The Crown Jewels, which I wrote about last time, are kept on display in the Tower of London. To see them, you pass through a doorway with open “doors” that look incredibly secure, like a bank vault, and I guess the rooms themselves are a very large walk-in vault. Yeoman Warders, nicknamed Beefeaters, keep an eye on you and the glass-encased jewels.
The Yeoman Warders give tours and look great in vacation photos, but they have other, more serious, responsibilities. All have had a distinguished military career that meets certain requirements necessary to become a Yeoman Warder. Living in flats in the tower complex with their spouses and children, their duties are security and visitor safety in addition to shifts giving tours. One of the Yeoman Warders is a woman.
The White Tower was built by William the Conqueror and was completed by the year 1100.
The photos above and below show the walled complex, much of it medieval, in the heart of a 21st century city with many modern buildings.
Here’s a link to a YouTube video by Historic Royal Palaces, about the Line of Kings (click on those words), showing royal armor and more on display at the Tower, and how and why this exhibit has changed over the centuries.
