 Charles was heavily influenced by the works of Louis XIV of France , imitating French design at his palace at Winchester and the Royal Hospital at Chelsea . At Windsor , Charles created " the most extravagantly Baroque interiors ever executed in England " . Much of the building work was paid for out of increased royal revenues from Ireland during the 1670s . French court etiquette at the time required a substantial number of enfiladed rooms to satisfy court protocol ; the demand for space forced May to expand out into the North Terrace , rebuilding and widening it in the process . This new building was called the Star Building , because Charles II placed a huge gilt Garter star on the side of it . May took down and rebuilt the walls of Edward III 's hall and chapel , incorporating larger windows but retaining the height and dimensions of the medieval building . Although Windsor Castle was now big enough to hold the entire court , it was not built with chambers for the King 's Council , as would be found in Whitehall . Instead Charles took advantage of the good road links emerging around Windsor to hold his council meetings at Hampton Court when he was staying at the castle . The result became an " exemplar " for royal buildings for the next twenty @-@ five years . The result of May 's work showed a medievalist leaning ; although sometimes criticised for its " dullness " , May 's reconstruction was both sympathetic to the existing castle and a deliberate attempt to create a slightly austere 17th @-@ century version of a " neo @-@ Norman " castle . 
