In 1992, Windsor Castle suffered a massive fire that nearly destroyed one wing of the property. It was another of the unfortunate incidents that the British royal family went through in one of its most difficult years. the fifth season of The Crownof Netflix, not only portrays the event, but also places it at the center of the debate. How did something similar happen in a building considered to be of elementary historical value to England?
The creator and screenwriter Peter Morgan gave the event the almost intimate air of a family misfortune. After all, the famous construction was home to several generations of the Windsorswhich meant that most of the losses were very personal.
In the fifth season of The Crown, the destruction at Windsor Castle is a metaphor for the royal family’s fall from grace. In the midst of direct questioning about the existence of the monarchy in the 20th century, the burning of the property is a painful incident.
At the same time, it builds a perception of the end of one era and the beginning of the next. All in the midst of the disturbing sensation that the tragedy showed the deep pain of a forced transition towards a contemporary vision of the monarchy.
But did it happen like that? Or was it just an isolated incident that had little or no connection to subsequent decisions by the British crown? The series reveals that many of his later decisions were related to the final point that symbolized the fall of the family home. Now, did you exaggerate? The Crown in the emblematic proportion of the devastation of Windsor Castle?
the look of The Crown to a historical fact of enormous importance
the fifth season of The Crown It showed part of the best-known scandals of the British crown during the chaotic nineties. From the infamous Tampongate, the tensions between Carlos III and his mother, to the breakdown of the marriage of the princes of Wales. The series, which portrays the lives of English royalty, has had to deal with accusations of sensationalism and, above all, of distorting the original events.
However, the burning of the castle is one of the moments in which the plot tried to reframe the original story since the revision. Especially through an almost moving look at the repercussions of such an event. Not surprisingly, it was the culmination of a long journey of scandalous situations. Especially when the incident was coupled with a sense of decline for the British royal family.
Much more, when it was linked to a deeper idea about the weight of a symbolic figure that a large part of the English considered unnecessary. The Crown it shows the rubble of the castle — a historic stronghold of the Windsors — as a symbolic and potentially irremediable collapse. A sensation that will accompany several of the most important figures in history from now on.
The Windsor Castle fire
But did the event spark the same debate in real life? Actually, the fire was important enough to be considered a tragedy in english historical heritage. In November 1992, a work light being used in the refurbishment of Queen Victoria’s private chapel ignited a fabric curtain. Immediately, the paints and other flammable materials ignited, turning the fire into a rapid wave of incandescent that reached the Brunswick Tower. From there, the incident became uncontrollable and spread to other rooms and apartments in the castle.
An hour later, more than 115 rooms burned and with them a good part of the personal belongings of the Windsors, accumulated from generation to generation. Despite the fact that the castle has its own fire department, it was insufficient for the scale of the event. The only member of the royal family present in the midst of the tragedy was Prince Andrew and, in fact, he witnessed the castle sustain considerable damage. Three hours after the start of the fire, the banqueting room at St George’s Hall caught fire completely, and eventually the Brunswick Tower collapsed.
The fire could not be fully controlled until twelve hours later from the start of the incident. What caused a large amount of furniture, artifacts and rooms to end up completely destroyed. Because the fire started in the morning, there was an opportunity to evacuate personnel and put a good number of collectibles to safety. Most symbols of the power and material legacy of the Windsors and their successors.
The Annus horribilis of Elizabeth II in The Crown
In the fifth season of The Crown, the fire is the most painful event in the midst of a succession of worrisome events. From the quick succession divorce of Carlos, Ana and Andrés, to the publication of Andrew Morton’s book with the confessions of Diana of Wales. It was about a period of scandals which ended up bringing the very existence of the British crown into public debate.
However, the fire at Windsor Castle is, as portrayed The Crown, an event that struck a chord in the British consciousness. It was not only about the partial loss of a historic construction. Also of the destruction of a traditional English symbol, which united the nation around the queen. A fact that had its culminating effect in the remembered speech of the queen in which she recognized her Annus horribilis and he did not hesitate to express his concern and regret. A rare moment of sensitivity that The Crown portrays in all its rawness.