TOWER PRISONERS
Sites of Imprisonment
1. Bishop of Durham
The first political prisoner to be held in the White Tower was Ralph de Flambard, Bishop of Durham. Locked up by Henry I in 1100, he was seen as responsible for the unpopular policies of Henry’s predecessor, William II.
2. Henry VI
During the Wars of the Roses, between the rival families of York and Lancaster, Henry VI was kept in Wakefield Tower for five years, until restored to power in 1470.
3. The Little Princes
The alleged murder of Edward, 12, and Richard, 10, in 1483, gave the Bloody Tower its name. It is thought their uncle, Richard III, was responsible.
4. Sir Thomas More
Chancellor Thomas More’s refusal to approve Henry VIII’s marriage to Anne Boleyn led to his imprisonment in the lower Bell Tower. He was beheaded in 1535.
Sir Thomas More
5. Henry VIII’s Wives
Some of the Tower’s most famous victims—such as the beheaded wives of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard—are buried in the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula.
Anne Boleyn
6. Lady Jane Grey
In 1554 Lady Jane Grey was queen for just nine days. Aged 16, she was held in the jailer’s house on Tower Green and later executed by order of Queen Mary I.
7. Catholic Martyrs
Under the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603), many Catholics were executed. Most, including Jesuits, were held in the Salt Tower.
8. John Gerard
Jesuit priest Gerard escaped from the Cradle Tower with a fellow prisoner in 1597, using a rope strung over the moat by an accomplice.
9. Guy Fawkes
The most famous of the Catholic conspirators, Guy Fawkes tried to blow up King James I and Parliament in 1605. He is burned in effigy each year on November 5.
10. Rudolf Hess
The Tower’s last prisoner was Hitler’s deputy. He was held in the Queen’s House in 1941, after flying to the UK to ask for peace.
THE CROWN JEWELS
The lavish, bejewelled items that make up the sovereign’s ceremonial regalia are all in the care of the Tower of London. The collection dates from 1661 when a new set was made to replace those destroyed by Cromwell following the execution of Charles I in 1649. St. Edward’s Crown was the first subsequent crown to be made of pure gold, and is the oldest of the ten crowns here. Other coronation jewels on display include a gold, jewel-studded orb, made in 1661, and a scepter containing the 530- carat Cullinan 1, the biggest cut diamond in the world. The Sovereign’s Ring, made for William IV, is sometimes called “the wedding ring of England.”
TOP 10 JEWELS
1. Imperial State Crown
Queen Elizabeth ll wore the Imperial State Crown at her coronation on June 2, 1953.
The Imperial State Crown is heavily encrusted with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 4 rubies and 269 pearls. It was designed for the coronation of George Vl in 1937.
2. St. Edward’s Crown
3. Imperial Crown of India
4. Queen Victoria’s Crown
5. Royal Scepter
6. Jeweled State Sword
7. George V’s Crown
8. The Sovereign’s Ring
9. The Sovereign’s Orb
10. The Sovereign’s Scepter
