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What was the Bloody Tower used for?
The Bloody Tower was not only used for keeping prisoners locked in; it was also built to keep people out! See the Tower’s awe-inspiring portcullis, which could shut off the gate passage below, and learn about the building’s history as part of this great medieval fortress.
Who was locked in the Tower of London?
During the Tudor age, the Tower became the most important state prison in the country. Anyone thought to be a threat to national security came here. The future Elizabeth I, Lady Jane Grey, Sir Walter Raleigh and Guy Fawkes were all ‘sent to the Tower’. Even in the 20th century, German spies were brought here and shot.
What was the Tower of London used for in the past?
The Tower has been used and repurposed to fulfil many roles throughout its long history. A grand royal palace in its early history, it was later used as a fortress and prison, place of execution, an arsenal, royal mint, menagerie (or zoo) and is currently home to the priceless Crown Jewels of England.
Which kings and queens lived in the Tower of London?
The fortress came to epitomise the brutality of the Tudor regime, and of its most famous king, Henry VIII. The most famous of the tower’s prisoners during the Tudor era was Henry VIII’s notorious second queen, Anne Boleyn.
Where is the Tower of London situated?
It is located on the north bank of the River Thames, in the extreme western portion of the borough of Tower Hamlets, on the border with the central City of London. The Tower of London and the River Thames.
Where is Anne Boleyn’s ghost?
Anne’s ghost is said to appear each Christmas at Hever Castle, her childhood home. She is said to manifest beneath a great oak tree where Anne and Henry courted. Her ghost also walks across the bridge, which crosses over the River Eden on the castle grounds.
What happened to the princes in the Tower of London?
During the Wars of the Roses, Henry VI was murdered here in 1471 and, later, the children of his great rival Edward IV – the Princes in the Tower – vanished within its walls in 1483. In 1674, two skeletons were unearthed at the Tower.
Where did kings and queens live in medieval times?
Medieval kings and queens lived in luxurious apartments at the Tower. They worshipped in the Chapel Royal, kept a menagerie of exotic animals (which lasted until the 19th century) and welcomed foreign rulers at magnificent ceremonial occasions. Although long since vanished, there was once a splendid royal palace to the south of the White Tower.
What happened to the plague victims of York?
York was one city badly affected. The plague victims were buried outside the city walls and it is said that they have never been disturbed since then, as a precaution against a resurgence of the dreaded plague. The grassy embankments below the city walls are the sites of these plague pits.
Was King Henry VI murdered in Wakefield Tower?
In 1674, two skeletons were unearthed at the Tower. The bones were re-examined in 1933 and proved to be those of two boys aged about 12 and 10, exactly the same ages as the princes when they disappeared. Image: Henry VI was supposedly murdered while at prayer in the King’s Private Chapel in the Wakefield Tower.