All visitors to the State Apartments at Windsor Castle ascend the magnificent staircase, from Heads of State attending a State Banquet to visitors enjoying the public access to the Castle.
The two diminutive suits of armour on either side of the stairs were made for James I’s son Henry, Prince of Wales (1594-1612) when he was approximately 14 years old. Henry, elder brother of Charles I, had a particular love of chivalry. The second suit was a gift from the King of France in 1607.
Guests are then greeted by the remarkable plaster fan-vaulted ceiling and lantern, designed by James Wyatt for George III.
A marble statue of Queen Victoria has dominated the room since 1872 whilst the gothic canopy and showcases were installed in 1888 to display some of the thousands of gifts presented to Queen Victoria on her Golden Jubilee from all corners of the Empire. They now hold an important and disparate group of arms and relics, the majority from the collection of George IV.
The Virtual Room
