The Tower of London is in a great location to control and tax the River Thames. The Romans built their town of Londinium here (43AD). William I used the Roman walls as part of the castle he built (late1060s). Richard I built the Wardrobe Tower (1190). King Henry III added on to part of the Tower and King Edward I built a royal apartment (1270s). The royal lodgings were restored by Henry VIII for Anne Boleyn’s coronation (1533).
In this chapel King Henry VI died (1471) during the Wars of the Roses. He either died of grief after hearing that his son had died in battle or he was murdered while praying.
This Royal entrance was for important visitors, precious goods, and where Anne Boleyn left for her coronation.
As if the 1st Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, hadn’t done enough in his life (oh just beating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, appointed Commander in Chief of the British Army, elected Prime Minster) he was also the Constable to the Tower of London (1827-1852). He made many changes, including that the Yeoman Warders could only be recruited from long serving ex-military members with a good record of conduct.
The Tower was even used in WWI & WWII as a prison.
Visited: 28 Oct, 2023
Fun fact: Peasants attacked the Tower (1381) because of a Poll Tax issued by King Richard II. They succeeded in breaking in, looting the Tower, and killing the Archbishop of Canterbury, but the revolt failed and the peasant leaders were killed.