you've got the military knights here
10:42
You know, living here. I live in the centre. My next-door neighbour is the governor of the military knights
10:50
On the right-hand side, you've got the chapel. People come here, they worship here, they're christened here
10:55
people are buried here. So it is a unique community. It's a very special place
11:06
At the lower end of the castle sits St George's Chapel, a Gothic masterpiece
11:11
where the royal family have worshipped since medieval times. Monarchs are buried here
11:16
The Prince of Wales had his marriage blessed here, but it's also a local church
11:21
which holds at least three public services a day. It supports its own clergy as well as St George's House
11:29
a centre for interfaith discussions behind closed doors. St George's always does its own thing
11:36
St George's Chapel is what is known as a royal peculiar, which means that we are not within a Church of England diocese
11:44
We have only one boss, and that is the Queen. St George's Chapel is entirely self-funding
11:53
The dean and his cannons are starting some very expensive maintenance work
11:58
At this stage, the cost estimate is £404,000, which is 13 down on the original projection
12:04
There are no floorboards to look under where we might discover terrible things
12:09
so there's a hope that we might keep fairly on target. To survive, the chapel must rely on a slice of ticket money
12:16
donations and the chapel shop. But the shop hasn't been performing. It's too small
12:21
It's in the wrong place and it has the wrong products. So Canon John White and Chapter Clerk Charlotte Manley
12:27
have been appointed to supervise the launch of a new shop. They start by hiring a shop manager with some modern ideas
12:36
For a long time there's been a wish that we do something to redevelop the shop
12:41
and really move that on into the 21st century. And this is just a beautiful location as people exit the chapel
12:47
where we can have new fixturing, state-of-the-art merchandise and till systems, but also a much more accessible area for our visitors
12:59
Even in a medieval cloister, the latest marketing techniques are required. The chapel shop committee have asked branding expert David Clare
13:07
to design a new identity. St George's needs a logo. The title, really, of this presentation is
13:15
Creating a Retail Identity for St George's Chapel. and identity is being formed in the way that the shop is coming together physically
13:23
but we also need to develop a brand identity that works effectively, supporting the chapel and also representing the product
13:29
David thinks he has just the answer, an image of St George which he's seen on the front of the altar
13:35
but will it meet the demanding standards of Canon White? The St George from the tapestry is actually a very, very beautiful tapestry
13:43
tapestry. It's very nicely rendered and it's a very, very attractive image of St George
13:49
So the principle here... It's not quite so much like St. John. Right. It's quite a feminine..
13:54
It is a very feminine St George. It's a very feminine St George. It does, and I think the more it becomes simplified, the more feminine it becomes
14:05
Yeah, go on. Well, the face I think becomes more and more feminine on the simplified sign. I think also it
14:11
It picks out on the features more and more as it becomes more certified. Can I start with a few straight questions
14:21
Yes, do. What are the pros and cons of the St. Joan, St. George issue
14:27
Try to confuse them with an image that is... Yes, I'm never going to be blunt and say I don't like the image
14:34
Right. The St. George image at all. OK. I think it gives quite the wrong kind of feel
14:39
I think it's androgynous and uncertain and a bit defeat and it has a as far as
14:47
I'm concerned all the kind of soppy romanticism that I don't think we ought
14:51
to be showing so the answer is no on St George I think we would be we would certainly be happy with St George No not St George That particular one Canon White leads the search party around the chapel
15:05
to find a more virile St George. I think there isn't a St George on this window, except..
15:11
Yes, there is. Except he's kneeling somewhere, is he? In the centre. Oh, in the centre
15:16
No, no, he's not. That's St Michael the Archangel. He has wings, so he's St Michael the Archangel
15:20
So he does. Right. I'll be his guard. OK. It's fun, but it wouldn't work for this
15:32
But, I mean, you could actually see... No, I think it's the second complete road, yes
15:37
Right idea, wrong colour. They widen the search around the castle. At last, tucked away in the chapel archives
15:47
they all find what they've been looking for, a tougher, stronger, more masculine St George
15:53
Yeah, not really good. I just think it's got more about it
15:58
Yeah. If you can use this, we're going to agree on it. Yeah. Great
16:03
Great. I'm very happy with that. Good. Thank you. Like the canons of St George's
16:14
the Ranger of the Great Park has difficult decisions to make about his own patch
16:18
His regular attempts to replenish Windsor's tree population are not always popular
16:23
When Queen Anne's ride was damaged by wind and nothing other, I came to the conclusion that the only thing to forage was to replant it
16:32
We were taking some of them down, and whereupon the tree huggers from Newbury bypass, they descended on us some time ago and made the most appalling fuss
16:44
to the extent that it's been almost impossible to take down dead trees, or even to remove dead branches
16:52
The Duke is always full of ideas for the park, even if some schemes have proved a little too ambitious
17:00
That great tank there is the remains of an attempt to have a biogas plant
17:10
We thought we'd try and put all the manure in from these two farms
17:17
and then it went through a digester and it comes out as sort of fertilizer and produces some gas as
17:28
well unfortunately while they were doing something to it the digester blew up so we had to get rid of
17:36
it it's it's quite difficult to get it right He shares his love of innovation with a previous ranger
17:50
also married to a queen, Albert, victorious Prince Consort. This is a Prince Consort's farm and was designed by him
17:58
and is a dairy farm. We've got about 200 Jersey cattle in here
18:06
and the shore farm is the one further up, which is Ayrshire cattle
18:12
At Shaw Farm, Adrian Tomlinson looks after the Queen's Ayrshire herd. Something I'm very proud of doing is breeding pedigree cattle for Her Majesty the Queen
18:25
and hopefully I'm doing a good job of it. I'd been here probably about six months before I first met the Queen
18:32
I was taking the cows back to the field after I'd milked them, and the Queen pulled up in a car and sort of said hello and etc
18:38
I was very aware that I should have perhaps changed my overalls that morning and hadn't done
18:44
and what a state I was in. Adrian's arch-rival is Andrew Buckland
18:52
He runs the other royal herd, the prize-winning jerseys at Prince Consort's Farm
18:57
Her name is Good News. She was a supreme champion at the Royal Forest Show last year
19:05
and we're taking her again this year. It's a fairly fitting name, we think
19:08
We hope there might be bad news after tomorrow. I think she's as good as she was last year
19:16
I mean, Adrian's got some very good cows I've seen up there, but I would hope that she does well, hopefully as well as last year
19:27
Andrew is the reigning champion in these parts. But as Windsor's big agricultural show approaches
19:33
Adrian and his Ayrshers are determined to steal the crown off the jerseys
19:37
He wants his cows to be the Queen's top herd. I had the best cow at the show last year, but the judge didn't think so, so..
19:45
He thought the Jersey cow was the best one last year. How did Andrew hear about that
19:53
A bit sheepish, I think. It's just a friendly rivalry, really. We're all on the same team at the end of the day
20:04
Some people say it's the taking part that counts, And to some degree, of course, it is, isn't it
20:10
But, you know, when you go into this trouble, you know, you do winnings the thing, really, isn't it
20:16
The cows must look the part. It may be an agricultural show, but this will be a beauty parade, too
20:22
Both men know what will impress the judge. She should have good sort of spring of rib
20:27
You can see the bone quality. Depth of body. This nice straight top line
20:31
Good straight legs. Good strong milk vein. Good fore udder attachment. The outer attachment should sort of come up as high as possible
20:40
and blend in up under the tail head. She looks dairy-like and she looks feminine
20:47
This car is sort of superb, I think, in all of those trains
20:52
The Windsor Castle labyrinth extends far below the surface. Castle Superintendent Major Alan Denman is still finding his way around
21:03
We're going to the Fendersmiths. I do like to get round the castle
21:09
and have a look at various parts of the castle. And there's a tunnel underneath the Fendersmiths' room
21:15
so we're going to have a quick look down there. I've had a look around the boiler room, and even though I've been here just over a year
21:21
there's probably about 25% of the rooms and places I've been into, so I do like to have a little wander now and again
21:27
Got me a torch, yes? I found it in the back of the locker in my office, and you can see it's got Her Majesty the Queen on
21:32
but I'm sure she sees this now, she'll probably want it back. Right, there we are in the hub, the operations room, the Fendersmiths
21:42
Tell us about this sign on your door here. I think it was one of the policemen having a bit of a laugh on his computer
21:46
It's a laugh, isn't it? I don't wear such a big nappy as the boy there, but, yeah, it's all right
21:55
Right, let's have a look at this tunnel. Do you like Neil
22:04
We're not quite sure what this tunnel was used for, but we believe it might have been used for an air raid shelter in the Second World War
22:12
But you can imagine what it would have been like digging it out. Yeah. Can't you? Yeah
22:17
There are many tunnels here. No one is entirely sure when or why this one was originally built
22:23
but it's probably medieval. Back then the castle occupants always needed a way out during a siege Yeah quite nice You could have Windsor Springwater if you make a fortune
22:35
This would be the Fennersmith to keep their wages. Yeah, that's why there's two strong rooms rather than one
22:41
Did you enjoy that, Alan? Yeah, it's another part of the castle I haven't seen
22:45
It's very interesting. There we are
22:58
And you wouldn't know anybody who's been down there apart from the 4,000 footprints that are on our carpet now
23:06
For now, it's business as usual for Gary and Neil, the castle fendersmiths
23:12
The fender is a piece basically in front of the fireplace and it texts any sort of rugs, carpets from coal or spitting embers
23:21
that sometimes fly out of the fire. There are probably three or four hundred fireplaces in Winders Castle
23:29
but on a regular basis we're only looking for the ones that the royal family themselves use
23:35
This weighs probably about eight stone in old money. There aren't too many of us left doing exactly this
23:46
so it's a job that we're quite proud of down here. my cousin used to be a cabinet maker his son was in one of the pantries for a while my dad did my
24:01
job before me uh his mum was in the turkey farm down on the park so yeah we're sort of third
24:08
generation here so it's yeah it's a long old tradition for me once the royal family are in
24:14
residence it's always time for the fendersmiths to smarten up nine times out of ten we try to get
24:19
in and out without seeing anybody, but there are times when, you know, you do bump into guests and members of the royal family
24:25
so hence the livery goes on. Gary was in charge of lighting fires at the time of the 1992 fire
24:34
but he has a clear conscience. We know the big one wasn't anything to do with us
24:38
Our fires are fairly regulated. That was one of the days when we would have lit a fire for her majesty
24:45
So, needless to say, I said to her, Paige, at the time
24:48
I don't think we'll be lighting a fire today, as unfortunately the castle was burning
24:54
It's not a bad one, is it? How does Father Christmas get in the Windsor Castle this time of year, then
25:00
Father Christmas will come down one of our chimneys if he's got a pass. Father Christmas isn't, I don't think, on the computer at the moment
25:07
the ranger arrives at an old airfield in a far corner of Windsor Great Park this was a base during
25:26
the Second World War and later on the Duke had flying lessons here after the planes left he came
25:33
up with another of his plans. I thought it might be an idea to start a polo club here somewhere, and we hit on this place
25:41
And then we got the head groundsman of Eton College to advise us on how to convert this
25:47
sort of heat into a playing field. It's certainly quite popular. But now the standards are so phenomenal, they're even suggesting that this isn't flat enough
26:00
I'm not quite sure what they mean by it. In his day, the Duke was a leading polo player
26:05
and Smith's Lawn is now one of the most famous polo arenas in the world. And when there's a polo tournament going on here
26:13
and there's a Windsor Park Equestrian Club going on here on one weekend
26:17
there's probably a thousand horses on Smith's Lawn. Ladies and gentlemen, good morning
26:25
Today, the ranger's grandson is keeping up the family tradition. Welcome to the marvellous polo match we have here for you
26:32
They're already pouring onto Smith's lawn for the greatest event in the British
26:36
polo calendar, Cartier International Day. And Prince Harry is the star attraction
26:43
in the opening game. In the absence of his father, he's leading the Prince of
26:52
Wales' team against the Herlingham Club. With the Prince of Wales team on the near side playing in red
26:59
Prince Harry, number one, in the red shirt. Players line up, in goes the ball
27:06
As Prince Harry gets into the thick of it, the crowd of more than 20,000 are almost as excited as the commentator
27:13
Prince Harry's side have broken through. Prince Harry's side is there. They're going out in front
27:19
Boris comes back. Prince of Wales has got to be in it. Prince of Wales, come through with them all
27:23
He's got a chance to put his head out. He's gone! No! No
27:28
It's gone wide! It's gone wide! Noo-la-la! Just over here, please. The polo is not the only attraction for the international media
27:40
They know that there is only one place to be seen, inside the Cartier enclosure
27:45
Freddie Windsor, arriving with unknown guests at the moment, so we'll have to find out who she is
27:49
A knowledge of polo is not required. Well, they tell me it's like the equine version of the Ferrari
27:57
But a little fame certainly helps. It's also kind of a part of the scene
28:02
Let's go see what this is about. The sponsors have put up a huge marquee
28:08
and invited a mix of clients. Celebrities. And royalty. Well, I'm honoured that I was invited, man
28:18
I mean, you know, I'm just a hassle-off, you know, from Baltimore, Maryland
28:21
And here it is, you know, I called my dad and he said, what are you doing? I said, I'm having lunch with the Queen
28:26
I think it's spectacular to know that the Majesty the Queen is going to come
28:30
and on top of that, we bring a few members of her family. There is a little bit of a magic here that you cannot find anywhere else
28:42
It is an occasion which has become an established part of the summer season
28:46
It's the most wonderful setting. Cartier always has the most prestigious tent and always gives the best lunch and the son always seems to shy
28:55
That's three very good reasons to come. It's the Queen's back garden, isn't it? It's a very, very special venue
29:03
Back on the field, Prince Harry is making his mark. But some people have already taken their eyes off the polo
29:17
We just see an amazing girl over there. I know he's got his knickers on, so everyone's watching
29:22
waiting for the wind to blow up. His royal hire is Prince Harry
29:27
In the end, Prince Harry has to settle for second place and a loser's rosette
29:33
Smith's Lawn is now preparing for the big international match. England are taking on Chile
29:39
The home team arrive for their final briefing. What is it like playing in front of this crowd and, I suppose, the Queen as well? Nerve-racking
29:46
But it's also, you know, what every sportsman strives for. England coach John Horswell
29:53
feels that preparations have gone well. I know the boys are all well prepared
29:57
All we've got to do is just sort out horse orders, The horses are synchronised well between one play and another
30:03
We're as well prepared as we can be. We've had three practices. The last one was disastrous
30:09
The sell-out crowd moved to their seats. The Queen will watch from the royal box of the Guards Polo Club
30:15
The coach offers his last-minute thoughts. If you see an opportunity, release. Do not overcomplicate
30:23
The fact that there are people here is irrelevant. This is a power match
30:27
All right? We're all in this together. You see the ball coming for you on the far side
30:34
You're sitting next to your girlfriend. Throw yourself in front of her. If it's your wife, sit back and enjoy it
30:42
Here we go. In goes the ball. Gillian's on the move. Go
30:57
England are soon in trouble. Chile with the ball now. Coming down the field
31:10
It's 5-2 to Chile, and John Horswell is feeling the pressure
31:22
Would you f*** off? Please. Look, I'm trying to think what I'm going to say
31:26
OK, I don't give a f*** whether it's horrible or not. Honestly, you're a good friend of mine, but just leave me alone
31:31
Farf the system, Farf's going to the goal, Farf's going to the goal
31:35
He's in the car, he's in the car, he's in the car, he's in the car. England mount a revival of sorts
31:40
The next one to go in. Yes! Good boy. England's coming through, he's done the ball
31:49
and he's running through the boat. He's done it! England has gone
31:53
England has gone! But it's too late. There it is, ladies and gentlemen
32:03
Chile, Aguan, the Coronation Camp, here this afternoon. We have it! We have Chile
32:12
John offers a post-match ysis. We play like s*** and we foul like 10,000 s***
32:25
The trophy goes back to South America
32:39
Her Majesty goes back to the castle. But at least someone has something to cheer about
32:44
She's only driving. The Queen, that's fantastic. The Queen actually jumping in the car, Jaguar and driving
32:53
Awesome. Yeah, love it. In St George's Chapel, everything is being done
33:05
to get the new Cloyster shop ready for the grand opening. The suitably masculine St George has finally been turned into a logo
33:13
Chapter Clark Charlotte Manley views the result. Here's the first image, and it looks good and strong
33:20
and I think that's a lot better. Thumbs up. A new shop needs new products
33:27
Charlotte has invited a firm of retail specialists to pitch their wares
33:31
Well, we're here to talk about product. So we've gone through the very exciting bit, talking about the plans of the shop
33:37
And really now here is where we can bring it to life for you. Gosh, where do we start
33:41
There is some fabulous, fabulous product out there. We know people like buses, they like soldiers
33:48
We also have, oh, a fabulous computer range. Oh, bags, yes We'll be using this sort of little style of bag
33:57
But again with the little beads and the tassels Also mugs, let me show you a couple of mugs as well Yes
34:03
Oh, ties as well, really nice ties We did talk about having some unusual products
34:08
And I get excited for unusual products Oh, yes, exactly I sat and saw that and thought
34:14
Charlotte has been doing her homework I agree that those are lovely
34:17
But I've also the globes and things, I seem to have seen in quite a lot of other places
34:23
Or is that just sheer chance? Maybe. Where have you seen? One shop in Dartmouth and Devon, one in Stockbridge in Hampshire
34:32
You are the experts in this area rather than me, and you're just floating ideas, I realise that
34:36
but it is beginning to appear in other places. That's my only courted remark about it, not the product itself, it's just that it's..
34:42
OK, well, bear that in mind, and I think... Hmm, I'm not quite sure what to say to that, actually
34:50
Time to switch tack. Oh, the chocolate. Very exciting. This chocolate's really going to be super
34:54
That's why we were testing out. We might just have to break some open again, I think. It's opening day
35:01
Cannon White is presented with the first carrier bag bearing the new logo
35:06
I think that's much better than what we saw before. I'm very happy with that. I think it works well
35:10
As an illustration, it's worked quite well, really, developing it up from the statue in the centre of the cloister
35:16
I don't think we'll have any trouble with animal rights people about killing dragons here
35:20
Hopefully not. And there aren't very many dragons left to complain, are there? No, aren't a lot
35:27
The local media have arrived, along with many friends of St George's
35:32
The Dean of Windsor gets business underway. It's my great pleasure to welcome you all to this little reception
35:40
I declare that the shop is well and truly open. It's always a problem, having a shop in a church
35:59
People have got quite strong ideas, and because of Christ driving the money changers
36:03
and the sellers of doves out of the temple precincts, people have always got that at the back of their mind
36:09
But economic realities can't be ignored. All the money that we get from the shop is key
36:15
This place doesn't run on no money at all. It takes a lot of cash to fund the choir to fund the buildings themselves to pay salaries And the funds that we get from the shop are very very important to that whole game plan
36:32
Delighted. Delighted. Really first class, absolute top of the, top standard shop
36:37
I think if Lord Sainsbury says that we've got a decent shop, it must be a decent shop
36:43
In the first month alone, takings at the new shop were up by nearly 70% on the old
36:50
Another victory for St George. It's Judgment Day in the Great Park
37:00
the Royal Forest Agricultural Show. Rival royal dairy farmers, Adrian Tomlinson and Andrew Buckland
37:07
are about to go head-to-head with their cows. May I warn all the competitors in the cattle classes, please
37:17
The judge will commence in about 15 minutes' time. Adrian prepares his airshows for what will be a tense beauty parade
37:26
The judge is a hugely respected man, a man that I've got a lot of time for
37:30
like a well-known figure nationally. But he is a Jersey man, you know, he's had a Jersey herd all his life
37:41
he likes the jerseys, but he's, you know, a first-class chap and a first-class judge
37:45
so hopefully the best cow will be coming first, you know. There's not a lot that dairy legend Donald Dawes doesn't know about cows
37:58
Will he select one of the queens? And if so, which one
38:03
He's not a man to be rushed. Mr Dawes is judging the..
38:09
I've headed to the Royal Farms and been hosting this show once again
38:13
at Windsor Green Park. All the preparations have come down to this one moment
38:21
Andrew and Adrian can only stand and hope that their cow will be the dairy queen
38:30
Dairy champion. Well done, Adrian. With the dairy champion trophy to stick in his cabinet, Adrian is off to celebrate
38:40
At the heart of Windsor Great Park is the York Club. It's the social hub of the estate community
38:48
B.S.T. It's about £1.80. Yeah, £1.80. Tonight, there's an added attraction, a charity ferret race
39:00
OK, any last bait? Sue, are you ready? Go! Lane 10's in the lead for the main one
39:09
On lane number one here. He's actually doing very well. Lane three's going backwards, but Lane four's still heading for home
39:20
I've been around here for 15 years, but I'm the new boy compared with a lot of them up here
39:26
because they've been around for two or three generations. Lane two. Lane two was the winner
39:36
Adrian can't win them all. Ferrets, ponies, cows, deer. Today it's the turn of the swans on the Thames
39:47
All the young ones must be counted in an ancient ceremony known as swan-upping
39:53
It's a great old English tradition and the sort of thing we should really try to maintain
40:00
There's always something going on in this kingdom within a kingdom. kingdom. A charity match for the Lord's Taverners and their royal 12th man. To play the great
40:15
English game in this setting is just brilliant. Zara Phillips represents Britain at the Windsor
40:21
Horse Trials in front of the family. The river's a bendy. Right, look, like that, like that
40:30
School's open day at the Crown Estate headquarters. Like the castle, the grounds have a pageantry of their own
40:41
The Queen! The Queen's castle is a spectacular treasure chest
40:52
Much of the royal collection is on display here. Room after room of great paintings
40:59
antiques, drawings, furniture, and much more. Is that made of gold
41:11
It's silver gilt. So it's silver covered in gold. Silver covered in gold
41:18
How much would all that cost over a billion? I think it's priceless. No one can put a value on it all
41:25
There would be much, much more if Oliver Cromwell and his Republicans had not sold off
41:30
most of the earlier royal treasures after the English Civil War. Even so, this is still one of the greatest collections in the world
41:38
It doesn't just need cleaning. It needs constant expert attention to preserve it for the future
41:44
And it must also be shared with other exhibitions, so something is always on the move
41:51
The collection is regarded as a national asset. The paintings which have been handed down from generation to generation
41:57
are, in effect, in a sort of position of trust, and the sovereign is the person who ultimately has responsibility
42:04
for their well-being, in a sense, although we obviously would do all the work
42:08
so that they're preserved for, in effect, the nation. Every painting in the Royal Collection comes back to Windsor when it requires work
42:18
We've got a rather large rubens, a very, very important painting from Buckingham Palace
42:22
It's horribly covered with old varnish, old repaint. It's brown. It does need a lot of work
42:27
We would never put that painting on public show in the condition it is now. People probably don't realise how much work is behind the scenes
42:37
I mean, the ideal is that you shouldn't realise. You shouldn't look at the paintings and think, gosh, they all look as if they've been cleaned recently
42:42
They should just look good. Windsor is a merry of great art The painting which has just left the State Apartments is a Windsor favourite The Chinese Convert by Nella
42:56
Rupert must give it a full inspection before releasing it on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London
43:02
The Royal Collection does get a lot of requests for paintings to be loaned to exhibitions
43:07
and if we can, we do oblige them with that, because it seems important that they are seen by the public
43:15
if not in the castle or in an exhibition elsewhere. As one masterpiece departs, another returns
43:23
Rupert and his team are reuniting Queen Anne with her husband, King James I of England
43:28
She was the daughter of the King of Denmark. Her brother became the King of Denmark
43:33
and she married the King of England in Scotland and then her sons were future kings
43:39
So she was a very proud, you know, proud of her lineage
43:44
All right, which? One, two, three. And so the merry-go-round of great works continues
43:52
It seemed a shame not to have his queen next to him
43:57
He's been here for a long time, hasn't he? James I. Even though it's not an exact pair
44:03
even though they weren't meant to be necessarily seen together, they're both the same artists, they're the king and queen
44:07
and the dating's appropriate. You've got the next generation here with Charles
44:12
So it's a very appropriate picture. Ready? OK. Yeah, that's good
44:27
Of all the Duke's projects as Ranger, he's particularly proud of creating a new deer park at Windsor
44:40
This was originally to keep the deer from the great park from getting into... from, you know, coming down this way
44:48
Now you have to keep the deer in. Bloody silly. That's the... I can't see any other deer
44:56
Down the left. Down there, yeah. The trouble is, I think, they wander about over here
45:02
when everybody's out of the park, and then when people come in, they move off a bit
45:09
This used to be arable all through here. During the war, it was all ploughed out
45:13
But it's lousy. I mean, most of it's clay. It's almost impossible to..
45:18
And then we had cattle on it and it was all fenced in
45:22
It wasn't profitable. And so we decided to put it back to a deer park
45:28
We brought them down from Balmoral. They've always been deer here, so at least we brought back their descendants
45:32
so that all this is now open park, which I think is a very much better arrangement than it was before
45:39
I mean, looking at this, surely it was the right thing to bring back the Deer Park. Well, I'm glad you agree
45:44
He's got to take me getting into the car yet again. Perhaps the greatest challenge for the park during the Duke's era
45:56
has been the increasing numbers who use it. I think many more people use the park now
46:02
because what's happened in the last 50 years is many more people have got motorcars
46:06
They can travel further, so a huge number of people just can drive here
46:13
It wasn't always like this. George IV, believe it or not, would not allow anybody into the Great Park at all
46:22
not even his household. And we're delighted to share it with them
46:26
The community shares them. They take their dogs for a walk and that sort of thing
46:30
People come from all over to walk about. Good heavens, I mean, compared to most people
46:35
we're extremely fortunate to have any open space at all. The Duke believes that the main duty of every ranger
46:40
is to be a custodian for the future. I mean, life's going to go on after me
46:45
If I can make life marginally more tolerable for people who come afterwards or even at the time, I'd be delighted
46:52
The next generation are equally attached to Windsor. Tonight, just weeks before his wedding
46:58
the Prince of Wales has gathered celebrities and business leaders here to support his prince's trust
47:08
It's hard to refuse an invitation to dinner here. This is the first time that I've ever been to a castle
47:16
I'm trying to be polite and talk to people, but at the same time I'm looking all around me trying to take it all in
47:21
It's breathtaking, awe-inspiring. Slightly over the top, looking at the gold here
47:27
These guests, though, have not just come to admire the decor. They're ambassadors for a trust
47:33
which has been helping disadvantaged young people for 30 years. Kenny Ross was jobless and homeless
47:39
until the trust helped him build a new life. He's also a keen guitarist
47:44
and tonight he's not only having dinner at the castle, but he's made a new friend, Eric Clapton
47:50
Things like this don't happen every day, does it? No. Bizarre. I'd say bizarre
47:55
bizarre it's unreal kenny is not the only one who's a little dumbstruck by the occasion
48:03
it's overwhelming isn't it it's a bit overwhelming um i'd like to be on my own to be honest so i
48:08
could just walk around and have a look nikki chapman has just seen the seating plan well i'm
48:13
actually sitting at his table yes i think i'm actually sitting rather close to him so i'm gonna
48:18
have to be on my best behavior but before anyone can tuck into their lemon cured salmon
48:24
the host reminds them why they're here ladies i thought i couldn't be more delighted than to welcome you all here this evening to
48:34
windsor castle now all i ever wanted to do when i started the trust three decades ago
48:41
was above all to make an investment in the future pure and simple this cause has been
48:46
close to the prince's heart for many years the future duchess of cornwall will be attending many
48:51
There are many evenings like this in the years ahead. And believe me, there are literally thousands
48:56
of young people out there who do need it. All I can say is you are quite literally saving lives
49:04
So thank you all very much indeed. The guests don leave without offering the prince and his bride their best wishes I mean I think it a great thing I think it a great thing And he only seems very happy
49:20
I think it's marvellous, Jesus. A proclamation of love can't go wrong
49:26
The day has come. That love is about to be recognised formally and in front of millions
49:32
around the world. Even for Windsor, seen of so many great state occasions, this will be
49:37
an historic landmark. It's 142 years since a Prince of Wales was last married here
49:50
Castle flagman Tony Martin has a somewhat larger model. It's so big that he's drafted in the Buckingham Palace flagman
49:59
to help him raise it. Here we go. How big is this one
50:04
38 feet by 19 feet wide. Fantastic. There's something like this. God, I see this with me, Throl
50:15
The flowers are monumental. 35,000 daffodils to honour the Prince of Wales
50:21
It would have been nice to put a few leeks in, but I think people might have said it smelt a bit. The guests won't need much dinner after this reception
50:29
Well, I think altogether there's about 19,500 canopies for the actual reception
50:33
which is quite a lot to do. And some 2,000 well-wishers in the lower ward need looking after too
50:40
The one thing that's not going to go wrong, there's loads of loos. Ladies, gentlemen and disabled, we've got them scattered all over the castle
50:50
At 12.25, the bride and groom make the short journey into the town for the civic ceremony
50:56
There will only be 28 guests at this event, But at St George's Chapel, 800 are arriving for the afternoon service of dedication and prayer
51:07
It is both exciting and momentous. In porcelain blue, the new Duchess of Cornwall arrives with her prince
51:18
By thy blessing, let these rings be to Charles and Camilla, a symbol of unending love and faithfulness
51:25
A new royal era begins. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the House of Windsor rally round
51:34
Now officially Her Royal Highness, the Duchess begins her first walkabout. Oh, David, how are you? This is the poet from Wiltshire
51:46
Lovely to see you. This is David, the poet I've always told you about
51:52
I've heard so much about you. Having sorted out the car decorations
51:57
the young princes send their father and his bride on their way
52:24
Absolutely fantastic. Nailed it. End of a good week. The honeymoon will be in Scotland
52:42
We have celebrated the start of something very, very remarkable. Those who were here today will never forget it
53:23
and it is still very much at the heart of royal life. The prime challenge for every generation is to hand it on to the next
53:32
The ranger hopes he has done his bit. I think to try and create a memorial for yourself while you're alive
53:39
is slightly indecent, I think. I'd rather other people decide what legacy I'd left
53:43
I'm not trying to create one. Any organism needs to be kept going
53:48
The fact that it is going still after 50 years, that's not bad going
53:53
because if you hadn't done it, something worse might have occurred. William the Conqueror built his castle up here
54:02
and it's been occupied virtually ever since. No-one will ever build another Windsor
54:12
For all its history, its real strength will always lie in its people
54:18
You know, some of my staff have been here sort of 30-odd years and, you know, a year is nothing
54:23
The rest of the world come in on those tin cans to see what we've got here, you know
54:28
Tradition and history. Very well. We have a very good, um, what word shall I have? Boss
54:36
So, I'm going to sit here and he sits there, Sarah. Take it in quick and get back here
54:41
It's the nerdy time here. Marvellous. One of the lovely things about Windsor Castle is it's alive and it's working
54:50
I can't imagine Windsor Castle any other way. Just got to check it out, see there's no rips in it
55:03
Look at this, this is England, this is fantastic. You couldn't buy this in a million years
55:11
We, as our staff, must never forget that she is the Queen
55:18
On a hot day such as Garter Day, the middle of June, And it can be very, very uncomfortable
#Education