St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle

===Development of the building===
[[File:WindsorLowerBaileyJosephNash1848 edited.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|St George's Chapel (left) at Windsor Castle in 1848, showing the absence of the [[The Queen's Beasts|Queen's Beasts]] on the [[pinnacle]]s (since replaced). Watercolour by [[Joseph Nash]]]]

In 1348, [[Edward III of England|King Edward III]] founded two religious colleges: [[St Stephen's Chapel|St Stephen's]] at [[Westminster]] and St George's at Windsor. The new college at Windsor was attached to the Chapel of [[Edward the Confessor|St Edward the Confessor]] which had been constructed by [[Henry III of England|Henry III]] in the early thirteenth century. The chapel was then re-dedicated to the [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Blessed Virgin Mary]], [[Saint George|George the Martyr]] and [[Edward the Confessor]], but soon became known only by its dedication to St George.<ref name=Victoria>{{cite book|chapter=Collegiate churches: Windsor (St George's chapel)|title=A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 2|editor1=P H Ditchfield |editor2=William Page|publisher= Victoria County History|year=1907|page=106|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol2/pp106-112}}</ref> Edward III also built the [[Aerary]] Porch in 1353–54.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/tour/tour_aerary.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060915035637/http://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/tour/tour_aerary.asp |archive-date=2006-09-15 |title=The Aerary Porch|publisher=St. George's Chapel website|access-date=1 October 2022}}</ref>
[[File:Windsor Castle, Quire of St George's, by Charles Wild, 1818 - royal coll 922115 257036 ORI 0.jpg|right|thumb| The [[Choir (architecture)|Choir]] of St George's Chapel, by [[Charles Wild]], from [[William Henry Pyne|W. H. Pyne]]'s ''Royal Residences'', 1818]]
[[File:Windsor horseshoe cloister 01.JPG|thumb|left|upright|alt=A close-up photograph of a building made with black timbers and red brick. The building has four tall, brick chimneys. A relatively modern drainpipe comes down the middle of the building.|The Horseshoe Cloister, built in 1480 and reconstructed in the 19th century]]

The period 1475–1528 saw a radical redevelopment of St George's Chapel set in motion by [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]] and continued by [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] under the supervision of his most esteemed counsellor, Sir [[Reginald Bray]], and by [[Henry VIII]]. The thirteenth-century Chapel of St Edward the Confessor was enlarged into a cathedral-like space under the direction of [[Richard Beauchamp (bishop)|Richard Beauchamp]], [[Bishop of Salisbury]], and the master mason, Henry Janyns.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PIIlDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA216|title=Art in England: The Saxons to the Tudors: 600–1600|first= Sara N. |last=James|year=2016|page=216|publisher=Oxbow Books|isbn=978-1785702266}}</ref>

The Chapel suffered a great deal of destruction during the [[English Civil War]]. [[Roundhead|Parliamentary]] forces broke into and plundered the chapel and treasury on 23 October 1642. Further pillage occurred in 1643 when the fifteenth-century [[chapter house]] was destroyed, lead was stripped off the chapel roofs, and elements of Henry VIII's unfinished funeral monument were stolen. Following his execution in 1649, [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] was buried in a small vault in the centre of the choir at St George's Chapel, which also contained the coffins of Henry VIII and [[Jane Seymour|Queen Jane]] (née Seymour).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tudorsociety.com/12-november-1537-jane-seymours-remains-moved-to-windsor/|title=12 November 1537 – Jane Seymour's remains moved to Windsor|publisher=The Tudor Society| access-date=1 October 2022}}</ref>

During his life and reign, [[George III|King George III]] was responsible for reigniting royal interest in Windsor Castle, which had been much overlooked after the [[House of Hanover]] came to the throne of the Great Britain in 1714. On 12 August 1776 the royal family first attended the Sunday morning service at St George's Chapel – which they called "the Cathedral". George III was committed to St George's Chapel; he inspired and in large part funded an extensive restoration of the chapel from 1780 to 1790.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/image_of_the_month/the-legacy-of-king-george-iii/|title=The legacy of King George III|publisher=St George's Chapel| access-date=1 October 2022}}</ref>

The reign of [[Queen Victoria]] saw further changes made to the structure of the chapel. The east end of the choir was reworked in memory of [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]]. The Lady Chapel, which had been abandoned by Henry VII, was completed and renamed the Albert Memorial Chapel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/image_of_the_month/the-wolsey-chapel/  |title=The Wolsey Chapel|publisher=St George's Chapel| access-date=1 October 2022}}</ref>

By the early twentieth century, the bowing walls, cracked vaulting, decayed stone and stripped lead required urgent attention. In 1920 a much needed ten-year restoration project began at George's Chapel, overseen by the consulting architect Sir [[Harold Brakspear]].<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41358709|title=The Restoration of St George's Chapel, Windsor|journal= Journal of the Royal Society of Arts|volume=79|date=13 February 1931|pages=306–319|jstor=41358709 |access-date=1 October 2022|last1=Baillie |first1=Albert |issue=4082 }}</ref> As part of this programme, [[Mahomet Thomas Phillips]] – an Anglo-Congolese sculptor – produced a falcon and a unicorn in 1923.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=H |date=17 October 2022 |title=Mahomet Thomas Phillips Part 2 |url=https://reimagininglincs.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/2022/10/17/mahomet-thomas-phillips-part-2/ |website=University of Lincoln}}</ref>

The [[King George VI Memorial Chapel]] was constructed in 1969 between the Rutland Chapel and the north choir of St George's Chapel to a design by [[George Pace]].<ref name=Times02>{{cite news|last1=Keay|first1=Douglas|title=Princess Margaret's ashes to rest by her father|url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/IF0501475187/TTDA?u=wes_ttda&sid=bookmark-TTDA&xid=a9eafb8a|accessdate=14 September 2022|work=[[The Times]]|issue=67375|date=15 February 2002|page=3}}</ref>
[[File:WindsorCastlePano-Wyrdlight.jpg|thumb|centre|700px|St George's Chapel in the Lower Ward at centre right, partially behind tree]]