Together with Windsor, the Tower of London, Kenilworth and Pontefract, Dover is one of the great royal fortresses of England. The site of the castle has been used as a fort since before the Romans and it remains today one of the most exciting and impressive royal sites anywhere in Western Europe.
In the twelfth century the massive building campaigns of Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III transformed the Norman castle founded by William the Conqueror into both a luxurious residence and what was probably the most powerful fortress in Europe. In the centre of it all, the great tower, was effectively the royal residence, and the last of its type to be built in England. It was not only the largest but the most luxurious great tower (often called a keep) ever built. Its size and comfort was related to the extraordinarily important strategic location of the castle. It was not only a military site it was a crucial node in the personal, diplomatic and political itinerary of English kings. They frequently stayed at the castle as they moved across the channel and visiting royalty and ambassadors were entertained there. After the establishment of the shrine of St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury the castle also welcomed high status pilgrims.
The great tower contained two royal suites; for the king on the second floor and the queen on the first floor. As well as the large hall and chamber there was a closet and wardrobe for the king as well as a private chapel and gardrobe (W.C). The rooms were very l;arge and the extremely tick walls created deep window embrasures and door recesses. As a consequence, there were few alterations over the centuries, but Edward IV installed some new fireplaces.
The Tudor monarchs regularly used Dover on progress but made few alterations beyond minor modernisation. Under James I the Duke of Buckingham oversaw a complete refitting of the great tower to make it suitable for Charles I to receive Henrietta Maria. The rooms were done up with plaster ceilings and cornices; they were hung with tapestry, matted and furnished with fine modern furniture. The French delegation were appalled by the ancient castle, and the new queen mystified by the English admiration for such an ancient place.
After the Restoration Dover had one last final Royal hurrah! when it became the location for the signing of a top-secret treaty with the French. Under cover of a family reunion Charles II had intended to sign a treaty in London but in the event his sister could only travel as far as Dover. The castle was briefly furnished for this, the last royal stay in its history.
From the seventeenth century until the 1950s the castle was part operational military site and part tourist attraction; the latter function, in the care of English Heritage, it retains today.