Information
Landmark: Frogmore HouseCity: Windsor
Country: United Kingdom
Continent: Europe
Frogmore House, Windsor, United Kingdom, Europe
Overview
Frogmore House, a centuries-old royal home, sits in Windsor Great Park just a mile south of Windsor Castle, surrounded by sweeping lawns and old oak trees.For centuries, it’s been tied to the British royal family, admired for its beauty, its quiet lawns, and the weight of its history.Here’s a closer look at Frogmore House, whose story begins in the 17th century, when its brick walls first rose among quiet gardens.John Harrington, a courtier of Henry VIII, built it in the early 1600s, and people say the house got its name from the swarms of frogs once crowding the marshy ground around it.Back in the 1600s, it was called Frogmore, though most of the current house-now larger and sturdier-was rebuilt and expanded in the late 18th century.Royal Connections: In the late 18th century, Queen Charlotte-wife of King George III-fell for the house’s charm, and it soon became a royal residence.In 1792, Queen Charlotte bought the property and transformed it into a quiet retreat, far from the stiff ceremonies of Windsor Castle, where the air smelled faintly of pine.She escaped to Frogmore House for weekends in the country, a place to unwind and host lively dinners for family and friends under its tall, sunlit windows.In the 19th century, members of the royal family came and went through Frogmore House, using its quiet rooms for their own needs.Queen Victoria and Prince Albert loved Frogmore, often retreating there to walk its quiet gardens and spend time with their children.While they owned the estate, it underwent major changes-most notably the creation of the lush Frogmore Gardens, laid out by famed landscape architect William Kent.From the outside, Frogmore House shows off a classic Georgian facade, its tall windows and balanced lines giving it the graceful symmetry so prized in the 18th century.Built from warm brick and pale stone, the house is modest beside other royal homes, its design meant for quiet seclusion rather than formal state occasions.Inside Frogmore House, Georgian elegance meets Victorian warmth, with sunlight catching on carved wood and patterned silk.Among the standout spaces are the Saloon, a spacious central hall once alive with music and conversation, and the China Room, its walls dressed in delicate Chinese wallpaper and touches of far-off lands.Frogmore holds an impressive trove of royal portraits and keepsakes, from oil paintings in gilded frames to delicate handwritten notes, tracing the family’s long bond with the house.Gardens and Grounds: Among the estate’s treasures, the Frogmore Gardens stand out, with winding paths and the scent of blooming roses.The gardens stretch wide and feel carefully tended, their romantic design unfolding in tree-lined avenues, quiet ponds that catch the light, and beds bursting with plants and flowers.Frogmore House is best known for its Private Mausoleum, where Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, rest beneath its cool, echoing stone.The Royal Mausoleum at Frogmore stands out as a defining part of the estate, its pale stone catching the light on quiet afternoons.Architect James Wyatt designed it, and workers finished the job in 1861, just months after Prince Albert’s death.Queen Victoria was laid to rest there in 1901, her coffin draped in black, and over the years other members of the royal family have been buried at Frogmore too.The mausoleum feels calm and inviting, its plain stone walls giving it a quiet dignity.Frogmore isn’t a main royal residence, but for generations the family has escaped there, strolling its quiet gardens and finding a bit of peace away from the public eye.Queen Victoria and Prince Albert often turned it into their private retreat, a place where they could spend quiet days with their children.The house and its gardens offered a welcome break from the weight of royal duties at Windsor, with roses blooming quietly under the afternoon sun.Royal Weddings: Frogmore House has hosted some of the monarchy’s most memorable celebrations, especially weddings, with white roses often lining its garden paths.In 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot at Frogmore Cottage, a quaint home tucked just a short walk away.The event put the Frogmore estate back in the spotlight, though the main house-its white façade tucked behind tall hedges-has mostly stayed a private retreat for the royal family.These days, Frogmore House still hosts the occasional royal get‑together-private dinners, quiet celebrations, and family gatherings behind its tall windows.People see it as a warmer, more personal space than the other royal residences, the kind where you might hear footsteps on old wooden floors.The public can also visit at select times each year, such as during Windsor’s Spring and Summer Season, when the royal family is away.Frogmore Cottage, tucked away on the estate, is often mistaken for the grand Frogmore House, but it’s an entirely separate home.In 2018, not long after their wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle settled into Frogmore Cottage, a pale brick home tucked behind tall hedges.They gave it a full makeover, turning the place into a bright, modern home where the couple could curl up by the new bay window.Tucked away in a quiet corner of the estate, the cottage gives the couple the privacy and calm they craved after their royal wedding, a place where even the air feels still.Frogmore House, by contrast, opens its doors to visitors only on select days, like during the Royal Collection Trust’s summer opening.During these openings, you can wander through the house and gardens, step into quiet rooms lined with art, and stroll past bright flowers swaying in the breeze.Frogmore Gardens surround the house and draw visitors in, especially in spring and summer when roses spill over stone paths and the air smells sweet.The gardens spread across a changing landscape, with still blue lakes, bright ornamental blooms, and sweeping views of the hills beyond.Frogmore House feels like one of the royal family’s most peaceful hideaways, with ivy curling along its old brick walls.Its lush gardens, quiet air, and storied royal past keep it firmly woven into Windsor’s royal heritage.It may not draw the crowds of Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace, but Frogmore House has been woven into the royal family’s private life for centuries, hosting quiet gatherings and summer walks beneath its ancient trees.Today, it still stands as a proud emblem of royal tradition and family heritage, treasured by the royal family and admired by visitors who pause to take in its gleam.
