![]() ![]() No photography allowed in the Jewel House, but don’t miss this! ![]() See the coronation crown up close.Įver seen a diamond the size of an egg? The largest cut white diamond in the world is the Cullinan I diamond in the Sovereign’s Scepter, and it’s on display here. See the monarchy’s truly stunning array of jewels, crowns, scepters, and other accessories. Melted down after the Civil War, sure, but never stolen! After all, the Crown Jewels have never been successfully stolen. See the British Crown Jewels up close.Īll those magnificent royal jewels must be stored and guarded somewhere incredibly safe. He also oversaw the minting of new coins for Queen Anne’s ascension to the throne, and she kindly knighted him in 1705. He would go to pubs dressed incognito and catch coin counterfeiters! Now that’s a fun retirement plan! Newton’s buddy got him an appointment as the Warden of the Mint, and Newton standardized the metal composition of British coins.īut Newton knew how to have a good time, too. The Great Recoinage: fancy way to say “collecting and reissuing damaged coins” You may know Newton as the guy that discovered gravity and those useful laws of motion, but he was also into alchemy (his version of chemistry). See early coins and learn about the Great Recoinage of 1696, headed up by none other than Isaac Newton. Check out the mint rooms, to the left as you enter from the drawbridge. The Tower of London being no exception, it housed the Royal Mint and Treasury for a period of time. Money, money, moneyĬastles are great for protection. The last execution was a German spy in 1941, and the last prisoners held here were the Kray Twins in 1952. Other famous prisoners throughout the centuries include William Wallace, Edward V and his brother Richard (the Lost Princes in the Tower), Guy Fawkes, and Rudolph Hess.Ī well-built castle is just as good at keeping people in as it is at keeping others out. ![]() Visit Beauchamp Tower and look out the same window those doomed souls did at the spot on Tower Green where they would be beheaded. In the chaos that followed his death, more would meet their end here. Infamous King Henry VIII had two of his six wives beheaded here at Tower Green. Many prisoners carved messages into the walls of their rooms to pass the time, and you can see these carvings throughout the Tower. Visit the Bloody Tower and learn more in the Dungeons.īut if you were an important political foe you were sent to the Tower, arriving via the Thames through Traitor’s Gate, to be detained until they could come up with a reason to execute you. Once upon a time being sent to the Tower was a terrifying affair, often ending in your tortured confession and death on nearby Tower Hill. Probably the most well-known use for the Tower of London. The Tower of London was an infamous prison. He built the original castle walls, White Tower, and moat, portions of which remain to this day.Īs time passed, the castle evolved into a formidable fortress. More time passed, the moat was drained, and the Tower’s main purpose today is protecting the Crown Jewels. Side Note: Does anyone else think the announcer lady on the Tube is a bit too cheery when she says Tower Hill? Something to listen for when you visit…Īfter his successful invasion in 1066, William the Conqueror decided this ancient Roman site was the perfect place to build a new castle to keep an eye on London and its people. They can be a bit difficult to reach sometimes, but this one is conveniently located in the middle of the city and easily accessible via the Tower Hill tube station. ![]()
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