Please read and enjoy our article and watch your FREE LONDON MUSIC VIDEO at the end William the Conqueror meant business when he started building the Tower of London nearly one thousand years ago.
You weren't meant to get in and you weren't meant to get out!
Unless the person in charge wanted you to, anyway! | | | | | One of the Tower's innovations,
what would Henry VIII have said? |
|
| The formal name for the Tower of London is Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress , that seems pretty appropriate! The Tower of London sits next to Tower Bridge on the north bank of the River Thames in the City of London.
The original building forming the Tower of London is the stark, square fortress of the White Tower . Over time, however, the Tower of London developed into a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat.
As well as being a fortress, the Tower of London has served as a royal palace and a prison . This was particularly so for high status and royal prisoners, such as the Princes in the Tower and the future Queen Elizabeth I.
The Tower of London has also served as a place of execution and torture , an armoury , a treasury and a zoo . The Tower has also hosted the Royal Mint , a public records office and an observatory . Since 1303 , the Tower of London has also been the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
The UK Crown Jewels have been kept at the Tower of London for more than 700 years after being recovered following their theft from Westminster Abbey . After further attempts to steal the Crown Jewels, they were kept in a part of the Tower of London known as the Jewel House , defended by armed guards.
The Tower of London is reputedly the most haunted building in England.
The ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn , beheaded in 1536 for treason against King Henry VIII , has allegedly been seen haunting the Tower of London chapel where she is buried, and walking around the White Tower carrying her head under her arm (that's original!).
Other ghosts of the Tower of London allegedly include Henry VI , Lady Jane Grey and the Princes in the Tower , murdered by their uncle Richard, of which more below.
The Ravens of the Tower have been in residence for centuries following rumours, apparently believed by King Charles II , that if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the White Tower, the monarchy, and the entire kingdom would fall. |
|  | | The White Tower | At one point, following complaints about the ravens (guano alert?) from the Royal Astronomer , who was based in the Tower of London at that time, Charles moved him and his observatory to Greenwich rather than move the birds! |  | Yes, it's a Raven! |
| Sadly, most of the Tower of London's ravens perished through shock during the World War II bombing raids ("the Blitz") but a new set were put in place when the Tower reopened in 1946 .
The ravens' wings are clipped to prevent them from flying away, though they are free to roam the Tower of London grounds, and they are cared for by the Ravenmaster , a duty given to one of the Yeomen Warders of the Tower.
|
| The Tower of London was renowned for its executions . The 'riff-raff', or ordinary criminals, were usually executed by hanging at one of the public execution sites outside the Tower. High-profile prisoners, however, such as Sir Thomas More , were publicly beheaded on Tower Hill. |  | Gherkin from the Tower |
| Seven nobles, five of them ladies including Anne Boleyn , Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey , were executed for treason . They were beheaded privately (a much higher class of spectator?) on Tower Green , inside the complex, and then buried in the chapel by the Green.
The Princes in the Tower were the two young sons of King Edward IV . Following Edward's death, his brother Richard, the Duke of Gloucester , was made Regent until the older of his two sons, Edward V , should come of age. Unfortunately, that did not accord with Richard's plans and he decided the princes should die. |
| One night, in their Tower of London prison, the two Princes were smothered with their pillows. Many years later, bones were found buried at the foot of a stairway in the Tower, which are thought to be those of the princes. Richard was crowned King Richard III of England.
Today, fortunately, the Tower of London is a much more peaceful place and one of the leading tourist attractions of London.
A visit to London is not complete without a relaxing stroll along the Tower of London's water frontage, with the magnificent vista of Tower Bridge proudly bestriding the River Thames and it's bustling, colourful ferries.
When you next visit the Tower of London, find a seat overlooking the river and take in the sights and sounds.
And then close your eyes and think how close to history you are beneath the mighty walls of London's ancient fortress. |
|
