Today, we spent part of the day at the Tower of London. This is one of my favorite sites but I don't think they do it justice. There is so much history in this location that they skim over. Instead their plaques discuss when certain artifacts were added to the collection. Some of the highlights include:
A beefeater (or Yeomen Warders). They are in charge of looking after any prisoners in the Tower and guarding the Crown Jewels. The beef-eaters do a great job bringing the history alive in their tours.
The Beefeaters:
The Actual Building:
The beautiful architecture of the Tower of London
The Crown Jewels:
Traitor's Gate:
Many prisoners of the Tudors entered the Tower of London through the Traitors' Gate. It played a big part in Anne Boleyn's coronation in 1533. She was the second wife of Henry VIII who ordered the Queen's Lodgings in the Tower to be renovated and spent the equivalent of over 1 millions pounds making them suitable for her. It was in those lodgings that Anne spent the night before her coronation and, ironically, she was also imprisoned there before being beheaded in May 1636.
The Bloody Tower: (Ghost Story)
Within this tower, two young princes disappeared mysteriously. After the death of King Edward IV, his sons, Edward V and Richard (12 and 9 years old) were moved to the Tower by their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester. He stated that is was to prepare Edward for his coronation as king. Richard of Gloucester took the throne for himself, stating that the princes were not legitimate heirs. No one saw the princes after 1483 and they were presumed murdered.
Their ghosts, sometimes holding hands, have been seen in various rooms in the Bloody Tower where they were incarcerated. In 1674, two small skeletons were found in a chest and given a Royal funeral. Recently, these bones were exhumed and forensically examined. Although the results were inconclusive, it was determined that the bones belonged to male children of the correct age.
Their ghosts, sometimes holding hands, have been seen in various rooms in the Bloody Tower where they were incarcerated. In 1674, two small skeletons were found in a chest and given a Royal funeral. Recently, these bones were exhumed and forensically examined. Although the results were inconclusive, it was determined that the bones belonged to male children of the correct age.
Other Interesting Bits:
Scavenger's Daughter: A torture device used to lock the prisoner in a bent-over position
The Rack: Need I say more?
A ledger from 675-1679 that records the artifacts in the Tower. This ledger is 914 pages!
A dragon made out of armour (because what's a castle without a dragon?)
The site of where so many nobles were beheaded including Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard (both wives of King Henry VIII).
An execution block and axe.
