The history. The making of the Tower. The Legends. The Crown Jewels. The Tower of London Done by: Kononenko Eugenie and Shamaev Maxim
The White Tower was built in 1078 by William of Normandy, who is also known as William the Conqueror. The Tower of London is the symbol of his power. The limestone came from Caen and the rag stone was brought from Kent. The White Towers dimensions are 11ft x 107 ft. It took 20 years to build because some parts rise to about 100 ft in height and 15 ft in thickness. Building the White Tower
The area near the Tower of London These are birds eye views of the Tower of London area. As different kings and queens ruled England, they each added a certain building to the Tower. Henry III was the one to make the White Tower cozy. After wards the Lion Tower was added, where lions were kept for entertainment.
Symbol of power. Fortress for defense. Prison for enemies. Hideout from angry citizens. What does the Tower represent? Floor of the Norman Chapel – the oldest church in all of England
When King Henry VII was at the throne, he formed a personal bodyguard to protect him. His guards were called the Yeoman Warders who still protect the Tower today. In this photo the Yeoman Warder is entering the gates to open the Tower for the day. At night the tower is locked up at 10:00pm sharp. The Yeoman Warders
Prisoners at the Tower of London The people executed or imprisoned at the Tower were: · Queen Elizabeth I – she is known to be the only one who left the tower unexecuted. · Anne Boleyn – she was murdered because Henry VIII was unsatisfied with the fact that she couldnt give him a son. · Sir Thomas More · Lady Jane Grey Here is an example of what an execution might have looked like.
This is the Bloody Tower, formerly known as the Garden Tower. A number of people were imprisoned at the Bloody Tower, one of them happens to be Sir Walter Raleigh who wrote History of the World while being imprisoned there.
Legends: Pt 1 The most famous legend is the one about two boys: Richard Duke of York and his brother Edward V. According to Tudor historians, Richard, Duke of Gloucester invented a story declaring the boys illegitimate and convinced the Parliament that they cant become kings. Then he murdered the boys. o They believe this because they think one of Richards former officials confessed 20 years after the crime was committed. Young skeleton bones were found under some stairs in the tower in the 17 th century, so it is assumed that those are the bones of the two boys. Those young boys were Richard, Duke of York and his brother Edward V. Edward was placed there to be named king because Richard IIIs brother passed away. Here is a photo of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who was later crowned as Richard III.
Legends:Pt 2 Another interesting legend concerns Queen Elizabeth I: she was disappointed when told that she would be entering through Traitors Gate because she didnt think of herself as a traitor. The most interesting of all legends involves the 6 ravens living inside the Tower. There is a belief that if they ever leave the Tower, it will crumble and the British Monarchy will fall apart. This may sound ridiculous, but it could be true because the ravens werent at the castle during WWI or WWII. Nonetheless, she was forced to enter through it because as legend has it, a heavy downpour started.
Used today in Coronations & other ceremonies. Been used by other English kings & queens since 1660 or earlier. Held as national heritage by The Queen as Sovereign. Historical facts of the Crown jewels Photo of Queen Mothers crown
Crown Jewels Collection includes regalia (items used at a coronation) other crowns & pieces donated by various sovereigns, church and banqueting plate, orders, insignia, robes, a unique collection of medals and royal christening Edward the Confessor (reigned ) placed his Royal ornaments in the Westminster Abbey for safe keeping, Cromwell ordered that the regalia "be totally broken" because it was symbolic of the "detestable rule of kings
Edwards crownQueen Elizabeths crown Different crowns for different members of the Royal Family Crown of Imperial State
The End!!