The Tower of London Today The Tower of London Today Author Elise Curtis Supervising Editor Kate McPherson Editor Kate McPherson Copy Editor Leah Hamby Senior Encoder Leah Hamby Encoding and Metadata LEMDO Team Copyright Holder (Content) Kate McPherson Copyright Holder (XML and interface) University of Victoria Early Modern England EncyclopediaEMEE

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Early Modern England Encyclopedia

By Elise Curtis, inspired by Michael Best’s Shakespeare’s Life and Times, Internet Shakespeare Editions

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Introduction to the Tower of London

The Tower of London is an iconic series of buildings and structures begun in the Middle Ages but that remain an important keystone of London’s history. It attracts more than three million people a year as a tourist attraction. The Tower was used by English royals as their home, as a state prison, and as a place to house the Crown Jewels. Many famous and infamous individuals in Britain’s history have been imprisoned there, including Guy Fawkes and Anne Boleyn. In early modern London, the Tower represented the main military installation in the city, as well as serving as a palace.

The central castle with four turrets is known as the White Tower, built by William I over a twenty-year period starting in 1070. By 1300, the central castle was surrounded by a double set of curtain walls studded with numerous smaller towers at strategic points.

This fortress still stands today, although it is no longer a prison. The last prisoner of the Tower to be executed there was German spy Josef Jakobs in 1941, and the very last prisoner was Nazi leader, Rudolph Hess, held in the same year.

The Buildings

Many buildings comprise the structure called The Tower of London. Instead of calling this conglomeration The White Tower, The Salt Tower, The Cradle Tower, and Tower Hill, most people simply call it The Tower.

Most of the structures are open to the public, but a select few residents actually live in certain sections, which exclude tourists. This includes the Queen’s House. This area does not house the queen or any other member of the royal family, but rather is the official residence of the Constable of the Tower of London, who is a retired general or field marshall appointed into what is now a ceremonial position. While this military officer commands the Yeoman Warders who defend and work at the Tower, the Constable also is a trustee of the Historic Royal Palaces organization. Persons hold this ceremonial rank for a period of five years.

The Crown Jewels

Today, the Tower of London is used to both house and display the Crown Jewels and be a museum dedicated to the fortress’s history. The Crown Jewels have been on display at the Tower since the 1600s. The main pieces in the Tower’s collection are the Coronation Regalia. These pieces are crowns, swords, garb, and other objects that are used in the coronation of British royalty. Among the pieces in the collection are St. Edward’s Crown, the Sovereign’s Orb and the Jeweled Sword of Offering.

The current St. Edward’s Crown was created for the coronation of Charles II in 1660, when the monarchy was restored after the English Civil Wars. It has been used for the coronation of English royalty since the 17th century, although a previous crown of the same name was used from 1220 to 1626. The entire headpiece weighs 2.23 kilograms, about five pounds. The jewels include some of the largest diamonds in the world, as well as a host of other precious and semi-precious stones. Another memorable piece of the Crown Jewels is the Sovereign’s Orb, a large orb of gold which symbolizes the Christian world and is held in the hand of the person being coronated. When the pieces are not being used for the coronation ceremony, they are on heavily secured display in the Tower.

A Stage and Museum

While it was once a place for prisoners, now The Tower is a living musuem and a stage for tourists to experience history. Since the structure also acts as its own museum, it shows tourists the Tower’s history and legacy with numerous museum displays on arms and armour, curated displays in the medieval palace, a walking tour across some of the battlements, and the chance to attend services in the Church of England chapel. Among the people posted in the grounds are actors, tour guides, and soldiers, all supported by a large staff of service workers. Actors often portray the most infamous prisoners there, including Guy Fawkes and Anne Boleyn. The soldiers stationed at the Tower officially protect not only the Tower, but the Queen.

Beefeaters

Among the soldiers at the Tower is a special class, comprised of those who served at least 22 years in the British Armed Forces and earned both the Long Service and Good Conduct medals. These soldiers are affectionately nicknamed Beefeaters. They are officially titled Yeoman Warders, but their nickname may have come from their position in the Royal Bodyguard, which permitted them to eat as much beef as they wanted from the king's table. Regardless the name’s origin, their rank and appearance remains iconic to the Tower as a tourist destination. They wear dark navy-blue uniforms with bright red embellishment and symbols, as well as a high-crowned hat. These guards not only keep the peace but are also responsible for entertaining those that visit, offering tours, and posing for pictures.

Key Print Sources Jones, Nigel. Tower: An Epic History of The Tower of London. St. Martins Griffin, 2013. Porter, Stephen. Tower of London - The Biography. Amberley Publishing, 2015.
Key Online Sources The Crown Jewels. Historic Royal Palaces, Tower of London, 2018, https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/the-crown-jewels/. Accessed 18 Sep. 2018. The Story of the Tower of London. Historic Royal Palaces, Tower of London. https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/the-story-of-the-tower-of-london/#gs.qoz2gb. Accessed 18 Sep. 2018. Yeoman Warder Tours. Historic Royal Palaces, Tower of London, 2018, https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/whats-on/yeoman-warder-tours/. Accessed 18 Sep. 2018.