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Feature: Shakespeare's England brought to life in celebration at Windsor Castle

Xinhua, November 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

From Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II, British kings and queens have been among the biggest fans of the country's most famous playwright, William Shakespeare.

That long standing royal connection with the man known as the Bard will be at the forefront of commemorations in 2016 to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death.

Taking center stage in events will be one of the royal households, Windsor Castle. The castle, one of Britain's major tourist attractions for overseas visitors, will be celebrating Shakespeare's life and works with a a year-long exhibition of his long-standing association with the town of Windsor and the royal court.

Shakespeare in the castle's Royal Library will show how generations of monarchs since Elizabeth I enjoyed the work of Britain's greatest playwright.

One of the highlights of the exhibition will be the first ever display in public of Shakespeare's First Folio, a collection of his work. The folio was acquired by King George IV, when he was Prince of Wales. The document was published seven years after Shakespeare's death by his friends and fellow actors. It brought his plays together in a single volume for the first time and included a number of previously unpublished works.

A copy of Shakespeare's Second Folio, thought to have been read by King Charles I before his execution in 1649 will also be displayed at the exhibition. On the fly-leaf of the book the king inscribed the words 'Dum Spiro Spero', translated it means, While I Breathe, I Hope. King Charles also wrote the names of some of the characters from Shakespeare's comedies onto the contents page. King George III also read the Second Folio, and like King James, he annotated the volume.

Shakespeare's comedy 'The Merry Wives of Windsor', which directly links the playwright to the historic town and the castle, was performed to Queen Elizabeth I around the year 1600. There are a number of copies of The Merry Wives of Windsor in the Royal Collection, including a second quarto of the play (a book made up of a sheet folded to form four leaves) published in 1619, and a colourfully bound edition of the play presented to Queen Mary in 1917, which includes an embroidered image of Windsor Castle on the front cover.

Also on display at the exhibition will be a manuscript dated from 1607, which shows views of Windsor Castle and the surrounding area as Shakespeare would have known it.

Created for Henry, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of King James I, 'The Description of the Honor of Windesor' is one of only two copies in existence and includes locations and landmarks mentioned in The Merry Wives of Windsor.

The Shakespeare event at Windsor Castle will run from February 13 until January 1, 2017. Endit