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Tower full of Trouble
The Tower of London in Medieval Times


The Tower of London - © Nash Ford Publishing

 

  • The Tower was built on the edge of the City of London for King William I soon after he conquered England in 1066. The soldiers there kept the Londoners under control.
  • It was made bigger over the years and completed by Edward I. The walls are 4.5 metres thick and 27 metres tall. The keep in the middle was whitewashed & called the 'White Tower'.
  • It has been used as a:
    • Royal palace
    • Prison
    • Place of execution
  • It has been the home of the:
    • Royal Armouries (for making/storing weapons)
    • Royal Mint (for making money)
    • Royal Observatory (for astronomers)
    • Royal Menagerie (for zoo animals)
    • National Archives (for storing paper records)
    • Crown Jewels (to keep them safe)
  • The Tower has seen much fighting:
    • It was captured during the 1st Barons' War.
    • Henry III was besieged there during the 2nd Barons' War. His wife tried to escape by boat.
    • It was captured by Queen Isabella before she deposed her husband, Edward II.
    • It was ransacked & several important people executed during the Peasants' Revolt. The queen mother escaped.
  • Medieval prisoners included:
    • Edward II was kept a prisoner there as a boy.
    • During the 100 Years' War, the Black Prince kept many foreign prisoners there, including David II of Scotland & John II of France. Henry V took the French King's nephew there after the Battle of Agincourt.
    • In 1406, Prince James of Scotland was imprisoned there. He became King James I during his stay.
    • King Henry VI was imprisoned & murdered there during the War of the Roses. Edward IV's brother, the Duke of Clarence, was also murdered there by drowning in a barrel of wine!
    • Richard III kept his nephews, Edward V & the Duke of York, there. They became known as the 'Princes in the Tower' but they disappeared! People say Richard had them murdered.

 
 

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