The Tower of London

After conquering England in early 1080s, William, the Duke of Normandy in France, did two important things. One was an arrogant act of assuming the name of William the Conqueror. The other was to begin the building of an impenetrable castle, albeit with depressing tales, that came to be known as the Tower of London.

The Tower of London was the royal residence for almost nine centuries until the Buckingham Palace usurped that position in 1837. The older castle was also the residence of many powerful prisoners, some of them also lost their heads including Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, after he divorced his first.

The boy king Edward V disappeared from the Tower in 1083 and his body was never found. Sir Thomas More, the Lord Chancellor, was beheaded in the Tower in 1535. Guy Fawkes was hanged here for trying to blow up the Parliament in 1605. Sir Walter Raleigh was imprisoned here for 15 years while he wrote The History of the World and grew tobacco for his own consumption on the Tower soil. The Tower had no dungeons as its inmates belonged to the aristocratic classes.

With the efflux of time the Tower was expanded enormously and several new towers were added to serve the complex as a royal residence, castle, prison and a formidable fortress for protecting its royal residents from invaders. Now it also serves as a museum where priceless Crown jewels and royal armories are displayed. The star attraction is the Star of Africa, a pear shaped diamond believed to be the second largest in the world. The Queen and her immediate family members wear these jewels on ceremonial occasions.

Many dramatic tales of historical importance took place in these towers which also witnessed several gory acts of executions where once an executioner had to strike his axe 17 times to sever the head from the slender neck of an imprisoned princess. These gruesome real stories not only inspired Shakespeare to write some of his plays, but also attract tourists to this place steeped in history.

Visitors to the Tower complex get impressed by the Beefeaters in their colorful regalia who guard this place of great historical importance. They live on the complex and are very knowledgeable about its history. They are also very obliging in answering questions from inquisitive visitors. One of the primary tasks that the Beefeaters once had was to taste the beef first before it reached the royal table in order to ensure that it wasn’t poisoned.

Another unusual presence on the complex is the omnipresent well-fed ravens. According to the legend the monarchy would collapse and a great disaster would engulf England if they ever leave Tower complex. The raven population is on the increase because of the generous food that they get from the Tower authorities as well as from visitors.

In order to make the Tower complex impregnable, defensive walls were once erected and a moat was dug up surrounding it. The water has now been drained off the moat for holding concerts when the weather is pleasant.

Visitors will hugely enjoy their tour of the Tower of London but have to pay pound sterling 16.50 for each entry. It is good value for money.