The Queen's secret escape route out of Windsor Castle revealed – VIDEO
THE QUEEN has access to a secret escape route out of Windsor Castle in an emergency, a documentary has revealed.
Queen’s secret route out of Windsor Castle revealed
The passage, which was built in the 1200s, lies beneath a hidden trapdoor in a “corner” of the castle. The 2011 BBC documentary The Queen’s Palaces unveiled the secret on camera for the first time. Presenter Fiona Bruce explained that “if you know where to look” you can still find evidence of Windsor’s “warlike origins.”
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Walking into a small, unassuming room she said: “This is an office just tucked away in a corner of Windsor Castle.”
But when Ms Bruce unfurled the carpet, a large, wooden trapdoor was revealed.
She explained: “Just lift these and the medieval castle emerges.”
Beneath the trapdoor, a centuries-old stone staircase was uncovered.
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Ms Bruce continued: “If you’re a soldier in Windsor Castle under siege you need a way to get out.
“And this is the secret passage.
“This is exactly what it looked like in the 1200s.
“It’s wide enough to accommodate a whole army of men.
“You can 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.”
Ms Bruce also revealed the residence the Queen found the most cold and uncomfortable.
She said: “Unlike George I and George II, both born and raised in Germany, George III was eager to prove he was an Englishman through and through.
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“He would restore Windsor Castle as a royal home. Repairs began in 1781. George and his family gradually moved into the castle.
“That was always rather short of home comforts. There were no carpets, for example. The King thought they were unhygienic.
“And it was always freezing. Queen Charlotte complained bitterly that this is the coldest house that has ever existed, and all idea of comfort is vanished with it.”
Security concerns surrounding the Royals have peaked after a 22-year-old man broke into Buckingham Palace grounds early on Wednesday morning.
The intruder was just “metres away from where the Queen was sleeping” when he was detained by police.
ITV correspondent Jonathan Swain explained: “Everyone’s just thankful that he was not armed and that this was not a terror-related incident. But, nevertheless, very worrying.
“The man was able to scale the very large metal fences outside the palace.
“Not only get over that but also get past the CCTV and the heat sensors that also surround the palace.
“And, of course, the building is patrolled 24 hours a day by armed guards.
“Now, he was able to get over the fence, wander towards the palace - the police detained him after only four minutes.
“But there was a bit of a panic for a few moments when they had to determine whether the man was armed or not.
“Thankfully he was not.
“But all this happened just metres away from where the Queen was sleeping inside the palace.
“She was told in the morning what had happened.”
