Ceremony of the Keys
Image: Tower of London - ©Travel Plans to Go
The Ceremony of the Keys is an ancient ceremony performed for nearly 700 years at the Tower of London. It involves locking up the Tower for the night to secure the fortress, which houses the Crown Jewels and, at one time, royal prisoners. Attending the Ceremony of the Keys was the highlight of my 2023 trip to London. During the few minutes of the evening we attended, I felt transported back in time, and it was a truly spectacular feeling to be a part of it that night.
History:
The Tower of London, constructed in the 11th century by William the Conqueror, has been a powerful symbol of British strength and safety for many years. In the mid 1300s, the locking of the Tower was established by King Edward III when he arrived unannounced at the Tower one night and just walked right in. He commanded that the Tower of London be locked up from sunset to sunrise. In the 1500’s, Queen Mary I ordered that no less than 21 Beefeaters be on duty and that nine Yeoman Warders were to patrol the Tower during the day and six at night. She also detailed how the ceremony should be done to lock the Tower at night.
The original text:
“And it is ordered that there shall be a place appointed under Locke and key where in the keys of the gates of the saide Tower shall be laide in the sight of the constable, the porter and two of the Yeoman Warders, or three of them at the least, and by two or three of them to be taken out when the[y] shall be occupied. And the key of that locke or coffer where the keys be, to be kepte by the porter or, in his absence, by the chief yeoman warder.”
Thus, it has been done for nearly 700 years.
In 1826, the Ceremony of the Keys was changed from sunset to 10:00 pm by the Duke of Wellington, the Constable of the Tower at the time.
The only time the ceremony has ever been disrupted was on December 29, 1940, when during World War II, a bomb fell on the Tower and the Chief Yeoman Warder was blown off his feet but not hurt.
Image: The White Tower, Tower of London - ©Travel Plans to Go
The Ceremony:
The ceremony begins at exactly 9:53 PM each evening.
The Yeoman Warder (commonly called a Beefeater), dressed in a traditional red and black Tudor uniform, locks the main gates of the Tower of London.
The Yeoman Warder carries a candle-lit lantern in one hand and the keys to the Tower in the other.
The Chief Yeoman Warder is accompanied by soldiers from the Tower Guard, who ensure the Tower's security.
As they proceed to lock the gates, a sentry challenges them, asking: "Halt! Who comes there?"
The Yeoman Warder replies, "The keys."
The sentry asks, "Whose keys?"
The Yeoman Warder responds, "King Charles’ keys" (or, historically, the keys of the reigning monarch).
The sentry then says, "Pass, King Charles’ keys, and all is well."
The ceremony concludes at 10:00 PM, with the Last Post being played by a bugler.
How to Attend:
The ceremony is open to the public to a small number of people each night, and tickets must be booked online. Tickets are released on a monthly basis. For example, to get a ticket for May - tickets go on sale the first of April unless it is a Friday, in which case they will be released the following Monday.
The closest tube station is Tower Hill.
Bring your eticket with you to the West Gate of the Tower, the main entrance, at exactly 9:30 pm. If you are late you will not be admitted. Wait outside of the gate for a Yeoman Warder to let you in.
Anything you bring with you, a purse or a backpack will be checked.
The Ceremony ends at 10:05 pm. We had a brief question and answer period and afterwards everyone was escorted back to the gate.
There are no toilets available at this time.
If you don’t mind having a late night out in London, this may be a once in a lifetime experience you don’t want to miss.