13-10-20, 22:57
|
#76
|
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 47,655
Thanks: 27,646
Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts
|
re: The ROYALS: Prince William & Kates' Secret Home on Balmoral Estate
Queens' Secret Tunnel Out of Windsor Castle Pictured in Mysterious Snaps
The Queen's new home, Windsor Castle, has been a royal residence for more than 900 years so is packed full of history and surprising secrets
Daily Mirror UK, 13 OCT. 2020.
It's very spooky (Image: BBC
The Queen has returned to Windsor after her summer break, and is settling back into life in the stunning castle.
The building, which is a working palace as well as a private home, has been a royal residence for more than 900 years so is filled with history and tradition.
But as well as being a lovely place for the royals to stay, it was also a fortress, which means there are lots of secret passages and hidden former defences.
Among the disguised features is a secret escape tunnel which is hidden beneath a trapdoor covered by carpet, which the Queen could use to make a quiet exit if needed.
The tunnel was revealed in a 2011 BBC documentary, The Queen's Palaces, and presenter Fiona Bruce gave viewers the first ever broadcast look inside.
She said: “This is an office just tucked away in a corner of Windsor Castle. But look under here.
"As if by magic, just lift these and the medieval castle emerges.
She walks down the stone steps and gives a glimpse inside the tunnel itself.
She says: “If you’re a soldier in Windsor Castle under siege you need a way to get out.
INSIDE THE QUEEN'S 'SECRET ESCAPE TUNNEL' TUCKED AWAY IN WINDSOR CASTLE
“And this is the secret passage......
“This is exactly what it looked like in the 1200s. You access the hidden tunnel through a normal looking office (Image: BBC)
“It’s wide enough to accommodate a whole army of men.
“You can just imagine them rushing down the stairs, and it leads out onto the street.
“This is the clever bit - they’d then be able to sneak up on the enemy and attack them from behind.”
The Queen arrived back in Windsor last week, but the Duke of Edinburgh has remained in Norfolk.
Philip, 99, has spent much of his retirement so far at Wood Farm on the Sandringham estate.
But he joined the Queen at Windsor for lockdown from March onwards before they headed to Balmoral in Aberdeenshire for their summer break and then moved Sandringham for a few weeks.
The Court Circular - the daily list of royal engagements - published on Wednesday - cited Windsor Castle as the current residence of the royal court.
The Duke of Edinburgh has apparently given the monarch the strength to continue in the face of a series of setbacks for The Firm, including Megxit.
They have also had the opportunity to relax in the 'HMS Bubble' and now want to avoid spending long stints apart from each other, it is claimed.
The Queen and Prince Philip spent lockdown together at Windsor Castle (Image: Press Association via Getty Imag)
Both of them have reportedly remembered what a 'good team' they are together during the lockdown.
A royal source told : "Everyone who has seen her recently says the Queen appears to have a new lease of life because she loved the chance to spend quality time with Philip again.
“Obviously she has been gravely worried about the nation during the pandemic but those around her have seen how amazing they have been together.
“Because of self-isolation and with only a small team of loyal staff, dubbed ‘HMS Bubble’, this is the first time the Queen has been able to spend quality time with her husband for years."
The insider added that the couple have been able to relax like normal people in their 90s.
|
|
|