Queen Elizabeth II To Welcome New Resident At Windsor Castle Home

May 06, 2021 by apost team

Queen Elizabeth II's home is the stunning Windsor Castle, which is located in the English countryside in Berkshire. Embodying nearly 1,000 years of architectural history, the castle occupies 484,000 square feet and boasts around 1,000 rooms. Built in the 11th century, Windsor Castle has been home to the reigning English monarch ever since Henry I and also happens to be the longest-occupied palace in Europe. Among the many various aspects of the palace is St George's Chapel, which is contained within Windsor Castle's walls. 

Now, as the United Kingdom prepares to open up following lockdown, Windsor Castle is set to open to the public come May 17. This means that the palace's beautiful gardens will need tending to, and a call out for a gardener to help maintain the grounds has been made. Advertised as a live-in position, the gardener will join a team and work to keep the grounds in top condition. For anyone who's ever wished to visit the palace or even dreamt of taking up residence there, this open call to the public is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. What's more, the gardens of Windsor Castle have only been opened to the public since last year. While other areas have been open to visitors before, the gardens had previously remained private.

Incidentally, the gardens at Windsor Castle were designed by the queen's late husband Prince Philip back in 1971. Touting eight different varieties of English roses that make up 3,500 perfumed bushes, the gardens no doubt hold a very dear place in Queen Elizabeth's heart, particularly with the recent death of her beloved husband.

Avid gardeners with the right skillset have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live and work at the iconic Windsor Castle. In a job advertisement listed on the official royal household website, the gardening position is described as "a live-in position (for which there is a salary adjustment) with meals provided." Furthermore, it states:

"Joining this small team of professional gardeners, you'll help ensure the Royal Gardens and surrounding areas are maintained to the highest standards.

"From regular mowing and edging, to raking and re-seeding, you’ll also maintain the shrub, herbaceous and rose borders whilst monitoring and nurturing the health of plants, and young trees.

"Helping to shape the future of the gardens, you'll plant new shrubbery, bulbs and seasonal flower displays, ensuring that they continue to provide a spectacular setting for a historic building."

The opportunity is an incredible one but remains limited to professional horticulturists, as a qualification is essential. Alongside "a passion for horticulture" and a "good working knowledge of plants and turf care," the ideal candidate will also have experience in "operating a wide range of garden machinery."

Other requirements include self-discipline and strong time management skills, as well as working closely with a team. On top of the incredible experience, the position offers room for research and exploration of new ideas in the gardens and grounds.

Imagine being a fan of the royal family as well as a professional gardener and all of a sudden landing a dream job living in and tending to the grounds of Windsor Castle? What a fairytale! 

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Despite Windsor Castle's nearly 1000-year history, perhaps the most surprising aspect about its gardens is that for over 40 years they weren't open to the public until 2020. Richard Williams, who is the Learning Curator at the Royal Collection Trust, which oversees Windsor Castle's public access, said to Hello! last year:

"This is the first time visitors can enter or walk through the garden for more than 40 years. It's the least known part of the castle, on the most private side and it's important because of the historical stories associated with it and its significance to the Queen and her family."

Going far back in time, the gardens at Windsor Castle have a rich history. King Charles II originally laid out the plot of land as three bowling greens, before King George IV transformed the East Terrace into a garden in 1824. Later on, Prince Albert redesigned the space into a beloved sanctuary for Queen Victoria and himself.

Then during World War II, fruit and vegetables were grown in the garden's flower beds, with a young Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Princess Margaret cultivating tomatoes, dwarf beans, and sweetcorn at the time.

Located at the castle's Upper Ward, the part that overlooks the garden houses the Green Drawing Room, which was the central location for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's official wedding portraits.

With so much history present all over the grounds, whoever is lucky enough to land the Windsor Castle gardening job will surely count their blessings each and every day as they work. 

What do you think about the public offer to work at Windsor Castle as a gardener? Have you ever visited the iconic location? If you found this article interesting then be sure to pass it on to others!