The Tower of London under the cover of night.
It is after hours at the Tower of London on a cold and cloudy night. We are standing between the inner and outer block walls surrounding the infamous White Tower.
Down the brick-paved corridor, men in distinctive red and blue uniforms march toward us through cones of light. I move behind Husband, partly to be warm and partly to be out of the way.
Suddenly, a Guard materializes from the darkness and issues a sharp challenge. “Halt! Who comes there?” It is the Sentry, on guard at the Middle Gate.
The marchers come to an abrupt stop with a military stomp and the leader barks his reply. “The keys!”
“Whose keys?” The sentry demands, his rifle at the ready.
“Queen Elizabeth’s keys!”
The Sentry is satisfied. “Pass, then. All’s well.”
So begins the Ceremony of the Keys, the traditional ceremonial locking of main gates at the Tower of London, performed every evening for the last 700 years.
The Tower of London
If you’ve been to the Tower of London, you know it as the home of the crown jewels and a special set of ravens, as well as a notorious place of torture. But after the crowds leave and evening falls, an event takes place that many visitors don’t get to see. This ritual, the oldest continual Military ceremony in the world, has never been canceled, not even during the London Blitz of World War II. It was just delayed until the bombs stopped falling.
Earlier that evening, we arrive at the gates outside of the Middle Tower, ticket in hand, waiting for the appointed time.
Entry Gates to the Tower of London.
At exactly 9:30pm., the Yeoman Warder unlocked the gates and welcomed us in.
The Rules of the Ceremony
He delivered an introduction and gave us the Rules: stay in the designated space, don’t interfere with the ceremony and NO photography.
Strolling the brick-paved walkway along the walled perimeter, our Beefeater escort gave us some history of the compound and its various incarnations as a royal residence, a prison and a mint.
He entertained us with stories about some of the famous prisoners in the Tower of London: Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey, William Wallace, Sir Thomas More, Guy Fawkes and Sir Walter Raleigh.
The Traitor’s Gate
Our walk ended at the dreaded Traitor’s Gate, the water entrance to which many prisoners arrived by barge via the Thames River.
The Tower of London Traitor’s Gate seen from the Thames River.
They would surely have passed under the adjacent Tower Bridge, which often flaunted the severed heads of recently executed prisoners.
The Tower Bridge at night.
And it begins . . .
Precisely at 9:53pm, the Chief Yeoman Warder emerges from the Baywood Tower, a candle-lit lantern and the monarch’s keys in hand and is joined by a column of Tower Guards. They march crisply down Water Lane toward the Middle Gate, where they are challenged by the Sentry.
After receiving permission to pass, the Chief closes the Middle Gate, his hands executing an intricate dance over an elaborate array of locks, slides and bolts. Clunks, clanks, scrapes, snaps and clicks, followed by a vigorous rattle on the hinges. All is secure. Nothing left to chance.
The Sentry calls out, “God preserve Queen Elizabeth!” His voice was immediately followed by the first bell of the Waterloo Barracks’ clock striking 10:00pm, the sounds carrying eerily over the water of the Thames.
The Chief Yeoman and his Military Guards depart down Water Lane, the echo of their bootsteps fading as they troop off to deliver the keys to the monarch’s representative in the Tower.
Our Beefeater escort lead us to the exit and we are ejected into the cold London night. I feel the frosty draft on my back when the gate slams shut behind us. The Yeoman Warder swiftly and soundly secures it with almost as many locks as the Middle Gate. I turn and watch him disappear back into the fortress.
We walk out toward Byward Street to catch a cab back to our hotel. Husband jokes, “I’m sure the Queen will sleep well knowing her jewels are safe for the night.”
The Tower of London at night.
Plan Your Visit:
The Ceremony of the Keys is a free event, but you will need to make reservations prior to your visit:
https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/whats-on/ceremony-of-the-keys/
The Tower of London
St. Katharine’s & Wapping, London EC3N 4AB, United Kingdom
Traitor’s Gate, seen from inside the walls of the Tower of London.
Beefeaters at the Tower of London.
For a yummy side trip on our trip to London, check out the post below:
