The Tower of London
There are many fascinating castles that have been built in the world. But few have the long and interesting history of the famous Tower of London in England. Built over 900 years ago in England, the Tower of London has housed, protected and imprisoned hundreds of people in its long history.
It is also one of the most well preserved buildings in the world. Throughout its long history it has housed a number of important events as well as housing a number of important prisoners.
The history of this famous building begins way back in 1066 when King Edward was the King of England. King Edward had promised to give the throne to his cousin William of Normandy. Before he died, he changed his mind and instead passed the throne on to his brother-in-law Harold. William was outraged. He decided that he should be the ruler of England and on October 14, 1066 he sailed his troops across the English Channel and conquered Harold thus becoming the new King of England. In 1078 he ordered that a huge stone building be built in the southeastern corner of London. It took 20 years to complete this amazing building that was surrounded by two thick stone walls, a wide ditch and a river. William, who is more commonly known as William the Conqueror, said that this Tower of London would be the “symbol of his power, a fortress for his defense, and a prison for his enemies”.
Around 1240, King Henry the Third made many changes to the Tower of London and made this famous building his home. He added a church, a great hall and other rooms that would eventually be called the White Tower. He also built a lion tower and a zoo that contained may animals near the drawbridge. Many visitors to the Tower would bring animals as gifts. The Tower continued to house the monarchs of England until the end of the reign of King Henry the Seventh. It also served as a place of refuge for the monarchs when there was trouble outside its walls. Although the tower was no longer the home for the monarchs it was still used to hold important events, such as the marriage of King Henry the Eighth to his second wife Anne Boleyn on May 19, 1533.
The Tower of London also held many famous prisoners. Sir Thomas More was held in the Tower and eventually killed for refusing to acknowledge Henry VIII as head of the English Church. King Henry the Eighth’s second wife Anne Boleyn was also held and eventually killed in the Tower for not providing Henry with a male heir to the throne. And perhaps the most famous prisoner was Princess Elizabeth, Anne Boleyn’s daughter, who would eventually become the Queen of England.
In 1603, King James turned part of the Tower into a museum and put the famous Crown Jewels on display. Today, the Tower of London still stands and is visited by millions of people each year. The famous building that was once a prison, fortress and palace still holds the echoes of the thousands of people that stayed within its walls over the last 900 years! If you are still interested in this amazing structure, please find more information in the library or on the Internet. This article only presented you with a drop of the vast history surrounding the Tower of London. Read on!
