The Sebastapol Bell in Windsor is one of two large bells captured at the

Siege of Sebastopol A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...

in 1855. It is hung in the Round Tower of Windsor Castle and is only rung on the death of the most senior members of the royal family. On 19 February 1856 Queen Victoria viewed captured war trophies from the Siege of Sevastopol at the

Royal Arsenal The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proofing, and explosives research for the Britis ...

at Woolwich. Victoria decided that one of the captured bells be sent to Windsor Castle. It was presented to Victoria in late December 1868 at Windsor Castle and initially placed on the castle's North terrace alongside a large gun captured during the siege. It was hung in the Round Tower above the steps in the centre of the tower. The bell weighs 17 cwt (771 kg). The bell is inscribed "Sevastopol-Nicolas Sanctus" and with the record of its weight in poods. ''The Times'' described its tone as "rich and sonorous" in 1868. The bell was rung following the death of Edward VII in 1910, 101 times for the state funeral of George V on 27 January 1936, 56 times at the announcement of the death of George VI on 7 February 1952, at the funeral of

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...

in 2002, and 96 times to mark the 96 years of Elizabeth II's life on 9 September 2022 following her death the previous day.

References

{{Reflist 1868 in England Individual bells Windsor Castle Works by Russian people