Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London or Bloody Tower, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite.
The castle was used as a prison since at least 1100, although that was not its primary purpose. The Tower was a grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. The whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat.

What better time to visit this fantastic place in history.

See five hundred years of spectacular royal armour, offering a fascinating insight into the personalities, power and physical size of England’s Kings.

The skill of the royal armourers was to combine practical protection for tournaments and battle with breath-taking design and decoration, all fit of a King.

The Crown Jewels

The Crown Jewels are part of the Royal Collection and have been associated with the coronation of English kings and queens for a number of centuries

One of the most significant acquisitions has been the Cullinan Diamond which was presented to Edward VII on his 66th birthday in November 1907. The diamond, a gift from the Prime Minister of the Transvaal in South Africa, General Louis Botha, was presented ‘as a token of loyalty and attachment of the people of Transvaal to His Majesty’s person and throne’.

The diamond was subsequently cut into nine further stones.

Cullinan I and II, the two largest, were formally presented to Edward VII on 21 November 1908 and exhibited at the Tower of London as ‘The Star of Africa’ and the ‘Second Star of Africa’. Cullinan II was set in the front band of the Imperial State Crown in 1909 and remains in the most recent version made in 1937. Edward’s son, George V, subsequently had Cullinan I inserted in the head of the Sovereign’s Sceptre.

Opening times:

Tuesday - Saturday

09:00 - 17:30

Sunday - Monday

10:00 - 17:30

Last admission

17:00