Introduction
Documentary going behind the scenes at the Tower of London and exploring its 900 years of history.
Outline
As the Tower prepares for the coronation, top of the agenda is changing all the royal cyphers – or personal monograms of the monarch – around the Tower.
The royal cyphers are everywhere from buttons on the staff uniforms to sentry boxes, and one of the biggest updates needed is on the Yeoman Warders’ ceremonial partisans. These ancient weapons would have been employed to defend the king or queen during the Tudor period, although nowadays they’re carried by the Yeoman Warders in the much more friendly ceremonial parades and gun salutes at the Tower.
Elsewhere in the fortress, Assistant Curator Alfred Hawkins needs to oversee the replacement of the cypher on the iconic Jewel House, which signals the ownership of the priceless Crown Jewels by the monarch.
Over at the raven enclosure, Ravenmaster Chris Skaife’s precious flock are under serious threat. A nationwide outbreak of deadly avian flu means he’s had to make a tough decision and put his seven feathered charges under lockdown. Although the enclosure has been enlarged for them, Chris also comes up with some imaginative ways to keep them entertained.
Meanwhile, Curator and Public Historian, Charles Farris and Yeoman Warder Barney Chandler investigate the fascinating history of Easter gift giving at the Tower — it didn’t include chocolate eggs…!
The Yeoman Warders put their best foot forward in a traditional Easter Parade — it’s the last time they’ll be wearing their state ceremonial dress bearing the late Queen’s initials, and it’s a fitting way to say a final goodbye.
And Historic Royal Palaces Chief Curator Tracy Borman investigates an incredible treasure, a beautiful gold sovereign ring found by a metal detectorist in Kent and now on display in the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace. It’s engraved with a mysterious bull symbol and a single initial and Tracy believes it could possibly belong to the family of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII.
Tracy’s hunt takes her all the way to Shurland Hall on the Isle of Sheppey, the ancestral home of one of Henry VIII’s courtiers. Visited by Henry, Anne Boleyn and their huge entourage on the way to France, Tracy reveals that the ring might have been owned by Anne’s father Thomas, or brother George, before their dramatic downfall left one of them with their head on the block.
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: 02 November 2023.
- Rating: U.
- Running Time: 58 minutes.
- Country: US.
- Language: English.
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