Windsor Castle staff have been carrying out the painstaking task of dusting the grand chandelier in the Crimson Drawing Room ready for the opening of the semi-state rooms to the public.

Armed with a brush and a vacuum backpack, one conservator was pictured standing on a scaffold structure as she delicately tended to the historic centrepiece.

Made of gilt bronze and cut glass, the chandelier features 28 lights in two tiers and distinctive cut-glass ornaments in the shape of tassels hanging from the top.

The impressive installation is believed to have been commissioned by George IV for the saloon at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton when he was Prince Regent.

It was moved several times but was finally hung in the Crimson Drawing Room at Windsor Castle in 1939, on the orders of the Queen’s grandmother Queen Mary.

Damaged in the 1992 fire at the castle, much of what remains is modern restoration.

The semi-state rooms at the Berkshire royal residence are open to visitors from Thursday September 30 until March and entrance to them is included with a ticket to the castle.

Staff were also pictured cleaning the 19th-century gilt bronze candelabra in the scarlet-coloured room.

The drawing room, which was also damaged in the 1992 blaze, boasts stunning views across the surrounding countryside from its large windows.

The semi-state rooms were originally George IV’s private apartments and are among the most richly decorated interiors at the castle.

They are used by the Queen and members of the royal family for official entertaining.

Another of the semi-state rooms being prepped was the Green Drawing Room, which is often the backdrop for official royal photographs.

It was where the wedding portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were taken in 2018.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were also pictured there together to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee.

Windsor Castle is open to the public five days a week, from Thursday to Monday.

Tickets must be booked in advance at www.rct.uk or +44 (0)303 123 7304.