Welcome to The Tower of London

Welcome to London, England! For this field trip, we’ll be visiting the Tower of London, one of the most famous (and infamous) landmarks in the city. The Tower of London has served multiple purposes in its long history, most importantly as a fortress for military purposes, as a residence for the Royal family, and as a holding place for political prisoners. Today we will be learning about the Tower has played an important role in Britain’s political history.

The White Tower

The White Tower is the most visually recognizable tower of the monument. It is called the keep, which means that it is the strongest and most secure part of the castle. It stands at 90 feet tall and the walls are between 11-15 feet thick depending on the how high up it is. The White Tower is certainly imposing looking and that's the impression the building was specifically designed to cause.

The tower was built between 1078-1097 by William the Conqueror, whose portrait we see here. After William invaded and led the Normans to victory over the Anglo-Saxons, The White Tower was built to protect him and other Norman leaders/soldiers from rebelling English citizens and to possibly intimidate the English out of rebellion in the first place.

The White Tower has served as housing for the Royal family, housing for the military and weaponry stockpiles, and as a prison. Today, the building stores many beautiful and interesting artifacts such as armory belonging to King Henry VIII such as this set from approximately 1515 that he would have worn if going into battle on horseback.

Tower Green

In the middle of all the different towers is the Tower Green. It's basically the courtyard area. The Tower Green was used as a burial grounds and as the location of some executions.

Most executions were conducted out at the Tower Hill; however, the public could view those. It was a "privilege" for the elite to be executed in the Tower Green because it was less of a spectacle.

Of the people executed here, three were queens. Two of the queens were wives of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn (his 2nd wife) and Katherine Howard (his 5th.) The other queen was Lady Jane Grey. She only reigned for nine days and was executed in 1554 for high treason (capturing the throne of Mary I.)

Nearly all executions carried out here were decapitations by axe.

Today, a monument to the seven people executed in the Tower Green stands in the old location of the scaffold. On a side note, the death penalty in Britain has been completely abolished since 1998.

Traitor's Gate

Now let's stop at Traitor's Gate. It was named this for the large number of prisoners charged with treason that were brought through here.

Back when The Tower was used as a prison, the River Thames was an important and heavily used "road" around London. Boats were a relatively effective mode of transportation. Consequently, the Gate became one of the main entrances into The Tower and was especially convenient for sending in prisoners tried at Westminister, which also lies along the Thames.

One of the more famous figures to have passed through the Gate was 21 year old Princess Elizabeth, who had been accused of aiding a rebellion against her sister, Queen "Bloody" Mary. Unlike many people who came through the gates, Elizabeth came out again alive 8 weeks later and eventually became queen.

Beauchamp Tower

This is the outside of the Beauchamp Tower. It was constructed under the guidance of King Edward I during 1275-1281. It's noteworthy because of the many carvings done by prisoners while being held captive within the tower's walls.

The more complicated carvings and both beautiful in their intricacy and frightening when one considers how long the prisoner must have been in there to have completed it.


This especially intricate carving was done as a memorial to the five Dudley brothers and was likely carved by the eldest, John. The brothers and their father were all imprisoned at the Tower of London for assisting Lady Jane Grey in taking the throne that was declared rightful to Mary I.

This simple carving of the name "Jane" was likely made by Lord Guilford Dudley, who was the husband of Lady Jane Grey. His father and four brothers were released, but he was executed for high treason on the same day as his wife.

Bloody Tower

Let's start our visit at the Bloody Tower by hearing a little bit about it from one of the Yeoman Warders, also known as "Beefeaters." These men (and one woman) are all retired from the British Royal Army, serving at least 22 years. Their duties at the Tower include safeguarding the crown jewels, participating in the Ceremony of the Keys every night, and acting as tour guides. They also live in the Tower of London.



Here is a painting of Edward V and Richard, Duke of York:


The two boys, often called the Princes in the Tower, lived in the Tower (remember that it was also a home for royals) during the summer of 1483. Edward V's mother allowed it because she thought it was so that her son could prepare for his coronation (a ceremony crowing the king or queen.)

Sadly, the boys disappeared. No one's completely sure about what happened to them, but a popular theory is that they were killed under the instructions of their uncle, Richard III, who wanted them out of the way so that he could become king.

In 1674, two skeletons of boys were found near the White Tower and were presumed to belong to the two princes. Forensic tests in 1933 were not able to prove (or disprove) their identities. The remains were placed in Westminister Abbey.

The Ravens of the Tower

On the Tower's premises there live eight ravens. Legend has it that if the ravens were to leave, the White Tower, the monarchy, and the British kingdom would fall. During the bombings of WWII, only one raven was residing in the castle!

The raven became a symbol of The Tower's bloody past because of their tendency to gather around gallows.


Today, the ravens have their wings clipped to keep them from abandoning the Tower (no word on how this one fits into the legend.) The ravens are all cared for by the Ravenmaster, one of the Yeomen Warders who serve as guides and guards for the Tower.

The Crown Jewels

Finally, here in the Jewel House, we have the Crown Jewels. These include crowns, swords, other weapons, scepters, and even ceremonial spoons.

One of the most famous items included in the Crown Jewels is the Koh-i-noor:


It was once known as the largest diamond in the world and was claimed by the British Royal family in 1877 when India was claimed as a colony (the diamond had been residing there.) The diamond itself serves as a symbol for the wealth and power that the British Empire wielded before it lost the majority of its colonies after World War II.

The British Royal family does not have as much power today as it did during the eras we've been discussing, but the Crown Jewels still serve as signs of its lavishness, power, and glory.

Sites to Visit

Like to know a little more about The Tower of London and its prisoners? Check out these sites:

1. Guy Fawkes & Bonfire Night - At this site, you can learn more about Guy Fawkes, the man who tried to blow up the House of Parliament and one of the Tower's prisoners. As well as learning about him and his Gunpowder Plot, you can also learn about Bonfire Night, a yearly British celebration of the failed revolt.

2. Lady Jane Grey - Lady Jane Grey, one of the three queens executed at the Tower, was mentioned a number of times during this field trip, but it's hard to truly tell her story in such a small space. If you're one of those who are interested in learning more about the young queen who reigned for only nine days, follow this link and read her story.

3. UNESCO World Heritage Site - This is the entry for The Tower of London on the UNESCO World Heritage Site, meaning that the Tower is under protection of the UN for its historical significance. It basically provides a summary of what I hoped for you to get out of this field trip: how events that took place in the Tower and the building itself played an important role in Britain's history. Visit here to tie up any looses ends or questions you might have about why we went on this field trip.

4. Anne Boleyn & Katherine Howard - These two women were the other queens to have been executed in the Tower. If you'd like to know more about their lives, why the met their ends, and a little bit more about the reign of their husband King Henry VIII, follow this link.

5. Ghosts of the Tower - Alright, this link is more for fun. Here you can learn about ghost sightings that have happened at the Tower. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it's part of the place's story and it's reputation for being the setting for some grisly power struggles.

Materials Referenced

Image sources:

Header:
Tower - http://www.attractiontix.co.uk/images/photos/large/tower-of-london2.jpg (cropped by me)

Introduction:
Tower - http://www.offtolondon.com/images/TowerLondon.jpg

The White Tower:
Tower - http://tudors.crispen.org/tower/tower.jpg
Armor - http://tudorhistory.org/henry8/h8armour.jpg
Portrait http://www.american-pictures.com/genealogy/descent/photos/William.the.conqueror.jpg

Tower Green:
Green: http://94.100.113.162/106150001-106200000/106171901-106172000/106171959_5_QHnh.jpeg
Axe and block: http://www.royalexhibitions.com/Axe%20and%20block.jpg
Monument: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/110/306082879_98229de765.jpg?v=0

Traitor's Gate:
Gate - http://z.about.com/d/cruises/1/0/S/z/1/london024.jpg

Beauchamp Tower:
Tower - http://tudorhistory.org/places/tower/beauchamp.jpg
Arms Carving - http://tudorhistory.org/places/tower/dudley.jpg
Jane - http://www.hrp.org.uk/Images/jane_graffiti_1.jpg

Bloody Tower:
Tower: http://www.toweroflondontour.com/bloodytw.jpg
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xTuQm3MXYA
Princes: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c0/Princes.jpg

The Ravens of the Tower:
Ravens - http://www.historic-uk.com/DestinationsUK/TowerRavens.jpg
Yeoman - http://tommcmahon.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/04/21/raven2.jpg

Crown Jewels:
Part of collection: http://www.aboutromania.com/London25.jpg
Koh-i-noor: http://www.royal.gov.uk/files/images/Insight_Jun04_Mailbox_Kohinoor_large.jpg

Sources of information:
http://www.toweroflondontour.com/whitetow.html
http://www.aboutbritain.com/TowerOfLondon.htm
http://www.castles.me.uk/white-tower.htm
http://www.londononline.co.uk/towerguide/
http://www.londononline.co.uk/tower/