Introduction

Documentary going behind the scenes at the Tower of London and exploring its 900 years of history.

Outline

It is September 2021 and the Tower is planning its most ambitious installation ever. The Tower of London will be installing a new natural wildlife habitat into the historic moat called Superbloom, to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Superbloom is a gargantuan undertaking, requiring 10,000 tonnes of soil to be spread inside the moat so that 20 million seeds can be sown in time to flower for the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June 2022. In preparation, horticultural expert Professor Nigel is busy trialling plant varieties at his test beds in Sheffield while Historic Royal Palaces Head of Public Engagement Projects, Rhiannon, finalises the complex design with the landscape team.

Meanwhile, trainee Beefeater Emma Rousell is hard at work. As the newest recruit to the Yeoman Body, she can’t become a fully-fledged Yeoman Warder until she’s passed the test known as ‘the Story’ – the Beefeater’s famous 21 page tour through a thousand years of Tower history. She’s revising morning, noon and night. But will all her efforts pay off?

Chief Yeoman Warder Pete McGowran is preparing for the first big event in the Tower’s Platinum Jubilee calendar – the arrival of the Commonwealth of Nations Globe, complete with a Yeoman Warder escort and an RAF band. This valuable ceremonial object, decorated with thousands of pounds worth of silver, is used by Her Majesty the Queen to start the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the whole nation, so it’s essential the Tower keeps it safe and secure until it makes its way to Buckingham Palace.

Historic Royal Palaces Chief Curator Tracy Borman charts the rise and fall of Henry VIII’s most ambitious chief minister, Thomas Cromwell. Tracy reveals how Henry blamed Cromwell for his disastrous marriage to Anne of Cleves and had him sent to the Tower to await execution, after years of loyal service. In a terrible twist of fate, Cromwell ended up begging the King for mercy in the same cell where he had sent so many others to their deaths.

Inside the Tower of London Series

You can find a full index and overview of Inside the Tower of London here.

Production & Filming Details

• Release Date: 27 October 2022.
• Rating: 15.
• Running Time: 58 minutes.
• Country: US.
• Language: English.

Video Link(s)