Palaces & Buildings

The petals of the Platinum Jubilee: what is Superbloom?

With warmer days ahead, people who visit the Tower of London will soon be able to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee with Superbloom at the Tower’s moat. But, what exactly is Superbloom? Superbloom will be a colourful and vibrant field of flowers throughout the Tower’s moat. This spring, more than 20 million seeds were planted in carefully designed seed mixes. From June through…
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Queen Elizabeth II

Gun salutes mark The Queen's 96th birthday

To celebrate Her Majesty’s 96th birthday, The Tower of London fired a 62-round gun salute. With The Queen turning 96, one might wonder, why 62 rounds? Twenty-one rounds represent a royal anniversary while 20 rounds are fired to reflect the tower’s status as a…
Palaces & Buildings

The Tower of London gets a new Constable

The Tower of London has a new Constable. From August, General Sir Gordon Messenger will become the 161st Constable of the Tower of London and the first Royal Marine to hold the post. The role of the Constable is the most senior appointment one can have at the Tower of…
British RoyalsFeaturesHistoryPalaces & Buildings

Between myth and legend: the day will come and the kingdom shall fall

In 1938, Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark, cousin to King George V, wrote in his memoirs: “Monarchy can never die out in England, whatever its fate in other countries. It is too deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people.” Perhaps this is a truth that only time will reveal, but the monarchy’s future does not lie with the people of England at all; instead, its…
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InterestsPalaces & Buildings

Trumpeters sound fanfare as the Tower of London reveals the name of their new raven

Trumpeters from The Band of The Royal Yeomanry played a very royal salute before the Tower of London’s Ravenmaster read out the name of their new female raven on BBC Breakfast. The votes are in, and the baby girl raven is to be called Branwen. Four raven chicks were born at the Tower of London this spring, with one male and one female remaining at the Tower. Edgar, the male chick, was…
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FeaturesHistory

Taking a look at other royal pets and animals

Animals given to royalty could, of course, become pets – but they could often be presented in the form of political gifts, adding therefore to the monarch’s personal sense of majestas. An example of this is the bay horse and three brood mares, sent to Henry VIII by Francesco Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua in 1514. The personal prestige of the monarch was also flattered by the exotic nature of…
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