THE Queen has a secret escape tunnel at Windsor Castle which is hidden beneath a trapdoor covered by some carpet.
The Royal households undoubtedly hold a wealth of secrets known only by the Queen herself, but one of them was revealed in a BBC documentary.
The Queen’s Palaces delved into the history of Windsor, which was built in the 11th century, and is still one of the 93-year-old’s official residences.
Back in the 1000s, secret passageways and escape routes were a necessity, and one was included by the architects of the royal residence, which leads out onto the street.
Presenter Fiona Bruce revealed the hidden passageway for the first time on camera, saying you can still find evidence of the castle’s “war like origins” if “you know where to look”.
Footage from the 2011 documentary shows Fiona standing in a small, ordinary-looking room.
She says: “This is an office just tucked away in a corner of Windsor Castle. But look under here.”
The unassuming room holds a big secret, as Fiona lifts up the carpet to reveal a wooden trapdoor.
She said: “As if by magic, just lift these and the medieval castle emerges.”
Beneath the door is a set of impressive stone steps, which haven’t changed since they were built.
Fina said: “If you’re a soldier in Windsor Castle under siege you need a way to get out.
“And this is the secret passage.
“This is exactly what it looked like in the 1200s.
“It’s wide enough to accommodate a whole army of men.
“You can just imagine them rushing down the stairs, and it leads out onto the street.
“This is the clever bit – they’d then be able to sneak up on the enemy and attack them from behind.”
The castle has a colourful history, famously catching fire in 1992 and engulfing around a fifth of the sprawling estate.
The fire was one of the factors behind the Queen labelling that year her ‘annus horribilis’.
The restoration cost £36.5 million, and was finally finished in 1997.
The massive bill forced the Queen to pay tax on her income and open up Buckingham Palace to tourists to help fund the work.
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