Famous Names Associated with the Tower of London

What, you may ask, is London’s most enthralling landmark? The Tower of London is a very strong competitor for this label. Explore the Tower of London for yourself and gain an understanding of the lives of its famous prisoners. You will be both compelled and horrified by tales of the cruel executions that took place in this redoubtable landmark. Two of the people that are amongst those most associated with the Tower are William I and Henry III.

England's earliest Norman king, William I, was born in 1028, at Falaise Castle, the illegitimate son of Robert the Devil or the Magnificent and the daughter of Fullbert, a tanner of Falaise. Before he was reassigned the title of ‘Conqueror’ he held the rather more ignominious label of ‘William the Bastard’. William was, by many accounts, a brutal and despotic ruler; indeed, by current standards, he was extraordinarily pitiless. Yet many contend that his approach formed the preferred results and doused active hostility to his reign.

Henry III is known for being a 9-year-old king. He became king when he was just 9, as a repercussion of Magna Carta and the Barons’ War. Henry III in fact did much to renovate the Tower into the impressive landmark we see in the current age. He enhanced and extended the royal palace, constructing exquisitely furnished living quarters for both himself and his queen. He also strongly embellished the castle’s defences. Much of the first stone curtain wall was erected during his rule.

Henry did not spend a much time at the Tower – staying there a mere 11 times over the course of 56 years. It was, of course, vital that the Tower was appropriate for a king, yet it was not an especially favoured royal dwelling. Henry used the Tower expressly as a place of protection at politically tumultuous times. It was during his rule that lions, a polar bear and an elephant were kept at the Tower, all gifts from other monarchs. Visit the Royal Beasts exhibition at the Tower to learn more of the Tower’s intriguing use as a zoo.

Prisoners have been held captive at the Tower practically since it was first built. For in the region of 900 years, those thought to be traitors have been incarcerated against their will, as well as eminent monarchs. Sir Walter Raleigh is possibly one of the most renowned of the Tower of London’s prisoners. He induced contention and controversy all through his life. First Elizabeth I’s favourite, he went on to become a foe of James I. Raleigh’s ostentatious and bold nature led him to be imprisoned in the Tower on three separate occasion, all in all spending thirteen years in incarceration.

Other renowned figures such as Thomas More and Lady Jane Grey were brutally beheaded in the Tower. The Tower of London is one of the most popular London attractions on offer for visitors to the capital. Visit and you are sure to be amazed by the tales you will hear about some of the most significant and well-known figures associated with the Tower.

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