Ceremonies of the Tower

The Installation of the Constable

Since 1932 Constables of the Tower have been appointed for 5 years. They are installed ceremonially early in their tour of office. Seating for invited guests is provided round Tower Green, which is lined on the north, east and west sides by bodies of troops. The Constable selects these from the regiments or crops in which he served or of which he has been Colonel. A military band and trumpeters are on the north side by the Scaffold site. The Yeoman Warders form a half-circle inside the troops, facing south. At the appointed time the constable, accompanied by the Resident Governor and Chaplain, leaves the Queen’s house and takes position in the centre of the Green. The Constable is received with a Royal Salute. Shortly afterwards the Lord Chamberlain, accompanied by two of his staff and the Lieutenant, leaves the Queen’s House and takes position facing the Constable. The Lord Chamberlain carries the gold keys of the Tower, which are received with a Royal Salute. The Lieutenant reads the Letters Patent of appointment, the Lord Chamberlain delivers the keys to the Constable and the Chaplain says a blessing. The Constable, accompanied by the lord Chamberlain and other Tower Officers, inspects the troops, the Chief Yeoman Warder preceding him bearing the keys. On arrival at the entrance to the Queen’s House, the Lord Chamberlain presents the keys of the house to the Constable, who, in his turn, delivers them to the resident Governor and grants him authority to reside there.

Admission of New Yeoman Warders

It was formerly customary for a new Yeoman Warder on arrival to be sworn in in the presence of his fellows. The custom has been revived and at the first opportunity the new Warder is sworn in on Tower Green by the Governor in undress uniform. After the ceremony those present go to the Yeoman Warders’ Club where the new Warder is toasted and replies. The Chief Warder, in proposing the toast, says ‘may you never die a Yeoman Warder’. This goes back to the days when Warders purchased their appointments. If they retired, they could sell to a successor, but if they died in post the vacancy reverted to the Constable’s disposal.

Salutes

Since the invention of cannon, guns have been fired in honour of kings and the great or to mark occasions solemn, sad or joyful. The Tower is one of the oldest saluting stations in the country and one of the first recorded salutes marked the coronation of Anne Boleyn on White Sunday, 1533. There are records of many firings since 1664, when 61 guns were fired on the Anniversary of the Restoration. Between 1795 and 1815 salutes were fired in honour of victories in the Napoleonic Wars, culminating in the capture of Paris. Guns were fired for the Union of Great Britain and Ireland in1800 and for the opening of Tower Bridge in 1894. Royal births have always been celebrated. At funerals minute guns are fired.

Today guns are fired to signalize the birthdays, official and actual, of the Queen, the birthdays of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and at the State Opening of parliament. Guns are also fired when foreign Head of state visit the queen. In these instances the first gun fires when the Head of state steps on to the platform at Victoria Station. The necessary co-ordination is effected by military radio.

Beating the Bounds

In the days before maps and printing became commonplace and when most men were illiterate, land boundaries were established by stones and other visible marks. To impress men’s minds with their location and to ensure that they had not been tampered with, official perambulations were undertaken. Owners of the land and local officials would take part and so would a priest, since landmarks have biblical sanction. Boys of the locality would also attend and it is said that a boy would be beaten at each mark to impress its location on his mind. Nowadays it is the marks, not the boys, which are beaten.

In modern times the perambulations are made on every third Ascension Day. After a short service in Chapel the procession leaves the Tower by the West Gate. It is led by the Chief Yeoman Warder carrying the Mace, followed by the Chaplain, some of the children of the Tower and choirboys from local churches. Next comes the Resident governor with a small escort of Yeoman Warders accompanied by other officers of the tower and their wives. At the rear come any residents of the Tower who wish to attend. The procession halts at each boundary mark and the Chaplain says ‘ cursed is he that removeth his neighbour’s landmark’. The Chief Warder says ‘Whack it boys’ and the children beat the mark with rods which they carry. By the end of the ceremony there is not much left of the rods.