A ‘Beefeater’ is the popular name for a ceremonial guard at the Tower of London. Formally called ‘Yeoman Warders’, nobody knows where their nickname comes from, although it might be because they once had privileged access to beef from the King’s table.
A BIT OF HISTORY
The Yeomen Warders were formed in 1485 by King Henry VII, the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. The heraldic badge of the dynasty, a rose, has been part of the badge of the Yeomen Warders ever since. They made their first public appearance at His Majesty’s coronation on 30th October 1485.
THE CROWN JEWELS
In 1509, Henry VII’s son King Henry VIII decided to leave twelve Yeomen at the Tower of London to protect it. Beefeaters were responsible for looking after the prisoners at the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, which are stored there. They are the oldest of the Royal bodyguards and the oldest military body in existence in Britain.
SCOTTISH PIONEER
Today, Beefeaters act as tour guides and are a famous tourist attraction. Traditionally, Beefeaters were men, but in 2007 Moira Cameron from Argyll in Scotland became the first — and so far only — female Yeoman Warder. There are thirty-seven Yeoman Warders and one Chief Warder. To be a Beefeater, a candidate must have served at least twenty-two years in the Armed Forces.
BEEFEATER DOWN!
Warders and their families live in the Tower of London, for which they pay a reasonable rent. Each night at 9.53pm, the Warders lock the palace as part of the Ceremony of the Keys, a seven hundred-year-old tradition. When the keys are put away, the sentry calls out to the Chief Warder: “Halt! Who comes there?” “The Keys,” replies the Chief Warder. “Whose Keys?” “Queen Elizabeth’s Keys.” “Pass Queen Elizabeth’s Keys. All’s well.” This ceremony still continues and was only delayed once, during the Second World War, when the impact of a bomb knocked a couple of Warders (temporarily) off their feet!