High Security Areas

Today was all about guards - foot guards, horse guards, yeoman (beefeaters). We started the day with a tour explaining the Change of the Guard ceremony. Unfortunately, it began raining and the full display was cancelled. We missed out on the music and marching, but since it is a military service, it goes on in some capacity rain or shine. We saw the change occur at Clarence House (Prince Charles' residence) and watched the guards marching down the Mall. Speaking of Charles, we did see his motorcade go by while we were waiting for the guards to change outside his home. 

We next took the tube over to the Tower of London.  This area is under the care of the Queen's Guard. The guards even live onsite. Here, we saw the Crown Jewels, lots of suits of armor, Traitor's Gate, and the rooms that were once the Medevial Palace (before the Tower was a prison to so many). We learned that Henry VIII ordered more than 86,000 people beheaded during his reign, including two of his six wives. Most beheadings took place on the hill just outside the tower, but beheadings of six high-rank individuals happened on Tower Green.  Their bodies were buried in the chapel on-site, but since they were considered guilty of crimes, they did not receive any kind of significant grave or markers. Paper records noted who was buried where. Now, there is a glass monument on the green to commemorate those people. Also, the three queens' remains were later moved to places of honor under the altar where tiles serve as grave markers.  Roses are still delivered to Anne Boleyn's grave each year on the anniversary of her death, May 19. 

Our final stop of the day is secured by magical charms rather than Yeoman, and one must know how to pass through the enchantments in order to make it aboard the Hogwarts Express. Dave had some trouble :)

Tomorrow we will leave London for a couple of days. Our first stop of the weekend will be Salisbury with an evening tour inside the stones at Stonehenge. The next night we'll move on to Thornbury Castle, where we'll celebrate our 1st Anniversay. Updates may be delayed in the next couple of days, but I'll post when I can.