The Tower of London: Seven Curious Facts

The Tower of London has been a fortress, royal palace, and an infamous prison. Built by William the Conqueror in 1066, it’s now a World Heritage Site and one of the most visited attractions in Britain. Here are seven facts that may surprise you about its 1,000-year history.

 A beefeater at the Tower of London.
Credit: Kayla Koss on Unsplash

1. It holds the longest running ceremony in the world

The Ceremony of the Keys is the oldest, longest-running military ceremony in the world. The formal locking and unlocking of the Tower gates has been going since the mid-1300s. The only time it’s been disrupted is said to be when a bomb fell on the Tower in 1940; the ceremony continued after a brief pause for the yeoman warders (guards) to dust themselves down.

The Chief Yeoman Warder of the Tower locks up at 10pm every night, dressed in a traditional red Watch coat and Tudor bonnet.

Tower of London
Credit: Jamie Wheeler on Unsplash

2. It once housed London’s first zoo, which was home to a polar bear, elephant, and now-extinct species of Barbary lion.

King John started a royal menagerie in the 1204 to hold the exotic gifts from mediaeval monarchs. It became a tourist attraction, fascinating the public who came to see the ‘pale bear’ (probably a polar bear) and beast that ‘eats and drinks with a trunk’. By the 19th century, concerns over animal welfare led to the founding of London Zoo in Regent’s Park, where the 150 animals were rehomed.

In 1937, excavations in the old moat around the Tower turned up two lion skulls. Genetic testing showed they were pure-bred Barbary Lions, a species that once roamed northern Africa, but were declared extinct in the wild in 1922.

St Edward’s Crown on a red ER pillar box
Credit: Ryan Johns on Unsplash

3. The crown jewels have been kept at the Tower of London since the 1600s

The regalia used in the coronation of kings and queens (known as the Crown Jewels) have been protected in the Tower of London since the 17th century. Regalia including the solid gold St Edward’s Crown and gold Soveriegn’s Orb have been used to crown sovereigns of England since 1661.

A newer addition to the treasures is the 1937 Imperial State Crown, which is worn after the coronation and for the annual State Opening of Parliament.

A Tower of London raven.
Credit: Kasturi Roy on Unsplash

4. Six birds hold the key to the crown

Legend has it that at least six ravens must stay within the bounds of the Tower, or the monarchy will fall. That’s why there are seven today – six plus a spare. Charles II is thought to have been the man behind the legend, insisting they be protected.

They are looked after by the Ravenmaster and fed twice a day on mice, chicks, rats, and as a special treat, biscuits soaked in blood.

5. The last person to be executed at the Tower was in 1941

Renowned its grisly history as a prison and execution site for 800 years, the Tower has held kings, queens, priests and civilians prisoner.

Amongst its most famous prisoners were Anne Boleyn, Guy Fawkes, Elizabeth I, and the two princes (12-year-old Edward V and his younger brother Richard, whose skeletons were discovered by workmen some 200 years later).

Not many people know it continued to be a prison and execution site right up to the 20th century. In 1941, it held Hitler’s right hand man Rudolf Hess for four days after he was captured parachuting into Scotland. That same year, German spy Josef Jakobs was executed for spying – the last execution in the Tower’s 800-year history.

The last prisoners held at the Tower are believed to be the East End’s infamous Kray Twins in 1952, for failing to report for national service.

6. The moat will be turned into a wildflower meadow for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

This summer, the moat will be transformed into a spectacularly colourful wildflower display. Some 20 million seeds are being sown this spring to form “Superbloom”. From June to September. visitors will be able to wander along a path into the centre of the display.

In 2014, to mark the centenary of the First World War, the Tower’s moat was filled with ceramic poppies, each one representing a British or colonial military life lost in the war.

Artist Paul Cummins created 888,246 poppies, and the display ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ was visited by millions.

7. Beefeaters live in the Tower of London

Yeoman warders (known as Beefeaters) have been guarding the tower since the Tudor period. Today’s body of 37 men and women are all drawn from the armed forces and will have at least 22 years’ service. After locking up the tower in the Ceremony of the Keys, Beefeaters and their families go to their apartments in the Tower of London – perhaps via the secret pub for a Beefeater gin first.