Yeomen Warders
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The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners at the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are a tourist attraction in their own right.
Yeoman Warders began guarding the Tower in 1485; today there are 35 Yeomen Warders and one Chief Warder. All warders are retired from the British Armed Forces and must be former senior non-commissioned officers with at least 22 years of service. They must also hold the Long service and Good conduct medals.
In January 2007 a service woman, Moira Cameron, was selected as the first female Yeoman Warder. Miss Cameron joined the Army at age 16. Aged 38 and Warrant Officer Class 2, she became eligible only recently. She currently serves as chief clerk with the Adjutant General's Corps, and will join the ranks of the Yeomen Warders in September 2007 when a current Beefeater retires. [1]
The Yeomen Warders are often incorrectly referred to as Yeomen of the Guard, which is actually a distinct corps of Royal Bodyguards. W. S. Gilbert shared this confusion by naming his operetta The Yeomen of the Guard when it appears to be about Yeomen Warders.
The Yeomen Warders normally wear an 'undress' uniform of dark blue with red trimmings. When the sovereign visits the tower, or the warders are on duty at a state occasion, they wear red and gold uniforms very similar to those of the Yeoman of the Guard.
The origin of the term 'Beefeater' is unclear. It may originate from the fact that early Warders were paid in beef, amongst other things. Count Cosimo, grand duke of Tuscany, visited the Tower in 1669 and commented on this "A very large ration of beef is given to them daily at court...that they might be called Beef-eaters" and earlier references can also be found. Other suggestions include that it was either a corruption of a French term buffetier, an archaic term for the guard of the king's food; or a derogatory term used when they were relatively well-fed at the side of many ordinary people who lived near them in London.
The Yeoman Warders and their families live in accommodation inside the fortress paying council taxes and a portion of their salaries for rent. They must own a home outside of the fortress to go to when they retire though. Some of the accommodations date back to the 13th century. The community of the Tower of London is made up of these Yeoman Warders and their families, the Resident Governor and officers, a Chaplain and a Doctor.
The term "beefeater" is also used to refer to the traditional headgear of the Yeomen Warders.
Yeoman Warders participate in the Ceremony of the Keys each night.
[edit] Ravenmaster
The Yeoman Warder Ravenmaster (also known as the Ravenmaster for short) is one of the Yeomen Warders who has the responsibility to maintain the welfare of the Ravens at the Tower of London. The Ravens are fed on raw meat or beef which is bought at Smithfield Meat Market personally by the Ravenmaster.
Legend maintains that should these Ravens ever leave the tower, the tower and the monarchy will crumble. The source of this legend and the origins of the Ravens themselves are unknown, however the earliest documented reference to them is in 1895. Historic Royal Palaces, the organization that runs the tower, now accepts that the custom and legend probably started in Victorian times. However, it is thought that Ravens have been living in the Tower of London since at least the time of King Charles II.
The warders comment that the "real beefeaters" at the Tower of London are the Ravens, which receive a daily ration of beef.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
