The English are masters at paying unabashed homage to their past, no matter how infamous. On the east side of London, on the north bank of the River Thames, visitors can catch a glimpse of just such a past, one that dramatizes England’s royal history. Here there is a prison steeped in blood where heads rolled; an executioner’s block and axe and instruments of torture, including the rack, iron maiden and thumbscrews; along with ancient arms, armor and cannons. But there is also a collection of priceless crown jewels, a trio of simple but very beautiful chapels, as well as 38 Yeoman Warders, better known as “Beefeaters,” colorfully attired in navy and red Tudor uniforms (scarlet and gold on special occasions). These guards originated in the 1500s as a personal security force for royalty.
This is just a fraction of what is in store for those visiting the more than 900-year-old, 18-acre, massive complex of buildings known as the Tower of London. At its center stands the magnificent 90-foot-high White Tower, flanked by four turrets, originally built by William the Conqueror in 1078 as a royal palace as well as fortress to defend London against invaders.
Subsequent sovereigns added to the grounds and structures, enabling the Tower complex to be put to a variety of uses.
One part of the Tower became the Royal Mint in the early 1200s, where coins of the realm were minted for 500 years. Then, a royal menagerie was established when Henry III began displaying gifts presented from other monarchs: three leopards came from Frederick II, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, a polar bear from Norway and an elephant from Louis IX of France.
When the collection grew too large, the animals were transferred to the new London Zoo in 1834.
Though the Tower is still officially listed as a royal palace, it has not been principal home to a monarch since Henry VII died in 1509. But in the 1600s, it did become the home of some of the most famous diamonds on earth — the royal crown jewels — and, in 1675, served briefly as an astronomical observatory.
Still, the notorious dark side of the Tower’s history is as a prison and execution ground. Since 1078, some 1,700 prisoners have been flung into its chambers, and the Tower became a final resting place for many political enemies. Prisoners of rank and distinction, thought to have committed treason, came by barge through Traitor’s Gate, a place of entry from the river, and were imprisoned before being beheaded. Other unfortunates of lower rank were disemboweled, hanged and quartered or burned as heretics.
The Bell Tower is where Sir Thomas More, former Chancellor, was incarcerated before being beheaded in 1535. Also confined here by her sister, Queen Mary, in 1554 was 21-year-old Princess Elizabeth, later Elizabeth I. Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned in the Brick Tower as well as Bloody Tower on three separate occasions, but lived in relative luxury with three servants and was even permitted to grow tobacco in his garden before, he, too, was executed.
The Martin Tower held Colonel Thomas Blood who, in 1671, ungallantly caused a brief commotion when he tried the unthinkable — to steal the crown jewels.
Other things to look for when visiting the Tower: The superb collection of 40,000 pieces in the Royal Armouries in the White Tower that includes several of King Henry VIII’s suits of armor, each progressively larger to accommodate its owner’s expansding girth over the years. Here, too, are the infamous executioner’s block and axe and other instruments of torture. The Bloody Tower is where the two young princes were imprisoned and allegedly murdered in 1483 by their uncle, later crowned Richard III. The scaffold site and tranquil plot of ground called Tower Green is where seven distinguished prisoners were executed, including three English queens. At Beauchamp Tower can be seen tragic last messages that have been scratched on the walls by despairing prisoners, while special tickets are required to see the ancient ritual of the Ceremony of the Keys when the Tower gates are locked for the night.
But the prize attraction not to be missed is the exhibition of the royal crown jewels, so priceless that they are not even insured but are displayed in the Jewel House under heavy guard in the imposing Waterloo Block. Some 18,000 visitors a day view this staggering array of glittering crowns, scepters, swords and robes. The breathtaking Royal Scepter contains the world’s largest, top-quality, cut diamond, the 530-carat Star of Africa or Cullinan I, while Cullinan II appears in the Imperial State Crown, which also has 2,800 diamonds embedded in its headband. The Queen Mother’s crown is adorned by probably the most famous diamond in the world, the Koh-I-Noor, or “Mountain of Light,” that weighs 105.6 carats.
Keep another eye out for the six official, foot-tall, black ravens that are fed at government expense. An old legend says that should they ever leave the Tower of London, the White Tower will crumble and the monarchy fall. The English are taking no chances; one wing of each raven has been clipped to prevent its flying the coop.
