Everything to Know About the 1992 Windsor Castle Fire

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Tragedy struck Windsor Castle in 1992.

Exactly three decades ago, the historic royal residence was engulfed in flames when a fire broke out in Queen Victoria's Private Chapel room one November morning.

The castle, which overlooks the River Thames near London, was first constructed in the 11th century by William the Conquerer and is the oldest and largest inhabited castle in the world. It has housed 39 British monarchs, serving as a royal residence for nearly one thousand years.

Windsor Castle was home to the late Queen Elizabeth II when the blaze broke out in 1992, a time she described as an "annus horribilis," or horrible year. Before the fire, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne all announced the ends of their respective marriages that year.

The blaze didn't just destroy the room the fire ignited in, but it spread throughout the castle. Furthermore, it impacted the surrounding area, including St. George's Hall (where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had their wedding reception in 2018) and Brunswick Tower.

Between the total damage done and the time it took to restore, here's everything to know about the tragic Windsor Castle fire of 1992.

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When did Windsor Castle catch fire?

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Windsor Castle caught fire on Nov. 20, 1992. The blaze broke out in Queen Victoria's Private Chapel around 11:30 a.m. that Friday morning.

What caused the fire at Windsor Castle?

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The fire at Windsor Castle was caused by a faulty spotlight that ignited a curtain next to the altar in Queen Victoria's Private Chapel. Within minutes, the fire spread to St. George's Hall next door, Brunswick Tower and the surrounding private apartments.

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Was the Queen inside Windsor Castle when it caught fire?

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Queen Elizabeth II was not inside Windsor Castle when it caught fire, but her son, Prince Andrew was there when the blaze began. Although he wasn't in the Private Chapel room, he still found himself horrified at the smokey scene — despite there being more than 1,000 rooms in the vast establishment.

"I heard the fire alarm, and when I came out of the room I could see the smoke," he told reporters at the time. "My reaction was shock and horror at the fact that it took hold so quickly."

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Although Queen Elizabeth was not at the scene when the fire broke out, she rushed 20 miles west from Buckingham Palace in London to Windsor Castle to help remove priceless paintings and artifacts from the 900-year-old palace.

She joined a human chain with Prince Andrew, firefighters and other responders to pass pictures, tables, clocks and other irreplaceable antiques from hand to hand to safety. "She is helping to take stuff out of the castle — works of art," the Duke of York told reporters of his mother on the scene. "She has been in there for 30 minutes."

How was the Windsor Castle fire put out?

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Three hours after the fire was first detected at Windsor Castle, more than 220 firemen from seven counties rushed to the scene in an attempt to put out the blaze. They worked nonstop for 15 hours, using 36 pumps to spray 1.5 million gallons of water, per the Royal Collection Trust.

The fire was finally extinguished the next day, on Nov. 21. It was completely put out at 2:30 a.m. that Saturday, after blazing for 15 hours in total.

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How much damage did the Windsor Castle fire cause?

Pool Photograph/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle fire 1992

The team managed to remove all of the prized possessions from Windsor Castle, except for two pieces of art: a rosewood sideboard and a large painting by Sir William Beechey that couldn't be taken down in time.

Despite the feat amid the tragic circumstances, there was far more damage done to the building as a whole. The blaze destroyed 115 rooms in the castle, including nine official staterooms. Furthermore, St. George's Hall — a soaring gallery where banquets were held — collapsed completely.

At the time, experts estimated that repairs would cost up to $90 million and take 10 years to complete, according to United Press International. Controversy arose when Prime Minister John Major suggested British Parliament pay for the restoration of the castle.

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Since the establishment and its contents were too expensive to insure, "the Crown had to pay for the repairs without the help of insurance or funds from parliament," per History.com.

As a way to help cover the approximate 36.5 million pound restoration price tag, Queen Elizabeth opened the doors of Buckingham Palace to visitors for the first time in history and used the admission fees to pay for most of the reconstruction of Windsor Castle.

How long did it take to rebuild Windsor Castle after the fire?

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Five years to the day after the fire, Windsor Castle was officially restored on Nov. 20, 1997 — a day after Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's 50th wedding anniversary. Total restoration cost approximately $60 million, of which 70% came from entrance fees from Buckingham Palace visits in London, per the Los Angeles Times.

In addition to the controversy surrounding the bill, there was much debate over whether the castle should be restored to its original appearance or take on a completely new look. The Restoration Committee, led by Prince Philip, settled upon a compromise.

A new room titled The Lantern Lobby replaced Queen Victoria's Private Chapel (the room where the fire started), a passageway between the private and State Apartments was created and St. George's Hall was restored but took on a 20th-century reinterpretation. Furthermore, a new hammer-beam roof was built, per the Royal Collection Trust.