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British RoyalsCoronavirusFeatures

The Tower of London set to reopen to visitors

Tower of London

One of the UK’s most famous royal buildings is getting ready to welcome back visitors after coronavirus pandemic restrictions began to lift. The Tower of London will open its doors again to tourists as summer gets well and truly under way.

The Tower opens again on July 10th although there are safety measures in place. Visits cant take place on Wednesday to Sunday between 10am and 6pm but tickets have to be booked online in advance of arrival. The last admission to the Tower of London on its open days will be 5pm.

The famous fortress is looked after by Historic Royal Palaces who have just reopened outdoor spaces at Hampton Court Palace, just outside London, and at Hillsborough Castle in County Down.

There was more good news for royal history fans looking for a day out as HRP has confirmed that some of the indoor facilities at Hampton Court will be accessible from July 17th, again with strict booking rules and social distancing measures in place. The castle at Hillsborough will open again on July 30th. That’s the same date that Kensington Palace will welcome back visitors.

All the spaces owned by HRP are adhering to new rules to keep visitors safe. As well as social distancing, there is enhanced cleaning going on at all properties while handwashing facilities and hand sanitiser stations are easily accessible. The organisation also says that ticket checks will be done with a 2 metre rule in place and it is advising anyone who wants to visit to check its website to see what is and isn’t open.

In June 2020, HRP announced it was facing a shortfall of £95 million after it closed all six of the properties it manages as the coronavirus restrictions took hold.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.