Whenever we set out to visit England, our friends joke about us visiting the Queen.  Well, this time we did see the Queen. She drove within 10 feet of us on her way to Ascot, the day her filly Estimate won the Gold Cup.

Friends had told us that the best way to appreciate Windsor was to take the Long Walk from the Castle through the park. Sounded like a plan, so off we went.

The park is filled with deer, who observed our progress placidly.

It was a misty day and we were trying to get a good vantage point for a photo of the castle. We kept glancing back, waiting for the weather to clear when we saw a cavalcade of horses approaching.

At first we thought this was the Royal Family, but it turns out that the carriages set off in advance for Ascot, which is about five miles distant.  The Royal Family ride in them for the last mile or so, so they meet up later.

We made it all the way to the end of the Long Walk and climbed the hill to see the monument, then turned round to walk back.

We were about halfway back when a number of cars came toward us. We stopped quickly. Sure enough, there was Her Majesty. My first thought was Am I presentable? Followed by Does one curtsey? Old-school upbringing dies hard… Yes I was presentable, having donned a dress that morning. No, I did not curtsey, but it was a near thing. We snapped pictures in the most touristy way. It was very exciting!

We then visited the Castle, which is exactly what a real castle should look like. Turrets, crenellations, grey stone – the lot. No pictures allowed inside, unfortunately and understandably, so we contented ourselves with “mental pictures” of the interior, which is magnificent.

The town of Windsor is lively and quirky. We had lunch at a pub and enjoyed our walk round. A wonderful day and one for the memory book.