British history buffs and devotees of the royal family will enjoy this opportunity to place the queen's beloved weekend home in its historical and architectural context. Windsor Castle: A Thousand Years of a Royal Palace is a splendid collection of 600 photographs, drawings, commissioned oil paintings of kings and queens, watercolors and 3D reconstructions that bring the enchanting royal residence to life. From William the Conqueror, who built the castle in the 11th century, to the kings and queens who raised their families there, Windsor Castle provides a sense of continuity to the royal family, the queen's subjects across the United Kingdom and her admirers around the globe.
Queen Victoria proposed to Prince Albert at Windsor Castle; King Edward VIII delivered his abdication speech there; and, more recently, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex held their fairytale wedding at the St. George's Chapel inside. As permanent and indestructible as England itself, the 1,000-year-old Windsor Castle continues to adapt as a new generation of princes and princesses adopt the queen's weekend residence as their home away from home. --Shahina Piyarali, writer and reviewer