To the Tower!

I could not come to London without a trip to the Tower of London.  The Tower was originally a residence; historically is best known for being a prison; and now, houses the Crown Jewels in a vault within the complex.  No photography is allowed in the vault, but I can tell you they were beautiful and, to borrow a word from another in my group, sparkly.   Also part of  the Tower of London complex is the White Tower, a tower walk, a chapel, private residences, a moat, and a museum.  Oddly enough, the Tower has been a royal residence, a mint, a prision, and once, a private zoo.

Pictured below is the White Tower and then Jackie and I in front of the museum.




 


 

Other things I learned today:

1. Lady Jane Grey was queen for only 9 days before being removed, de-throned, and eventually beheaded.  She was 17 when she died.

2. There are two strong suspects for the deaths of the Princes in the Tower, Richard III and Henry VII, although nothing has been proven against either.

3. To become a Beefeater, first, s/he had to have a full military career.

4. Beefeaters reside with the walls at the Tower of London.

5. A Catholic priest once escaped from the Tower.

Pictured is a Beefeater.