Private tour of the Tower of London and Ceremony of the Keys
Private tour of the Tower of London and Ceremony of the Keys
When Duke William of Normandy won the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and marched north to London, he struck a deal with the Masters of the then Guilds to protect the City in return for their fealty. The first evidence of that protection was King William I's construction and manning of what became known as the White Tower, to guard London from Viking raiding parties coming up the Thames. Today, that Tower stands in the middle of the much larger Royal fortress and palace; the Tower of London. Every night, the Tower is locked up and made secure in what has become known as the Ceremony of the Keys. That ceremony is open to small parties to watch, by kind permission of the Governor of the Tower. We have been granted this privilege, and also a private tour of the Tower itself, led by a Yeoman Warder. For security reasons, our party is limited to 50 people and we will all need to be at the main entrance to the Tower on its west side by 7.15pm, so the Warders and soldiers can check the attendance list prior to our admission. Once inside, a Yeoman Warder will lead us on a private tour of the silent fortress for about an hour, answering our questions along the way, before taking us the "The Keys", the Warders' private pub. There, we can have a drink and join in a raffle for various Tower-related souvenirs. For historical reasons to do with transactions on military bases and inside Royal palaces (The Tower is both.), both the bar and the raffle operate on a cash-only basis, so remember to bring some notes with you. Then, we will all be led back out into the dark to visit the famous ravens, and to watch the Ceremony...