Page 527 - Volume Challenge - England - Project Idea

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Cheers

Some of these historical bits you give us just makes me smile!

August 14, 2016

What history!! I love that you document the history of the places you travel.

July 19, 2016

Wow! Incredible history and tradition

July 15, 2016

this kind of tradition gives me chills. It's amazing that it's been practiced since before our country even existed

July 12, 2016

Superstition makes people follow through under the worst of any conditions.

July 11, 2016

Very interesting!

July 11, 2016

Page 527 - Volume Challenge - England

Ceremonies known as the Ceremony of the Keys are held in at least two locations in the United Kingdom: London, and Edinburgh, as well as Gibraltar.

Probably the best known such ceremony is the one that takes place every night at the Tower of London and has done so in some form or another since the 14th century. At exactly 9.53pm, the Chief Yeoman Warder, dressed in Tudor Watchcoat, meets the military escort, made up of members of the Tower of London Guard.

Together, the Chief Yeoman Warder and the Yeoman Warder 'Watchman' secure the main gates of the Tower. Upon their return down Water Lane, the party is halted by the sentry and challenged to identify themselves:

Sentry: "Halt! Who comes there?"

Chief Warder: "The keys."

Sentry: "Whose keys?"

Chief Warder: "Queen Elizabeth's keys." (identifying the keys as being those of Queen Elizabeth II, the current monarch)

Sentry: "Pass Queen Elizabeth's Keys. All is well."

Following this, the party makes its way through the Bloody Tower Archway into the fortress, where they halt at the bottom of the Broadwalk Steps. On the top of the Stairs, under the command of their officer, the Tower Guards present arms and the Chief Warder raises his hat, proclaiming:

Chief Warder: "God preserve Queen Elizabeth."

Sentry: "Amen!"

He then takes the keys to the Queen's House for safekeeping while the Last Post is sounded.

As with many events of ceremony in the United Kingdom, it takes some significant outside influence to interrupt the Ceremony of the Keys. The one time when the ceremony was interrupted was during the Second World War, when there was an air raid on London, and a number of incendiary bombs fell on the old Victorian guardroom just as the Chief Yeoman Warder and the escort were coming through the Bloody Tower archway.

The shock and the noise of the bombs falling blew over the escort and the Chief Yeoman Warder, but they stood up, dusted themselves off, and carried on. The Tower holds a letter from the Officer of the Guard apologizing to King George VI that the ceremony was late, along with a reply from the King which says that the officer is not to be punished as the delay was due to enemy action.