The Tower of London

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The Ceremony of the Keys is the traditional locking up of

the Tower of London and has taken place on each and every night, without fail, for at least 700 years. The importance of securing this fortress for the night is still very relevant because, although the Monarch no longer resides at this royal palace, the Crown Jewels and many other valuables still do!

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The Tower is known to everybody. It was started in 1066

by William the Conqueror to protect London from enemies. Since the eleventh century the Tower has served many purposes- a fortress , a royal palace, a prison, a treasury, an arsenal, even a royal zoo. Now it is the most popular museum.

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The oldest building on the territory of the Tower is the

white tower. This is where the kings of England ate, slept and ran the country.

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The Ceremony of the Keys hasn’t changed for 7 hundred years.

“Halt! Who goes there?” “The Keys”. “Whose Keys?” “Queen Elizabeth’s Keys”. “God preserve Queen Elizabeth”. “Amen!”

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The Ceremony of the Keys is the traditional locking up of

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Edward I didn’t like the White Tower. It seemed dark and

cold to him. So he built a new palace-with large windows, beautiful fireplaces and richly decorated halls.

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The Zoo
Kings sometimes get strange presents. About 700 years ago King

Henry III got 3 leopards, an elephant and a polar bear. He kept them in the Tower. That was the start of the London Zoo. In 1835 all the animals left the Tower and were sent to the Zoo in Regent’s Park. Only the ravens stayed on.

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Ravens
There have always been ravens at the Tower. The first ones

probably built their nests here because they liked the stone houses and walls. There is a story that they bring good luck to Britain, as long as they stay at the Tower. That’s why they get meat and biscuits every day. But their wings are clipped so that they can’t fly away.

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The Prison
The Traitor’s Gate
During the times of Tudors and Stuarts the

tower became famous as a prison. Many queens, kings and noblemen were imprisoned here. Many, like Lady Jane Grey or Ann Boleyn, lost their heads on Tower Green. These executions were “private”. But all the other prisoners were executed outside the Tower. These executions were public, watched by thousands of people.

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Beefeaters
The Beefeaters have guarded the Tower and its prisoners since the

reign of Henry VIII. Today, they mostly work as guides. They show the people around and tell stories about all the terrible things that have happened here. They wear dark blue uniform when they guide.

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Here we see the Yeoman Warders in their splendid State Dress

(red and gold tunic) originated from 1552 and reserved for ceremonial duty. Old traditions are always very interesting for numerous tourists and guests.

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