Year 3 enjoy a fabulous day out at Windsor Castle

On a glorious sunny day, we explored Windsor Castle to look closely at all of the features of a Norman Motte and Bailey which had been originally built by William the Conqueror. We sat in the arrow slits and pretended to be firing arrows at invaders. We peered over the battlements and realised how difficult it would have been to attack as the hill was so steep. Windsor is preparing for the royal wedding next week and we loved standing at the door of St. George’s chapel where Meghan will enter as a bride and seeing where the ceremony will take place.

Our talk on knights took place in the state apartments in the room where the wedding breakfast will be held. We imagined how long the table will be for 200 guests to sit at! We found out about the different people who would have lived in a castle; kings, queens, knights, cooks, maids and, of course, a jester. During the talk, Gordon explained the process of becoming a knight. Sam played the role of page, Kasper the squire and Toby and Cameron the knight. We learnt all about the Garter Ceremony and then, all dressed in velvet cloaks and feathered hats, we processed solemnly through the castle to the throne room (waving regally at the public en route) where a dubbing ceremony took place. The rest of the castle visitors looked astonished.

Finally, we stood beside one of the guards on duty outside his sentry box for a photograph. We were expecting him to be dressed in a red tunic and a bear skin just like in all the pictures we had seen. He was, in fact, wearing a green jacket and a peaked hat as a representative of The Rifles battalion.