Residents say they deserve something back from royal family for putting up with tourists all year round. Windsor Castle will end its 200-year tradition of letting local residents enter for free. The castle, located west of London in the UK, has offered free admission to locals since 1825 but will charge them half the price of a regular ticket from June 1.
People in the town have criticised the move as “wrong and misjudged” and said they “deserve something back for welcoming so many tourists into their town”. The Royal Collection Trust (RCT), which runs the castle, said the pricing was “in line with other businesses in the borough”. Built in around 1070, Windsor is the world’s oldest inhabited castle.
Visitors were first allowed in 1825, and a free ticketing system was introduced by Queen Victoria in 1837. Free entry was permitted for all visitors until 1992, when a fire destroyed 115 rooms and caused millions of pounds worth of damage. Afterwards, visitors were charged an entrance fee to help pay for years of restoration.
However, local residents were still allowed free entrance if they held a resident’s advantage card. The RCT, which controls all royal residences, now plans to end two centuries of tradition by charging residents £16.50 ($34.
50) to enter the castle. The decision, which will allow free entry for one child up to the age of 17 per paying adult, has faced backlash. Julian Tisi, Windsor’s Lib-Dem parliamentary candidate, said: “Most Windsorian.
