The former Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, is to become the 159th Constable of the Tower of London.
Dannatt has stepped down as the professional Head of the British Army (the Queen is the symbolic Head), a job he has held since 2006. General Sir David Richards will be the new man.
The Constable of the Tower of London is a ceremonial role dating back to the 11th Century. He is the Queen's representative within the Tower and its formal custodian.
William the Conqueror (William I), who built the Tower of London, appointed the first Constable, Geoffrey de Mandeville, in the eleventh century.
Since 1784 the Constable has always been a senior military officer. Today, the role of Constable is conferred upon Field Marshals or retired Generals. General Sir Roger Wheeler stepped down from the position on 31st July.
As well as being one of the most honourable positions in the Crown's service, the Constable of the Tower was once one of the most profitable. Perks of the job included any horses, oxen or pigs and sheep that fell off London Bridge and every ship that came upstream to the city had to moor at Tower Wharf to unload a portion of its cargo for the Constable - this included oysters, mussels, cockles, rushes and wine.
This tradition is still upheld at the Ceremony of the Constable's Dues every year when one large Royal Navy ship that visits the Port of London delivers a barrel of rum to the Constable on Tower Green.
The Tower of London, which once housed Rudolph Hess as prisoner, is reputed to be the most haunted building in England.
Dannatt to be next Constable of the Tower of London
5 Feb 09
The Queen has approved the appointment of Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, as the next Constable of the Tower of London, Number Ten Downing Street announced this week.
The Constable is the most senior appointment at the Tower, which is a royal palace and fortress as well as the most visited paid-for heritage attraction in the UK.
General Dannatt will become the 159th Constable of the Tower of London, taking up his appointment in summer 2009. He said:
The White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower of London, was built by King William I in 1078 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Since 1784 the Constable has always been a senior military officer. Today, the role of Constable is conferred upon Field Marshals or retired Generals with distinguished service and is expected to be undertaken for a period of five years.
General Dannatt will be installed formally as Constable in a ceremony to be held at the Tower of London in autumn 2009 and will succeed the current incumbent, General Sir Roger Wheeler GCB CBE, whose appointment expires on 31 July 2009.
The installation of a new Constable takes place on Tower Green within the Tower and involves the Lord Chamberlain, as the monarch's representative, handing the Tower's golden keys to the Constable, as a symbol of his custodianship.
General Sir Richard Dannatt has stood down as professional Head of the Army after three years in the job.
The Constable of the Tower acts as a Trustee of both Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that runs the Tower of London and the four other unoccupied palaces, and the Royal Armouries, and is the guardian of the national collection of arms and armour which has one of its four bases within the Tower.
In addition to formal Trustee meetings, the Constable attends ceremonial and social events at the Tower and chairs bi-annual meetings of the Constable's Fund and Choral Foundation, non-public charitable trusts. The Constable is also required to be present when a member of the Royal Family or a Cabinet Minister visits the Tower of London.
William the Conqueror appointed the first Constable, Geoffrey de Mandeville, in the eleventh century. Recent holders of the position are:
• General Sir Roger Wheeler | August 2001 - July 2009
• Lord Inge | August 1996 - July 2001
• Sir John Stanier | August 1990 - July 1996
• Sir Roland Gibbs | August 1985 - July 1990
• Sir Peter Hunt | June 1980 - July 1985
As well as being one of the most honourable positions in the Crown's service, the Constable of the Tower was once one of the most profitable. Perks of the job included any horses, oxen or pigs and sheep that fell off London Bridge and every ship that came upstream to the city had to moor at Tower Wharf to unload a portion of its cargo for the Constable - this included oysters, mussels, cockles, rushes and wine. This tradition is still upheld at the Ceremony of the Constable's Dues every year when one large Royal Navy ship that visits the Port of London delivers a barrel of rum to the Constable on Tower Green.
General Dannatt was commissioned into the Army in 1971 as a member of the Green Howards. He will be replaced as Chief of the General Staff later this year by General Sir David Richards KCB CBE DSO, currently Commander-in-Chief Land Forces.
The Tower of London
The Tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison . The Tower has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels.
The Tower housed a zoo until 1835 - even a polar bear was kept there in 1252 as a gift from Norway.
If necessary, the Tower of London is still able to hold prisoners - high treason is still punishable by beheading.
The tower is fully staffed with 35 Yeomen Warders (also known as Beefeaters), at all times, the most senior is titled the Chief Yeoman Warder, and his second-in-command is titled the Yeoman Gaoler, they answer to the Constable of the Tower. Yeomen Warders have served as defenders of the Crown Jewels, prison guards, and, since the time of Queen Victoria, tour guides to visitors, and they have become a tourist attraction in their own right, something the warders themselves acknowledge. The current role of the Yeoman Warder is that of tour guides, and, should the need arise, prison guards.
It is located withing the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and is the oldest building used by the British Goverment.
At least six ravens are always kept at the Tower, as has been the case for centuries. According to legend, if ALL the ravens ever leave the Tower, then the Tower, the monarchy and eventually Britain itself would fall. In a close shave, during the Second World War, most of the Tower's ravens perished through shock during bombing raids, leaving a sole survivor named 'Grip'. There are currently 10 ravens in the Tower - Gwylum, Thor, Hugin, Munin, Branwen, Bran, Gundulf, Baldrick, Fleur, Colin. The ravens' wings are clipped to prevent them from flying away, though they are free to roam the tower grounds, and they are cared for by the Ravenmaster, a duty given to one of the Yeomen Warders
The first prisoner of the Tower of Londob was Ranulf Flambard in 1100 who, as Bishop of Durham, was found guilty of extortion. He had been responsible for various improvements to the design of the tower after the first architect Gundulf moved back to Rochester. He escaped from the White Tower by climbing down a rope, which had been smuggled into his cell in a wine casket.
The last State prisoner to be held there was the Nazi, Rudolph Hess, in 1941. The Kray twins were the last prisoners to be held there, for a few days in 1952, for failing to report for national service.
Inside the torture chambers of the tower various implements of torture were used such as the Scavenger’s daughter, a kind of compression device, and the Rack, also known as the Duke of Exeter's Daughter.
Anne Askew is the only woman on record to have been tortured in the tower, after being taken there in 1546 on a charge of heresy. Sir Anthony Kingston, the Constable of the Tower of London, was ordered to torture Anne in an attempt to force her to name other Protestants. Anne was put on the Rack. Kingston was so impressed with the way Anne behaved that he refused to carry on torturing her, and Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor had to take over.
Henry VI was imprisoned in the Tower, where he was murdered on 21 May 1471. Each year on the anniversary of Henry VI's death, the Provosts of Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, lay roses and lilies on the altar that stands where he died.
The last execution at the Tower was that of German spy Josef Jakobs on 14 August 1941 by firing squad formed from the Scots Guards.
The Tower of London is reputedly the most haunted building in England. The ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn, beheaded in 1536 for treason against King Henry VIII, has allegedly been seen haunting the chapel of St Peter-ad-Vincula, where she is buried, and walking around the White Tower carrying her head under her arm. Other ghosts include Henry VI, Lady Jane Grey, Margaret Pole (in 1541, the frail 67 year old was so terrified at having her head chopped off on Tower Green that the executioner had to chase her round the scaffold, hacking at her neck with his axe as he did so. It took eleven blows to kill her), and the Princes in the Tower.
In January 1816 a sentry on guard outside the Jewel House witnessed an inexplicable apparition of a bear advancing towards him. The sentry reportedly died of fright a few days later.
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Dannatt has stepped down as the professional Head of the British Army (the Queen is the symbolic Head), a job he has held since 2006. General Sir David Richards will be the new man.
The Constable of the Tower of London is a ceremonial role dating back to the 11th Century. He is the Queen's representative within the Tower and its formal custodian.
William the Conqueror (William I), who built the Tower of London, appointed the first Constable, Geoffrey de Mandeville, in the eleventh century.
Since 1784 the Constable has always been a senior military officer. Today, the role of Constable is conferred upon Field Marshals or retired Generals. General Sir Roger Wheeler stepped down from the position on 31st July.
As well as being one of the most honourable positions in the Crown's service, the Constable of the Tower was once one of the most profitable. Perks of the job included any horses, oxen or pigs and sheep that fell off London Bridge and every ship that came upstream to the city had to moor at Tower Wharf to unload a portion of its cargo for the Constable - this included oysters, mussels, cockles, rushes and wine.
This tradition is still upheld at the Ceremony of the Constable's Dues every year when one large Royal Navy ship that visits the Port of London delivers a barrel of rum to the Constable on Tower Green.
The Tower of London, which once housed Rudolph Hess as prisoner, is reputed to be the most haunted building in England.
Dannatt to be next Constable of the Tower of London
5 Feb 09
The Queen has approved the appointment of Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Richard Dannatt, as the next Constable of the Tower of London, Number Ten Downing Street announced this week.
The Constable is the most senior appointment at the Tower, which is a royal palace and fortress as well as the most visited paid-for heritage attraction in the UK.
General Dannatt will become the 159th Constable of the Tower of London, taking up his appointment in summer 2009. He said:
"I am delighted to be appointed as the next Constable of Her Majesty's Palace and Fortress, the Tower of London, following in the footsteps of some particularly illustrious forebears. It is a considerable honour and I look forward with relish to undertaking the duties and responsibilities of this historic office."
As Constable of the Tower of London, a ceremonial role dating back to the eleventh century, General Dannatt will be the Queen's representative within the Tower of London and its formal custodian.
The White Tower, the oldest part of the Tower of London, was built by King William I in 1078 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Since 1784 the Constable has always been a senior military officer. Today, the role of Constable is conferred upon Field Marshals or retired Generals with distinguished service and is expected to be undertaken for a period of five years.
General Dannatt will be installed formally as Constable in a ceremony to be held at the Tower of London in autumn 2009 and will succeed the current incumbent, General Sir Roger Wheeler GCB CBE, whose appointment expires on 31 July 2009.
The installation of a new Constable takes place on Tower Green within the Tower and involves the Lord Chamberlain, as the monarch's representative, handing the Tower's golden keys to the Constable, as a symbol of his custodianship.
General Sir Richard Dannatt has stood down as professional Head of the Army after three years in the job.
The Constable of the Tower acts as a Trustee of both Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that runs the Tower of London and the four other unoccupied palaces, and the Royal Armouries, and is the guardian of the national collection of arms and armour which has one of its four bases within the Tower.
In addition to formal Trustee meetings, the Constable attends ceremonial and social events at the Tower and chairs bi-annual meetings of the Constable's Fund and Choral Foundation, non-public charitable trusts. The Constable is also required to be present when a member of the Royal Family or a Cabinet Minister visits the Tower of London.
William the Conqueror appointed the first Constable, Geoffrey de Mandeville, in the eleventh century. Recent holders of the position are:
• General Sir Roger Wheeler | August 2001 - July 2009
• Lord Inge | August 1996 - July 2001
• Sir John Stanier | August 1990 - July 1996
• Sir Roland Gibbs | August 1985 - July 1990
• Sir Peter Hunt | June 1980 - July 1985
As well as being one of the most honourable positions in the Crown's service, the Constable of the Tower was once one of the most profitable. Perks of the job included any horses, oxen or pigs and sheep that fell off London Bridge and every ship that came upstream to the city had to moor at Tower Wharf to unload a portion of its cargo for the Constable - this included oysters, mussels, cockles, rushes and wine. This tradition is still upheld at the Ceremony of the Constable's Dues every year when one large Royal Navy ship that visits the Port of London delivers a barrel of rum to the Constable on Tower Green.
General Dannatt was commissioned into the Army in 1971 as a member of the Green Howards. He will be replaced as Chief of the General Staff later this year by General Sir David Richards KCB CBE DSO, currently Commander-in-Chief Land Forces.
The Tower of London
The Tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison . The Tower has also served as a place of execution and torture, an armoury, a treasury, a zoo, the Royal Mint, a public records office, an observatory, and since 1303, the home of the Crown Jewels.
The Tower housed a zoo until 1835 - even a polar bear was kept there in 1252 as a gift from Norway.
If necessary, the Tower of London is still able to hold prisoners - high treason is still punishable by beheading.
The tower is fully staffed with 35 Yeomen Warders (also known as Beefeaters), at all times, the most senior is titled the Chief Yeoman Warder, and his second-in-command is titled the Yeoman Gaoler, they answer to the Constable of the Tower. Yeomen Warders have served as defenders of the Crown Jewels, prison guards, and, since the time of Queen Victoria, tour guides to visitors, and they have become a tourist attraction in their own right, something the warders themselves acknowledge. The current role of the Yeoman Warder is that of tour guides, and, should the need arise, prison guards.
It is located withing the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and is the oldest building used by the British Goverment.
At least six ravens are always kept at the Tower, as has been the case for centuries. According to legend, if ALL the ravens ever leave the Tower, then the Tower, the monarchy and eventually Britain itself would fall. In a close shave, during the Second World War, most of the Tower's ravens perished through shock during bombing raids, leaving a sole survivor named 'Grip'. There are currently 10 ravens in the Tower - Gwylum, Thor, Hugin, Munin, Branwen, Bran, Gundulf, Baldrick, Fleur, Colin. The ravens' wings are clipped to prevent them from flying away, though they are free to roam the tower grounds, and they are cared for by the Ravenmaster, a duty given to one of the Yeomen Warders
The first prisoner of the Tower of Londob was Ranulf Flambard in 1100 who, as Bishop of Durham, was found guilty of extortion. He had been responsible for various improvements to the design of the tower after the first architect Gundulf moved back to Rochester. He escaped from the White Tower by climbing down a rope, which had been smuggled into his cell in a wine casket.
The last State prisoner to be held there was the Nazi, Rudolph Hess, in 1941. The Kray twins were the last prisoners to be held there, for a few days in 1952, for failing to report for national service.
Inside the torture chambers of the tower various implements of torture were used such as the Scavenger’s daughter, a kind of compression device, and the Rack, also known as the Duke of Exeter's Daughter.
Anne Askew is the only woman on record to have been tortured in the tower, after being taken there in 1546 on a charge of heresy. Sir Anthony Kingston, the Constable of the Tower of London, was ordered to torture Anne in an attempt to force her to name other Protestants. Anne was put on the Rack. Kingston was so impressed with the way Anne behaved that he refused to carry on torturing her, and Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor had to take over.
Henry VI was imprisoned in the Tower, where he was murdered on 21 May 1471. Each year on the anniversary of Henry VI's death, the Provosts of Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, lay roses and lilies on the altar that stands where he died.
The last execution at the Tower was that of German spy Josef Jakobs on 14 August 1941 by firing squad formed from the Scots Guards.
The Tower of London is reputedly the most haunted building in England. The ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn, beheaded in 1536 for treason against King Henry VIII, has allegedly been seen haunting the chapel of St Peter-ad-Vincula, where she is buried, and walking around the White Tower carrying her head under her arm. Other ghosts include Henry VI, Lady Jane Grey, Margaret Pole (in 1541, the frail 67 year old was so terrified at having her head chopped off on Tower Green that the executioner had to chase her round the scaffold, hacking at her neck with his axe as he did so. It took eleven blows to kill her), and the Princes in the Tower.
In January 1816 a sentry on guard outside the Jewel House witnessed an inexplicable apparition of a bear advancing towards him. The sentry reportedly died of fright a few days later.
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