Tower of London

The Tower of London is a medieval fortress in London, England near the Tower Bridge. ("M.I.A.")

Real World Background

Situated on the River Thames, the Tower of London today is situated on the southeast remnants of the city walls built by the Romans in the 3rd Century AD (much of which was demolished to expand the fortifcations of the Tower, but sections of this wall can still be seen on and outside the Tower grounds). The central tower, known as the White Tower, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. It is the earliest stone keep in all England. Edward I dedicated serious time and resources to remodeling the castle. From 1275 to 1285, he added eastern innovations like arrowslits to the battlements, while also filling in the moat dug out from his predecessor, Henry III.

For Richard II's coronation in 1377, he led a precession from the Tower of London to Westminster Abbey. This tradition would continue until Charles II's coronation in 1661 when the British monarchy was restored.

The most infamous event believed to have occurred at the Tower of London is the purported deaths of Prince Edward and Richard, sons of (and heirs to) Edward IV. Last known to be alive in 1483 at ages twelve and nine, the incident's oldest documentation was in Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1577, nearly a century later. While chronicler Raphael Holinshed (and his collaborators) recorded what is believed to be the agreed-upon account in his day, doubts persist if the Princes did indeed die in the Tower. Whatever their accuracy, the Chronicles served as William Shakespeare's primary source for Richard III, which put the alleged murders of the boy princes squarely at the Duke of Gloucester's feet.

By the 16th and 17th Centuries, the Tower garnered a reputation throughout the kingdom as a prion for high-status people. Religious and political undesirables soon populated the Tower. Torture at the Tower became prevalent, with the rack becoming an infamous torture device used on the prisoners. Among those tortured in 1605 was Gunpowder Plot conspirator, Guy Fawkes.

Ghosts believed to haunt the Tower of London include royalty executed (or, otherwise, suffered untimely deaths) such as Margaret Plantagenet, the aforementioned Princes of the Tower, Henry VI, Anne Boleyn, and the Lady Jane Grey.

Home to the English Crown Jewels since Henry III, they have been on public display at the Tower of London since 1669.

During World War II, the Tower of London suffered extensive damage during the Battle of Britain, but the White Tower remained intact.

The Tower of London has kept a conspiracy of ravens since at least 1883, largely thanks to the legend that should the ravens die or leave the Tower of London, the Crown will fall and all of Britain with it. [1]

See Also

• Tower of London at Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia