WHERE WERE YOU WHEN Windsor Castle blazed - YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Sign in Welcome!Log into your account Forgot your password? Password recovery Recover your password Search Sign in Welcome! Log into your account Forgot your password? Get help Password recovery Recover your password A password will be e-mailed to you. YOU Magazine Fashion Beauty Celebrity Health Life Relationships Horoscopes Food Interiors Travel Home Celebrity WHERE WERE YOU WHEN Windsor Castle blazed By You Magazine - July 21, 2019 Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond recalls how she almost missed the story of the year. It took 36 pump engines, 225 firefighters and one million gallons of water to extinguish the fire. Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images. It was a Friday morning. I was having a catch-up with the Queen’s press secretary, Charles Anson, in his Buckingham Palace office. It had been a hell of a year – soon to be christened an annus horribilis by the Queen as she marked her 40th year of accession. The Duke and Duchess of York had separated (with Fergie then pictured topless having her toes sucked by her financial adviser), Princess Anne had filed for divorce from Mark Phillips and Diana had sat alone at the Taj Mahal and then poured out her heart in a book by Andrew Morton. But today was quiet. It was the Queen and Duke’s 45th wedding anniversary but no public appearances were planned, so I’d called in at the Palace to discuss upcoming events. Shortly before noon, we were interrupted by one of the Queen’s advisers, who spoke with Charles in hushed tones in the corridor. Charles came back in and continued where we’d left off. Suddenly my pager lit up: ‘Ring the news desk. Urgent.’ I rang. ‘Where are you, for God’s sake? Don’t you know Windsor Castle is on fire?’ Cursing the Palace courtiers for keeping me out of the loop when they had clearly been whispering about it, I raced out of the Palace and down the motorway. First reports of disasters are often exaggerated. Not this one. The smoke and flames billowing from the Brunswick Tower of the ancient castle could be seen from miles away. My heart was pounding as I got into Windsor, parked the car and ran towards the fire. The news desk wanted an eyewitness report as soon as possible. News crews were converging and the air was thick with acrid smoke, despite the best efforts of dozens of firefighters. It was the start of a brutal nonstop stint of reporting for me, as the fire raged for more than 12 hours. In the end, it destroyed 115 rooms, including nine state rooms. It was a sadly symbolic end to a year that the Queen and her family would surely rather forget. Photo by Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo. Also that month… The Church of England voted to allow women to become priests. Ford unveiled its newest model, the Mondeo, which would be on sale the following year. ‘Would I Lie to You’ by Charles & Eddie reached number one in the UK charts. The first episode of Absolutely Fabulous, starring Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley, aired on BBC2. RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR 50 of the best celebrity Halloween costumes of all time Shirley Ballas ‘ Strictly gave me back my hope’ Davina McCall discusses how men can help women going through the menopause Popular in Celebrity TV chef Gino D Acampo on Sardinia Sophia Loren and scary salads May 25, 2017 The Evergreen Goddess Exercise guru Diana Moran on looking fit and July 10, 2017 More more Julianne Moore November 13, 2017 Author Jill Mansell on designer notebooks commissioning art and the family January 16, 2018 EMOTIONAL TIES Kelly Hoppen on vodka vintage finds and being a April 4, 2018 ‘ I have no regrets’ Millie Mackintosh on divorce debt and reuniting May 20, 2018 EMOTIONAL TIES TV presenter and tennis player Annabel Croft shares her July 1, 2018 Stella Parton ‘ Dolly and I have always been close’ August 12, 2018 Anna Friel on getting jeered in the street shared parenting with September 23, 2018 Queen of primetime Charlotte Riley on juggling rising stardom with pregnancy October 21, 2018 Popular CategoriesFood2704Life2496Fashion2240Beauty1738Celebrity1261Interiors684 Sign up for YOUMail Thanks for subscribing Please check your email to confirm (If you don't see the email, check the spam box) Fashion Beauty Celebrity Life Food Privacy & Cookies T&C Copyright 2022 - YOU Magazine. All Rights Reserved