In this series I’m taking a look at the different way the buildings of the Tower of London by people have lived, worked, or been imprisoned there. Previously, I looked at the legend of Princes In The Tower and the naming of The Bloody Tower. In this piece I’m going to once again look at royalty; how the Tower was built and used by a conquering King, and how it was used by a Queen before her Coronation. I’m also going back to the conception and construction of the Tower as we recognise it today; by a conquering King looking to exert power and authority over his new Kingdom.
A Conquering King
In this piece I’m going to take a look at the building and expansion of the Tower from William I through to Edward I, who oversaw the last major expansion works in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century.
Following his victory at Hastings in October of 1066, William I “The Conqueror,” wanted to quickly secure his new kingdom. One way he did this was by building formidable strongholds from which to exercise authority and judicial oversight, built in strategic places across the country. These structures are found up and down the country in (predominately ruined) “motte-and-bailey” castles. One of clearest examples of this, and most definitely not ruined, is the formidable White Tower at the Tower of London, begun in 1066 and completed in the early 1080s during William’s reign. It gained it’s moniker when it was ordered to be whitewashed by Henry III in the thirteenth century. The keep was built to be the military strong point of the castle, but also in the original design, to house the King whenever he was in residence. The Tower itself, due to excellent state of repair, has been described as “the most complete eleventh century palace in Europe.” The function of the central keep did change over the years as the additional towers, buildings and apartments were constructed over the years.
The major expansion of the Tower came in the reigns of Richard I, Henry III, and Edward I. The inner ward was built during the reign of Richard I, which was then expanded by his nephew Henry III. The outer ward was built a century later under Edward I. Edward also extended the south side of the Tower onto land that had previously been submerged by the River Thames, creating a new water-gate in St Thomas’ Tower, to replace the now defunct gate in the Bloody Tower. There are thirteen towers in total surrounding the inner ward: Bell, Beauchamp, Devereux, Flint, Bowyer, Brick, Martin, Constable, Broad Arrow, Salt, Lanthorn, Wakefield, and the Bloody Tower. I have already had a look at the Bloody Tower, and will be taking a look at the Bell Tower in my piece about Prisoners in the Tower. Some of the other towers took their names from their function; Bell was installed with a large bell to ring out the alarm if the Tower came under attack. The Bowyer Tower was home of the royal bowmaker, responsible for making longbows, crossbows, and other siege weapons. The others have all had changing functions over the years since they were built.
Of course, another expression of Kingly power was coinage, bearing an image of the King on one face. In 1279 the Royal Mint was moved to the Tower, and there it remained for over five hundred years. Before this point, there had been several mints operating around the country, but it was unified at the Tower. By 1553, after the Dissolution of the Monasteries (some of which had their own mints), the Mint at the Tower was the only establishment producing coinage.
The King had direct control over the coinage; how much was minted, and what weight it was. During the fourteenth century, Edward III devalued the currency twice, in order to try and help the economic situation in England following the first wave of the Black Death. To do this he changed the amount of silver required to be in each coin.
A Queen In Waiting
On the eve of her coronation, the declared-but-not-yet-crowned Queen Elizabeth I travelled through the City of London in a “Chariot” with tableauxs and poetry performed by the people as she passed. She was on her way to the Royal Apartments at the Tower of London, now in the Queen’s House. This triumphal procession was a far cry to her previous journey to the tower in March 1554 when she was taken to the Tower for questioning following Wyatt’s rebellion. On that occasion she was landed at Traitor’s Gate, and refused to enter for more than three hours, instead she sat on the dock in the rain. This time, there was no such danger or humiliation, and she was cheered for her entire journey. The following day, on 15 January 1559, she travelled to Westminster Abbey where she was crowned and then presented to the people who received her with deafening cheers, bells, pipes, and other instruments.
Of course, we cannot talk about a monarch and their coronation without talking about The Crown Jewels, currently housed in the Waterloo Block. Most of the jewels currently held date from the reign of Charles II or after, because those that had been in use before were destroyed by Parliamentarians following the execution of Charles I in 1649. Cromwell ordered that the jewels be ‘broken down’ as they were a symbol of the ‘detestable rule of kings.’
After the restoration, the crown jewels were remade, often attempting to stay close to the style of the Medieval originals. One such as this, St Edward’s Crown, is only used at the moment of crowning itself. It has been used to crown six monarchs since it was made, the latest time being in 1953 and the coronation of Elizabeth II. It is not thought to be an exact replica of the medieval original – instead it was made in the style of the lost eleventh century crown of St Edward the Confessor.
As far as my period of interest goes, one of the most incredible pieces in the collection, and still used in coronations today, is the ampulla and coronation spoon, with the spoon dating back to the second half of the twelfth century. It was possibly made for Henry II or Richard I, and illustrates exquisite detailing in the gold and silver gilt. It survived being melted down in 1649 because it was sold off to a Mr Kynnersley, Yeoman of Charles I’s wardrobe, who then presented it back to Charles II following the restoration. It has been in use during coronations ever since. The ampulla was created in 1661.
Regardless of when they were made, they are an incredible collection, and very much worth seeing. There is much more to be said about the jewels, particularly in relation to British colonialism and imperialism, but people far wiser than me on this subject have weighed in… It is always worth keeping all perspectives in mind when going to view the collection, and absolute must when visiting the Tower.
Go There, See This 