The day the Queen's beloved Windsor Castle was engulfed by flames

The year 1992 was set to be full of reasons to celebrate for Queen Elizabeth as she marked 40 years on the throne. 

Instead, a challenging 12 months ended with Windsor Castle in flames on November 20 - a fateful day that also happened to be the Queen and Prince Philip's 45th wedding anniversary.

The beloved royal residence was damaged so badly by the fire and its 40ft flames that it wouldn't be fully restored until five years later, on the couple's 50th anniversary.

It would be a costly restoration that totalled around £36.5million - which, at today's prices, would be more than double that.

Originally it was thought the government would foot the bill with taxpayers' money - but this led to outrage from politicians and the public. 

The catastrophic event devastated the Queen and was later discovered to have been started by a halogen lamp in Queen Victoria's private chapel.

Prince Andrew was staying at the castle when the fire broke out and called his shocked mother to break the news.

When asked how the monarch reacted at the time, Buckingham Palace press officer Dickie Arbiter said: 'Probably the same reaction as yours if you saw your home burning down. Very upset.'

At around 11.15am, a team of picture restorers were working on artworks when one noticed a burning smell. 

Adding to the misfortune, the paintings were not usually kept in the chapel and the Daily Mail reported at the time how 'they were being stored there during rewiring work'.

Soon, one of the restorers was 'said to have seen the tops of the curtains on fire'.

In an attempt to save the paintings, 'the alarm was raised quickly, and the restorers began frantically removing works of art'. 

By 11.45am the chapel was consumed by the blaze and the Queen was notified of the ongoing devastation by Andrew. It has spread to St George's Hall located next door, Brunswick Tower and surrounding private apartments.

Firefighters worked tirelessly for 15 hours and more than 220 were called to the scene to gain control of the blaze.

The Mail told how 'long after nightfall 40ft flames were erupting like a volcano from the Brunswick Tower'. 

Windsor Castle was constructed using large amounts of timber which, when combined with the 140ft curtains in St George's Hall, helped the fire to take hold and spread rapidly. 

Reporting at the time described how 'the flames snaked along the decorative wooden ceiling, fanned by the draught in the lofty room, and roared into the Stat Chambers, King John's Tower, Prince of Wales Tower and Chester Tower'.

The Queen arrived by around 3pm, shortly followed by Prince Charles, to assess the damage and oversee items being removed from the castle.

She was so shocked by the scenes she put her hand over her mouth and Prince Andrew told reporters at the time, 'It's horrific, dreadful, terrible.'

He added: 'I was down there in the Mews doing research for the Staff College when I heard the alarm. I went straight up to see what I could do.'

Andrew helped to carry out items, 'I was in a human chain in there just now and I had hold of some really heavy pieces of furniture, passing it along'.

'Priceless pieces' including mirrors and paintings salvaged from the fire were stashed safely on a lawn near the Quadrangle. 

It was later revealed that 'a powerful halogen lamp ignited inflammable liquid' that was being used to restore pictures.

The flame then ignited nearby tapestries and drapes before taking hold of the wooden walls, the Mail told at the time. 

According to the Palace's report on the fire, approximately 370 people helped to carry save items, including 125 castle employees and community members. 

Thankfully, only two works of art were lost in the fire - a rosewood sideboard and a very large painting by Sir William Beechey that couldn't be taken down from the wall in time. 

Though many of the contents had been saved, the fire had still destroyed 115 rooms in the castle including nine official staterooms. St. George's Hall, a gallery where banquets were held, had collapsed completely, along with the floors of Brunswick Tower.

The Heritage Secretary at the time, Peter Brooke, originally proposed 'his department would meet the cost because the castle was state property rather than a personal possession of the Queen', the Mail told. 

However, in the end the repair costs were met by charging the public for entry to Windsor Castle and by opening Buckingham Palace for admission.

Elizabeth also contributed £2million of her own money and she agreed to start paying income tax on her Duchy of Lancaster money as well as capital gains tax on her private investments.

Aside from watching one of her favourite residences burn down, 1992 had been a solemn year for the Queen for other reasons. 

The Queen had witnessed three of her children - Prince Charles Princess Anne and Prince Andrew - all separate from their partners.

Four days after the fire, in a speech marking 40 years on the throne, she said: '1992 is not a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. In the words of one of my more sympathetic correspondents, it has turned out to be an annus horribilis.'

The Queen continued: 'Indeed, I suspect that there are very few people or institutions unaffected by these last months of worldwide turmoil and uncertainty. 

'This generosity and whole-hearted kindness of the Corporation of the City to Prince Philip and me would be welcome at any time, but at this particular moment, in the aftermath of Friday's tragic fire at Windsor, it is especially so. 

'And, after this last weekend, we appreciate all the more what has been set before us today.'