Windsor, Great Britain

With its magnificent castle, pretty riverside setting, long countryside walks and a feast of fantastic restaurants, the Queen’s home town is fit for a royal wedding

Windsor oozes pomp and pageantry, and its layers of history are almost tangible. Windsor Castle, a fort and royal residence, has dominated this spot since 1070 AD. William the Conqueror chose the site for its advantageous position: a day’s march from the Tower of London; right by the Thames; with commanding views of the western approach to the capital. The fortress has been continuously inhabited ever since, and extended and refurbished by almost every subsequent sovereign. This makes it the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world.

It was originally built as a fort, and the first monarch to use it as a house was Henry I in 1110. His grandson, Henry II, converted it into a palace. In 1215, King John rode out from Windsor to sign the Magna Carta at nearby Runnymede. In 1642, Oliver Cromwell used it as a prison; during the Restoration, Charles II made it more magnificent than ever, adding a new set of State Apartments. When Queen Victoria made the castle her official residence, Windsor became the centre of the British Empire. Having survived the Second World War and a terrible fire in 1992, it remains the town’s crowning glory and a breathtaking sight.

There is, however, more to Windsor than its imposing stronghold. While history lurks around every cobbled corner, this is a living, breathing town, albeit one that barely does a double take when the Queen drives or rides by, or when Prince Philip drives his carriage down the Long Walk.

Pedestrianised Peascod Street is the main shopping thoroughfare. Nearby, Windsor Royal Shopping arcade occupies the grand Victorian Railway Station, where a purse-destroying gamut of high-end outlets sit amid original 1850s features. The bulk of the tourist bustle centres on High Street and Thames Street, which sweeps down past the castle in a tumble of pubs and restaurants towards the River Thames. Most of the town’s attractions are a short stroll from the castle.