For almost a millennium, the Tower of London has remained a frightening, sinister structure. The River Thames Tower was originally designed as a castle for King William the Conqueror. However, the facility, erected in 1078, can hardly be compared with the cozy Kensington and bohemian Buckingham Palaces. The stone wall and moat did not appear here immediately. Only in 1350, with the construction of additional fences and a number of towers around, the Tower acquired the shape of a fortress
Infamous reputation
The Tower acquired its reputation as a dungeon during the reign of the Tudor dynasty. Since then, the count of the prisoners has been conducted, among whom were the most influential persons. Here King Henry VIII imprisoned two wives: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Here, the conspirator Guy Fawkes was tortured right up to the execution. The Duke of Gloucester, known as Richard III, was imprisoned here. While he remained in captivity, his nephews, 12-year-old Prince Edward and 9-year-old Richard were killed here. In the 17th century, skeletons were discovered under the stairs in the castle. The remains are believed to belong to two murdered boys. What other secrets does London's most famous tower hide?
22 official executions
Historians cannot guarantee that the number of executions that took place in the Tower does not exceed 22. Official sources and archival records that have survived to this day testify to this figure. Despite the fact that the citadel has a bloody and dark reputation, for many tourists, the site remains the most important attraction of the British capital.
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Royal treasures
Beginning in 1688, the Tower began to actively replenish the collection of royal treasures. Today, guests of the city rush here to see amazing crowns adorned with jewelry, as well as ancient armor. As an exhibit, the armor of Charles I, covered with gold leaf, is kept here. The tower now guards all these royal treasures, which are estimated by experts at $ 32 billion. Just think about these numbers!
Royal Mint
Since 1279, a royal mint functioned in the castle. Coins were minted for half a century. There was a period when money was used to make money, confiscated from destroyed monasteries.
Bulletproof glass safe
It houses 17th century ceremonial crowns inlaid with diamonds. The Star of Africa gem is valued at $ 400 million. The most valuable objects are housed in a bulletproof glass safe. For example, the imperial crown, which is adorned with 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 5 rubies and 11 emeralds.
Royal Menagerie
Once the Tower was not only a dungeon and a mint, but also a royal menagerie, which contained the most exotic animals. In 1210, lions, ostriches, elephants and even a polar bear brought from Antarctica could be found here. Fortunately, the royals quickly realized that the castle was not a place for giant animals that were not adapted to the local climate.
The last execution
The last of 22 prisoners to be killed in the Thuer was German spy Josef Jacobs. His execution took place on August 15, 1941.
Who is the keeper of the tower?
Charles II insisted that a population of black ravens must live in the royal fortress. According to the plan of the monarch, there should be at least six birds. He was sure that if the crows disappeared, his kingdom would immediately collapse. The birds were fed raw meat and biscuits that were soaked in blood. Probably, crows, as noble scavengers, first appeared in the castle at the time of executions. They live here to this day.
Inga Kaisina