Following the proclamation of a new monarch, His Majesty King Charles III, the Tower of London is making a major change.
What was formerly known as The Queen’s House has now been renamed The King’s House. The house faces Tower Green which was built in 1530 under the reign of King Henry VIII. Visitors to the popular London tourist attraction will know the house has a very different style than the rest of the Tower of London.
It’s believed King Henry VIII built the house for his second Queen, Anne Boleyn, who would be executed shortly after. Anne is said to have stayed there prior to her execution at the nearby Green Tower. At the end of the 18th century, Anne’s dwellings were demolished. The present King’s House is not the same building where Anne was imprisoned as it was built at least four years after her death.
The house is one of the few buildings of its kind to have survived the Great Fire of London in 1666. This could possibly be attributed to the fact it was inside the stone walls of the Tower.
Currently, the house is the residence of the Resident Governor of the Tower of London. Originally, the Tower Lieutenant who was the custodian of many famous prisoners lived there. Those famous prisoners include Lady Jane Gray while the last prisoner held in the tower was Rudolf Hess in 1941.
The Tower of London is a Historic Royal Palace site. The Tower will be closed on Monday 19 September for The Queen’s state funeral as well all other HRP sites.
