Yes, his name is Gary!: Don't be naughty else I'll put you in the Tower....

Feb 7, 2011

Don't be naughty else I'll put you in the Tower....

Last stop on our whirlwind London tour was The Tower of London... Its is THE MUST SEE in London for me.. not only for the Crown Jewels, but the Beefeaters and the architecture... you can almost imagine yourself as a princess there, please visit if you get the chance... (although $30 for 1hr (all we had left of the day!!) is a bit steep!)

We sprinted in.. not a pretty sight ( two black eyes for me later) desperate to make the Crown Jewels which close an half hour earlier to make sure everyone in the queue gets in...and there was a queue of approximately 200 people... arrrggghh would we make it? And what were they all queuing for anyway, its just a bit of jewellery right?

Well not really...they are priceless symbols of the British monarchy found under under armed guard in the Jewel House at the Tower of London. You should see them because they are the greatest working collection of Crown Jewels in the world and priceless symbols of British monarchy They include the world’s most famous diamonds, the enormous Cullinan I (the biggest diamond ever found) and the notorious Koh-i-Noor
23,578 gems that make up the Crown Jewels, including the glistening Imperial State Crown, which alone has 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies.

And you men wonder why diamonds are a girls best friend!?

Any the Tower isn't all about the diamonds...Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison since at least 1100, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. The Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite later activity on the site.
The peak period of the castle's use as a prison was the 16th and 17th centuries, when many figures fallen into disgrace, such as Elizabeth I before she became queen, were held within its walls. This use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower".

Anyway enough of the history lesson...here's the pictures... and tomorrow on to the frozen wastelands of North Devon with the family and dogs!