The Tower of London actually comprise more than the famed tower. It includes an early palace where the country’s monarchs resided. Officially, it is called Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London. Located on the north bank of the Thames near the Tower Bridge.
Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, also the place where the Crown Jewels are kept and safeguarded.
The palace and tower was first built by William the Conqueror in 1078 and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The grounds were also used as a prison from 1100 until 1952.
It was a gray day when we visited here. But it still had a decent number of visitors. You can tour on your own, or take a guided tour.
This is a tour guide, in character, leading a guided tour.
As you enter, you can’t help but notice statues of some lions on the left.
They represent some of the animals brought to the grounds by monarchs in the past. Also nearby were various instruments of war.
I wonder if the members of Monty Python were inspired by this?
Besides a prison, place of torture, and home to the Crown Jewels, it was also home to a variety of monarchs – some willingly, some not. And some died or were murdered here.
Nice rooms with a view if you can get them.
The entire grounds are surrounded by a large stone wall – to either keep the riff-raff out, or the elite in.
It would have been difficult to climb these walls way back then.
But it is just like a small city inside the grounds.
Check out the cobblestone street inside the grounds.
Time to go inside the living quarters for the monarchs.
I wonder if the bricklayer lost his head after completing this job?
Of course the king and queen had regally appointed quarters.
The life of luxury in the 1280s.
And they must have a “king-sized” bed in their chambers.
A royal bed upon which to do royal things at night.
Look at the prices King Edward paid to have that bed built.
Though they could be quite ruthless in their rule back then, the royals were also religious.
A private place to pray and atone for one’s sins was for made for the royals.
Since a King lived here, there had to be a throne room upon which the King could sit and receive visitors and other courtiers.
Only the best windows for the royalty living in the Royal Palace.
Some beautiful handiwork on this set of stained glass windows in the Royal Palace.
That’s it for our visit to the Royal Palace living quarters.
Don’t get dizzy going down these steps.
It will be onward to the rest of the grounds, some areas we were not allowed to take photos. But it is a fascinating place.
Here is a link to a visit to Westminster Abbey.
Click here to go Boating on the Thames.