<![CDATA[On Tuesday, 5th August, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with Prince Harry will pay a visit to the Tower of London, to see the 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red', an installation of poppies in the Tower's moat.
Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that looks after unoccupied Royal palaces in the UK, are going to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War by placing 888,246 poppies in the dry moat over the summer to create a work of art. The poppies are made of ceramic, one for each British and Colonial soldier who was killed during the war.
The first poppy was planted on 17th July by a Yeoman Warder of the Tower of London, and over the next 3 months, 8,000 volunteers from across the country will continue to plant poppies, with the last one set to be installed on 11th November, Armistice Day.
Upon their arrival, William, along with his wife and brother, will be greeted by the Lord Dannatt, Constable of the Tower of London. They will also meet with the artists and designers who worked on the installation, before each planting a poppy in the moat to mark their visit.
From after the Royal visit, the ceramic poppies will be available for purchase for £25 on the Historic Royal Palaces website. Profits from the installation and sale of poppies will be shared equally among six charities: COBSEO, Combat Stress, Coming Home, Help for Heroes, Royal British Legion and SSAFA.
The poppy is a distinctive symbol of remembrance of the sacrifices made during the World Wars and other war efforts. Poppies were first associated with war when, in 1914, poppies were the only plants that began to grow on the barren battlefields of Northern France and Flanders, around the bodies of fallen soldiers. The significance of the red flower was first recognised in John McCrae’s poem, In Flanders Fields, and has since become a memorial to those who lay down their lives for their country.
Members of the Royal Family have been pictured wearing poppies in their lapels on many occasions, most noticeably on Remembrance Day.
Royal Central previously reported about the Tower of London’s effort to mark the centenary of the First World War.
Featured Photo credit: Mikepaws via photopin cc. Photo Credit: Historic Royal Palaces. ]]>
Yeomen Warders
The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign’s Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners in the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are a tourist attraction in their own right, a point the Yeoman Warders acknowledge.
In 2011, there were 37 Yeomen Warders and one Chief Warder.[1] All warders are retired from the Armed Forces of Commonwealth realms and must be former senior non-commissioned officers or petty officers with at least 22 years of service. They must also hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal.
The Yeomen Warders are often incorrectly referred to as Yeomen of the Guard, which is actually a distinct corps of Royal Bodyguards.
I can’t find any info on what time the Cambridges will be at the Tower of London. Any tips for visiting on the day?
I would really like to know this too
The time is not for publication. I wish I had more information for you.
Our Deputy Editor Chloe Howard is at the Tower today and will have a full recap with photos later today.