St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle | |
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The Queen's Free Chapel of the College of St George, Windsor Castle | |
51°29′02″N 0°36′24″W / 51.48376°N 0.60678°WCoordinates: 51°29′02″N 0°36′24″W / 51.48376°N 0.60678°W | |
Location | Windsor |
Country | England |
Denomination | Church of England |
Churchmanship | High Church |
Website | www.stgeorges-windsor.org |
History | |
Dedication | St George |
Architecture | |
Status | Chapel |
Functional status | Active |
Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
Style | Gothic |
Years built | 14th century |
Administration | |
Diocese | Jurisdiction: Royal Peculiar Location: Oxford |
Clergy | |
Dean | David Conner |
Canon(s) |
Hueston Finlay Martin Poll Mark Powell |
Laity | |
Organist/Director of music | James Vivian |
Music group(s) | Choir of St George's Chapel |
St George's Chapel is the place of worship at Windsor Castle in England, United Kingdom. It is both a royal peculiar and the chapel of the Order of the Garter. The chapel is governed by the dean and Canons of Windsor.
The chapel is located in the Lower Ward of the castle, which is one of the principal residences of Queen Elizabeth II.
The day-to-day running of the chapel is the responsibility of the religious College of St George, which is directed by a chapter of the dean and four canons, assisted by a clerk, virger (traditional spelling of verger) and other staffers. The Society of the Friends of St George's and Descendants of the Knights of the Garter, a registered charity, was established in 1931 to assist the College in maintaining the chapel.
In 1348, King Edward III founded two new religious colleges: St Stephen's at Westminster and St George's at Windsor. The new college at Windsor was attached to the Chapel of St Edward the Confessor which had been constructed by Henry III in the early thirteenth century. The chapel was then rededicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, St Edward the Confessor and St George the Martyr. Edward III also built the Aerary Porch in 1353–1354. It was used as the entrance to the new college.
St George's Chapel became the Mother Church of the Order of the Garter, and a special service is still held in the chapel every June and is attended by the members of the order. Their heraldic banners hang above the upper stalls of the choir where they have a seat for life.