What does the insignia EIIR stand for on the Yeoman Warder's uniform?

Over the years, the State Dress uniform they wear has seen many alterations, the most noticeable being the change of the Monarch's initials on each side of the floral decorations. The first letter always represents the Monarch's Christian name; this is always followed by the letter 'R' meaning 'Rex' for Kings or 'Regina' for Queen. So EIIR stands for 'Elizabeth II Regina' or 'Queen Elizabeth II'

More Info about the Warders

Can I get gifts from the Tower of London from this website?

Unfortunately not . As we are not the official website we are not allowed to sell merchandise from the official Tower of London shops. As far as we are aware there is no mail order catalogue but you can contact the mail order administrator Mathew Wood via the E-mail below. So if you know what you are looking for then he will be able to help.

Mathew Wood - Mail Order Administrator

How do I get tickets for the Ceremony of the Keys?

It is possible to see the Ceremony of the keys but you must obtain tickets in advance, due to security restrictions they can't let just anyone into the Tower after dark.

You can get tickets by writing to the Tower of London (Tower of London, Tower Hill, EC3N 4AB) in person and simply asking for them. You should give several alternative dates as numbers are restricted and the ceremony is very popular. You should also mark the envelope of your letter "Tickets for the Ceremony of the Keys". You must include the name and address of every member of your party - again for security reasons - and you should receive notification within a month and a half.

We are not the Tower of London and we cannot sort out tickets for you. Any queries should be directed at the Tower of London directly by telephone, fax or mail. No they don't have an E-mail address and we can't smuggle you into the ceremony if you send us lots of money. Well okay we might give it a go but no honestly as much we would love to help we can't - they have guns!

More information on the Ceremonies of the Tower of London

Can I order tickets for the Tower from this website?

I'm afraid not. We aren't the Tower of London and while we will take your money if you send us cheques or postal orders we won't guarantee that you will get any tickets in return. It's a far safer bet to contact the Tower of London directly via their ticket office on 0207 7488 5681.

Where can I get a copy of the music from this website?

The wonderful music that accompanies a great deal of this website was the work of Hermien Jerian-du'fort and while it is planned to release a CD containing all the music you hear here it is not a reality just yet.

Hermien does have one CD available to buy though concerning the story of 'Richard the lionheart' and starring the vocal talents of Thomas Henry Sharp. If you'd like to know more then you can contact me and I'll tell you how you can buy one. We can accept most major credit cards.

I am interested in Hermien's CD of Richard the Lionheart

Why are there no images of the torture rooms and dungeons on this website?

Good question! Well to be honest there aren't any left. A lot of the torture was done in the basement of the White tower and at present there is nothing down there. There is no display of any torture devices at the Tower itself so there is nothing for us to show you. There is a little information in the prisoners section but that's all - Sorry! I know how you all like a bit of blood and guts.

Why are the Yeoman Warders called 'beefeaters'?

The actual origin of the name beefeater is not known but it is suggested by the Warders themselves that it comes from an insult dealt to them in the past.

During times of starvation and pestilence in England and in particular London, the only people who were probably guaranteed a good meal and a safe place to sleep were the guards of the Tower. After all, you had to be able to trust the Warders who were guarding the Crown Jewels otherwise they may well exchange some of the jewels for a good meal.

So it is suggested that the inhabitants of London taunted the Warders with the name Beefeater as a reference to the fact that they got preferential treatment from the crown and received beef to eat when those around them were starving.

More information about the Yeoman Warders

Who was the last prisoner to be held at the Tower of London?

The last state prisoner to stay in the Queen's House was Rudolf Hess, Deputy Führer of Nazi Germany. He was held here from 17-21 May 1941.