| Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London | |
|---|---|
Badge of the Yeomen Warders |
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| Active | 1485- |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Role | Palace and Fortress Guard |
| Garrison/HQ | London |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel in Chief | HM The Queen |
| Insignia | |
| Collar Badge | Rose, Thistle and Shamrock |
The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, 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, a point the Yeoman Warders acknowledge.
The Yeomen Warders are often incorrectly referred to as Yeomen of the Guard, which is actually a distinct corps of Royal Bodyguards. Gilbert and Sullivan perpetuated this confusion by naming their opera The Yeomen of the Guard when it actually concerns Yeomen Warders.
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The name Beefeater is of uncertain origin, with various proposed derivations. The most likely is considered to be the Warders' payment in rations that included beef, as well as mutton and veal, and various historical commentators have noted a preference for beef among the Warders and the Yeomen of the Guard. It is theoretically possible that these professions enjoyed rich, hearty broths as well. Count Cosimo, Grand Duke of Tuscany, visited the Tower in 1669 and commented "A very large ration of beef is given to them daily at court...that they might be called Beef-eaters".[1] It has been suggested that beefeaters were privileged with a ration of beef from the King's table.[2]
Some etymologists have noted its similarity to hláf-æta, the Old English term for a menial servant, lit. "loaf-eater," the counterpart of hlaford "loaf-warden" and hlæfdige, which became "lord" and "lady" respectively.[3] Conjectures that derive the name from French buffetier (waiter) are, according to the OED, historically baseless.[1]
The Yeomen Warders were formed in 1485 by the new king Henry VII, the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty, and the Tudor rose, a heraldic badge of the dynasty, is part of the badge of the Yeomen Warders to this day.
Yeomen Warders began guarding the Tower in 1485; today there are 35 Yeomen Warders and one Chief Warder. All warders are retired from the Armed Forces of Commonwealth realms 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 medal. Traditionally only NCOs from the Army, Royal Marines and Royal Air Force were eligible to apply. This was because members of the Royal Navy, instead of taking oaths to the Crown, take an oath to the Admiralty, whose Head is the Lord High Admiral, this reverted to the Queen Elizabeth II from 1964-2011 when she transferred this appointment to her husband Prince Philip. This discrepancy was brought to an end with the swearing in of the first Naval Yeoman Warder in 2011.
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 similar to those of the Yeomen of the Guard, these uniforms are referred to by the Yeoman Warders as the Tudor State Dress, due to the uniform having very little modification from when they were first introduced during the Tudor Dynasty, and are often said to be "extremely uncomfortable".
The Yeomen Warders and their families live in tied 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. Some of the accommodation dates 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.
Yeomen Warders participate in the Ceremony of the Keys each night.
On 1 July 2007 a service woman, Moira Cameron, became the first female Yeoman Warder in the history of the institution. Ms. Cameron joined the Army in 1985 at age 20. Aged 42 and Warrant Officer Class 2, she became eligible not long before her appointment. Previously, she served as Superintendent Clerk at a Brigade Headquarters with the Adjutant General's Corps.[4]
In 2009 two male Beefeaters were dismissed for the bullying of Cameron. Three Warders were suspended, and one was subsequently re-instated following the month long investigation, with his role 'unproven'.[5]
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 of the Tower of London. The ravens are fed raw meat which is bought at Smithfield Meat Market by the Ravenmaster.
It is believed Ravens have been living in the Tower of London since at least the time of King Charles II and legend maintains that should these ravens ever leave the tower, the tower and the monarchy will crumble. When he received complaints that the Ravens interfered with observatory work, Charles ordered the re-siting of the Royal Observatory to Greenwich rather than remove the ravens. In order to prevent the ravens from flying away, their flight feathers are trimmed, so that they cannot fly in a straight line for any appreciable distance. The ravens are free, however, to roam the tower grounds.
The current Yeoman Warder Ravenmaster in the Tower of London is Chris Skaife who took over from Ray Stones in April 2011.
The warders comment that the "real beefeaters" at the Tower of London are the Ravens, which receive a daily ration of beef.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.