 Windsor Castle was one of Henry 's three favourite residences and he invested heavily in the royal accommodation , spending more money at Windsor than in any other of his properties . Following his marriage to Eleanor of Provence , Henry built a luxurious palace in 1240 – 63 , based around a court along the north side of the Upper Ward . This was intended primarily for the queen and Henry 's children . In the Lower Ward , the king ordered the construction of a range of buildings for his own use along the south wall , including a 70 ft ( 21 m ) long chapel , later called the Lady Chapel . This was the grandest of the numerous chapels built for his own use , and comparable to the Sainte @-@ Chapelle in Paris in size and quality . Henry repaired the Great Hall that lay along the north side of the Lower Ward , and enlarged it with a new kitchen and built a covered walkway between the Hall and the kitchen . Henry 's work was characterised by the religious overtones of the rich decorations , which formed " one of the high @-@ water marks of English medieval art " . The conversion cost more than £ 10 @,@ 000 . The result was to create a division in the castle between a more private Upper Ward and a Lower Ward devoted to the public face of the monarchy . Little further building was carried out at the castle during the 13th century ; the Great Hall in the Lower Ward was destroyed by fire in 1296 , but it was not rebuilt . 
