The Tower of London

The Tower is actually a compound of structures built at various times for varying purposes. The oldest is the White Tower, begun by William the Conqueror in 1078 to keep London's native Saxon population in check. Later rulers added towers, walls, and fortified gates, until the buildings became like a small town within a city. Although it began life as a stronghold against rebellion, the tower's main role eventually became less about keeping people out, than making sure whoever was inside couldn't escape.

 It became the favored prison and execution site for anyone who displeased the monarch. Notable prisoners served their last meals here include the "princes in the tower," Lady Jane Grey (who reigned as queen for just nine days before being toppled by Mary I in 1553), and Anne Boleyn, one of several unfortunates who thought that marrying that most unforgiving of monarchs, Henry VIII, was a good idea. A plaque on Tower Green marks the spot where they met their grisly ends.
Displays on some of the Tower's captives can be seen in the Bloody Tower, including a reconstruction of the study of Sir Walter Raleigh, the great Elizabethan adventurer who is generally credited with having introduced tobacco-smoking to England. A favorite of Elizabeth I, he was executed by James I, a fervent anti-smoker, having spent 13 years as a prisoner here.
In addition to being a prison, the Tower has also been used as a royal palace, a mint, and an armory.‍ Today, however, it's perhaps best known as the keeper of the Crown Jewels, the main ceremonial regalia of the British Monarch, which -- when not being used -- are displayed in the tower's Jewel House. You hop aboard a travelator for a slow glide past some of the Queen's top trinkets, including the Imperial State Crown (as modeled each year at the State Opening of Parliament), which looks like a child's fantasy of a piece of royal headwear, set with no fewer than 3,000 jewels, including the fourth-largest diamond in the world.

We were not allowed to take pictures inside this area.:-(


After the jewels, the tower's next most popular draw is probably the Royal Armory located in the White Tower, where you can see various fearsome-looking weapons, including swords, halberds, and morning stars, as well as bespoke suits of armor made for kings. The complex also boasts the only surviving medieval palace in Britain, dating back to the 1200s. It stands in the riverside wall above Traitors' Gate, through which prisoners were brought to the Tower. You can see reconstructed bedrooms, a throne room, and chapel.

Beefeaters will regale you with tales of royal intrigue, and introduce you to the Tower's current most famous residents, the six ravens who live on Tower Gardens. According to legend, if the ravens ever leave the Tower, the monarchy will fall -- the birds' wings are kept clipped, just to make sure.