Although in the grand scheme of our trip, the couple of hours spent at the Tower of London may seem insignificant, it was one of the items on our itinerary that I had been most looking forward to. One of my first historical interests was the Tudor period of English history. Many people, as was I, are captivated by the tragic stories of the wives of Henry VIII or the glorious reign of Elizabeth I or maybe even the brief rule of Lady Jane Grey. Although my main focus has shifted back a couple centuries from then, Tudor England still manages to catch my attention and no where was that more true than at the Tower. Everywhere I turned there was evidence of Henry, Mary, or Elizabeth ordering someone’s imprisonment, torture, or execution. Indeed, I spent a while standing at the execution memorial on the green, then at the graffiti in Beauchamp Tower. These people, deemed traitors or criminals in their lifetimes have left lasting impressions in the stone, ensuring that their legacies live on. Similarly, I stayed for a while in the Chapel of Saint Peter ad Vincula, where Anne Boleyn, Katherine Howard, and Jane Grey are all buried.
But our tour began four hundred years before in a different chapel. Sitting in the chapel in the White Tower, I was focused on two things. First, the heat inside that room, and second, the austerity of the chapel. Having come from Westminster earlier in the morning, it was a stark contrast to the gothic abbey, and yet compared to all the other Cathedrals we had seen on the trip, that simple yet marvelous chapel was the one I felt would be easiest to worship in. Even after we finished talking about it, I just sat for a moment looking around the room, trying to imagine what it would be like to be a Norman royal in eleventh century England, living in the Tower and praying or attending mass in that chapel.
After our time in the White Tower, I also went to the Bloody Tower, as it is now called. It was originally called the Garden Tower, but after the legend of the princes in the tower spread, it took on a more sinister moniker. I was immediately thrown into the mystery of what happened to the boys. Personally, I am of the belief that Richard III did not kill his nephews, but clearly, something did happen to the young King Edward V and his brother, be it disease, injury, or murder. I was quickly reminded that the grounds are said to be haunted by the ghosts of the boys. Some people report hearing them laughing and playing. I don’t generally believe in ghosts, but I still found myself listening to see if I could hear them. I didn’t, but I still wonder if their spirits remain at the Tower.
It wasn’t the most magnificent place we went to, but I will always remember the Tower of London.
