Prince Andrew bravely helped firefighters through the fire at Windsor Castle… but got lost! New TV documentary reveals how Duke played a key role in the fight to contain the fire that destroyed Queen’s favorite home
- New documentary reveals Prince Andrew helped firefighters during a fire in 1992
- The layout of Windsor Castle was so complicated that the monarch’s son got lost
Prince Andrew played a key role in the battle to bring the fire at Windsor Castle under control, helping firefighters navigate the historic building, a new television documentary reveals.
But the layout of the castle was so complicated that the monarch’s son got lost!
Mike Green, who was the top division officer, explained on the day the fire broke out, November 20, 1992, “It was a very difficult location.
Prince Andrew made himself available, so he said, “Where do you want to go? I’ll show you the way.”
“But even he got loose a few times because it’s such a complex building that he led them one way and then all of a sudden said, ‘Oh no, we’re not getting through.’
A new TV documentary reveals Prince Andrew’s role in the 1992 Windsor fire
Prince Andrew played a key role in the battle to bring the fire at Windsor Castle under control, helping firefighters navigate the historic building, a new television documentary reveals
It is now 30 years since a fire broke out at Windsor Castle on the 45th wedding anniversary of the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh.
She planned to spend the weekend at Windsor Castle, as her husband was on a trip to Argentina.
Channel 4’s documentary The Windsor Castle Fire: The Untold Story has now produced a minute-by-minute account of the battle to save the building.
Jenny Bond, who was the BBC’s Royal Correspondent between 1989 and 2003, told the program that Andrew was immediately on the scene.
“Prince Andrew was actually quite instrumental in how the first part of the operation went,” she said.
Firefighters fight the blaze in Windsor. It is now 30 years since a fire broke out at Windsor Castle on the 45th wedding anniversary of the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh
“He had been there in the castle to do some research and suddenly he was alerted to the fact that there was a fire.
“So he was immediately on the scene and, I think, kind of took charge in those early hours.”
Charles Anson, who was the Queen’s press secretary between 1990 and 1997, also remembered the day vividly.
He recalled that the Queen was led to the burning castle to save some of her personal belongings.
“The Queen herself wanted to go get some of the smaller items in her own apartments,” he said.
“She’d have a better idea of where they were and which ones she wanted to get out.
“The Queen herself wanted to get some of the smaller items in her own apartments,” said Charles Anson, who was her press secretary from 1990 to 1997.
“By the end of the day, after the Queen cleared items from her own apartments, it became clear that there was no way she would be able to stay in the castle.
So she returned to Buckingham Palace, which was very unusual. I remember when she came in.
“We said how sorry we were and the Queen said in what was then a rather hoarse voice from the smoke in Windsor, ‘Well, at least we kept the pictures.’
One of the firefighters, Neil Carter, was present when the frost arrived at the castle.
“I happened to be standing at the entrance to the castle when the Queen arrived,” he recalls. “I met her gaze at that moment and it was a very sad moment.
“I realized how much she appreciated the castle and to see it in that state must have been a terrible experience for her. She just looked incredibly sad.’
The Windsor Castle Fire: The Untold Story airs on Channel 4 on Saturday 22 April at 8.15pm.