Tower of London

Begun by William the Conqueror following the success of the Norman Conquest of 1066, the Tower of London stands as an imposing symbol of royal power and among the most significant monuments in European history. Strategically positioned along the River Thames, the Tower has variously served as a fortress, a royal palace and a prison, and held a treasury, an armory, a menagerie and a public record office.

For more than 800 years, the Tower held political prisoners, including Thomas More, Anne Boleyn, Lady Jane Grey and Robert Devereux, and it is infamous as the site of historic executions, including of three English queens. By the 18th century, the Tower had become a popular tourist attraction, with visitor numbers rising significantly during the Victorian era. Guests have long been drawn to its turbulent and sometimes gruesome past, which has been haunted by ghostly legends.

At its heart is William the Conqueror’s four-turretted White Tower, which gives the castle its name. Britain’s most famous castle, it presents exhibitions that explore its many roles throughout the centuries, including as home of the Royal Armouries and its darker reputation as a site of imprisonment and torture.

Visitors can explore the Medieval Palace, newly refurbished in spring 2025, where lavish textiles, colorful wall paintings and period music evoke elite life in the 13th century. The Tower Mint, responsible for producing the majority of England’s coinage and tightly controlling the nation’s money supply for more than 500 years, is examined in a permanent exhibition developed in partnership with the Royal Mint Museum. Another gallery traces the Tower’s surprising history as the Royal Menagerie, which once housed lions, tigers, monkeys, elephants and other exotic animals.

Within the inner ward stands the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula, the Tower’s parish church and the burial place of Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard and Lady Jane Grey. High within the White Tower, the grand Chapel of St John the Evangelist remains the most complete surviving example of early Anglo-Norman royal ecclesiastical architecture.

Today, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is the secure home of the Crown Jewels, a role it has fulfilled since 1661. Visitors can explore this world-famous collection of more than 100 objects and over 23,000 gemstones in a spectacular exhibition, including the magnificent Imperial State Crown used at coronations. The Tower has been guarded by the Yeoman Warders since the Tudor period, and they continue their historic duties today — conducting tours, carrying out the 700-year-old Ceremony of the Keys and caring for the six resident ravens whose presence, legend holds, keeps the kingdom intact.

^{The Medieval Palace at the Tower of London. © Historic Royal Palaces}