Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden

The castle’s origins date back to the 1120s when it was founded by Geoffrey de Clinton, a royal chamberlain to King Henry I. Over the centuries, Kenilworth Castle was expanded and enhanced by a succession of powerful owners, including King John and Simon de Montfort, who fortified the castle, making it one of the most formidable strongholds in medieval England.

The castle’s most famous association is with Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, who was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I. In the 1570s, Dudley undertook significant renovations to the castle to transform it into a grand Renaissance palace in an effort to impress the Queen. Elizabeth I visited Kenilworth Castle several times, and the most famous of these visits was in 1575, when Dudley hosted an elaborate 19-day festival in her honor, complete with pageantry, banquets, and fireworks.