• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / Site News / Featured / Exploring London: 10 Random Facts and Figures about the Tower of London

Exploring London: 10 Random Facts and Figures about the Tower of London

Jun 3, 2014 By John Rabon

DSC02915.JPG

The Tower of London.  Built in 1066 by William I as part of the Norman conquest of England, the Tower has long been an important locale and center of the monarchy.  Next time you have a chance to visit, here are some interesting facts and figures to think about while you tour the grounds.

The Official Name

Despite being referred to as the Tower of London, the building’s official name is “Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London”.  Construction began in 1066 and the White Tower (from which the castle gets its name) was completed in 1078.

The Very French White Tower

The White Tower sits 27 metres above the ground and was constructed with Caen stone from France.

Royal Residence

Until the Tudor period, the Tower was actually the royal residence.  It was during the Tudor Dynasty that it was used more often as prison.  Several famous persons were prisoner here over the years including Elizabeth I, Lady Jane Grey, Sir Walter Raleigh, Anne Boleyn, and Catherine Howard.  Guy Fawkes was taken to the Tower for interrogation after the failure of the Gunpowder Plot.  The last prisoner to reside at the Tower was Rudolf Hess, Deputy Chancellor of Nazi Germany (who was free to roam the grounds) and the last prisoner to be executed there was Josef Jakobs, a Nazi spy who was executed by firing squad.

The Crown Jewels

crown-jewels_2277318b

The Crown Jewels have resided at the Tower since the reign of Henry III.  Their purported value is somewhere in the excess of $32 billion.  The Great Star of Africa (Cullian I) was the largest polished diamond in the world until the 1985 discovery of Golden Jubilee Diamond.  It rests in the Sceptre with the Cross and has an estimated value of $400 million.  While these are estimates, the true value of the Crown Jewels is priceless.  They have been on display at the Tower since the 17th Century.

The Haunted Tower

Several ghosts are said to haunt the Tower, including Henry VI, Anne Boleyn, Lady Jayne Grey, and the “Princes in the Tower”, Edward V and Richard, Duke of York.  King Richard III claimed to imprison them for their own protection, though it is believed that he secretly murdered them to assume the throne.  Ultimately, the bones of two boys were found in a chest in the Tower, believed to belong to the princes.

Ceremony of the Keys

The oldest military ceremony in the world takes place at the Tower.  Each evening at exactly 9:53 P.M., an armed escort of Queen’s Guards accompany the Chief Yeoman Warder to lock the gates.  As they make the rounds, a sentry will issue the challenge to the escort, stating “Halt!  Who goes there?”, to which the escort responds, “The Keys”.  The sentry will then ask “Whose Keys?” and the escort answers “Queen Elizabeth’s Keys.”  The sentry then allows the escort through, saying “Pass, Queen Elizabeth’s Keys, and all is well!”

Here’s a short video on the ceremony:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo3LSTn0IRg

A Right Royal Zoo

The Tower also held the Royal Menagerie until 1835, when the animals were moved to the London Zoo in Regents Park.  It even had a polar bear that would fish in the Thames River.

About Those Ravens

DSC02926

Ravens are a fixture at the Tower (and despite what Doctor Who may claim, do not require batteries).  King Charles II had wanted to have them removed, but was told that if he did so, “the Tower would crumble and great harm would befall the nation.”  Some of them have their wings clipped so that they cannot fly too far from home.

Literary Connection

Geoffrey Chaucer supervised the construction of the Tower Wharf in 1389.

Yeoman Warders

DSC02923

The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign’s Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners in the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are a tourist attraction in their own right, a point the Yeoman Warders acknowledge. In 2011, there were 37 Yeomen Warders and one Chief Warder. All warders are retired from the Armed Forces of Commonwealth realms and must be former senior non-commissioned officers or petty officers with at least 22 years of service. They must also hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal.

John Rabon
Author: John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

close

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Featured, History, Travel

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

About John Rabon

John is a regular writer for Anglotopia and its sister websites. He is currently engaged in finding a way to move books slightly to the left without the embarrassment of being walked in on by Eddie Izzard. For any comments, questions, or complaints, please contact the Lord Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's haircut.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ruben says

    Oct 27, 2017 at 8:20 am

    What about that hand behind a little glass brick front just before you go in the gates? We saw it on our way out and regretfully, didn’t make an effort to investigate.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • V&A set to open first major UK exhibition on Renaissance sculptor Donatello
  • Ten National Trust Properties in London
  • What’s On in London Events for February 2023
  • Only Fools And Horses musical to close in West End after four years
  • Artist Ai Weiwei to launch first design-focused exhibition at London’s Design Museum
  • London Travel Alert: Staff at British Museum to walk out during half-term break
  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London
  • National Portrait Gallery to reopen in June with two special exhibitions
  • Exploring The Cosmic House in London

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in