[MR] More on the Tower

[Garth G. Groff]

  Noble friends,

In my recent post, I mentioned the Ceremony of the Keys, which is the 
ritual closing of the Tower gate every night. On a whim I searched this 
on Wikipedia, and found a page which describes this ceremony ( 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceremony_of_the_keys ). This is performed 
nightly, and is open to the public. A limited number of free "tickets" 
are available for each night, and they may be obtained by writing at 
least two months in advance to the governor of the Tower, stating how 
many tickets are required and for which night. It all takes place 
outdoors (between the Traitors' Gate and the Bloody Tower, then onto the 
steps up to the Inner Ward just beyond the Bloody Tower), so wear warm 
clothes. We were also treated to a ghost story by the Chief Yeoman 
Warder before being directed out through the postern gate (which is left 
unlocked, thankfully).

If you don't want to take the time to visit the Wiki site, here is the 
text from the part of that page on the Tower (there were no graphics):

"Probably the best known such ceremony is the one that takes place every 
night at the Tower of London 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_London>, and has done so in some 
form or another since the 14th century. At exactly 9.53pm, the Chief 
Yeoman Warder, dressed in Tudor 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tudor_period> Watchcoat, meets the 
Military Escort, made up of members of the Tower of London Guard 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_Guard>. Together, the CYW and 
the Yeoman Warder 'Watchman' secure the main gates of the Tower. Upon 
their return down Water Lane, the party is halted by the sentry 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentry> and challenged to identify themselves:

    Sentry: /Who comes there?/
    Chief Warder: /The keys./
    S: /Whose keys?/
    CW: /Queen Elizabeth's keys./ (identifying the keys as being those
    of the current British monarch
    <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_monarchy>)
    S: /Pass Queen Elizabeth's Keys. All's well./

"Following this, the party makes its way through the Bloody Tower 
Archway into the fortress, where they halt at the bottom of the 
Broadwalk Steps. On the top of the Stairs, under the command of their 
Officer, the Tower guard present arms and the Chief Warder raises his 
hat, proclaiming:

    CW: /God preserve Queen Elizabeth./
    S: /Amen!/

"He then takes the keys to the Queen's House for safekeeping, while the 
Last Post <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Post> is sounded."


Of course, the Chief Yeoman Warder is dressed in his red Beefeater tunic 
(today most of the warders wear a simple navy blue tunic for daily 
duties, and red is reserved for special occasions).

Kind regards,


Lord Mungo Napier, That Crazy Scot