CHANNEL 4 REVISIT THE WINDSOR CASTLE FIRE FOR NEW DOCUMENTARY
Using newly discovered footage and dramatic personal stories from the firefighters who attended the Windsor Castle fire on 20 November 1992, this documentary creates a minute-by-minute account of the battle to save this iconic building.
Many who were there that day reveal what really happened behind the castle walls, from an apprentice decorator, who was one of the first to see the fire and whoacted fearlessly to rescue priceless works of art, to the numerous firefighters who risked their lives to fight the blaze, including one who witnessed a man trapped in a roof collapse and another who thought two of his colleagues had died in a fireball.
For more than 12 hours, 200 firefighters battled this catastrophic fire as it burnt through the world's oldest inhabited castle. More than a million litres of water were used to combat the blaze.
Firefighters explain the tactics they used as they attempted to get on top of the fire, while others describe the multi-million-pound salvage operation, a race against time to rescue hundreds of priceless paintings and royal treasures.
The Queen's press secretary at the time, Charles Anson, reveals how the Queen was devastated but philosophical after witnessing the fire for herself. In the aftermath of the disaster she also had to deal with a major row about funding, which ended up changing the royal family forever.
Peter Collins, Executive Producer at Pioneer Productions, said: “The first-hand testimony of the brave firefighters, who were first on the scene, brings a whole new perspective on this disastrous moment in history. The ripples of change the fire triggered in the monarchy can still be felt today.”
The documentary airs Saturday 22nd April on Channel 4.
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