The Ceremony of the Keys is an ancient ritual, held every evening at the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

, when the main gates are locked for the night. It is said to be the oldest extant military ceremony in the world, and is the best-known ceremonial tradition of the Tower.

Ceremony

At exactly 9.53 pm, the Chief

Yeoman Warder The Yeomen Warders of His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. ...

, dressed in Tudor watchcoat and bonnet, and carrying a candle lantern, leaves the Byward Tower and falls in with the Escort to the Keys, a military escort made up of armed members of the Tower of London Guard. The Warder passes his lantern to a soldier, and marches with his escort to the outer gate. The sentries on duty salute the King's Keys as they pass. The Warder first locks the outer gate and then the gates of the Middle and Byward Towers. The Warder and escort march down Water Lane, until they reach the Bloody Tower archway where a sentry challenges the party to identify themselves: :Sentry: "Halt! Who comes there?" :Chief Warder: "The keys". :Sentry: "Whose keys?" :Chief Warder: " King Charles's keys". :Sentry: "Pass King Charles's Keys. All's well". The Warder and escort march down to the foot of Broadwalk Steps where the main Tower Guard is drawn up to meet them. The party halts, and the officer in charge gives the command to present arms. The Chief Warder steps forward, doffs his bonnet, and proclaims: :Chief Warder: "God preserve King Charles". :Guard: "Amen!" On the answering “Amen” the clock of the Waterloo Barracks strikes 10pm and the

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is sounded, marking the end of the ceremony. The Guard is dismissed, and the Chief Warder takes the keys to the King's House for safekeeping overnight.

History

The origins of the ceremony are unknown. It may have begun during the Middle Ages, and it is often stated that a ceremony in some form has been held since the 14th century. (''"700 year old ancient ceremony''") Written instructions that the keys should be placed in a safe place by a Tower officer, after securing the gates, date back to the 16th century. In its current form the ceremony is likely to date to the 19th century when the institution of the

Yeomen Warders The Yeomen Warders of His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. ...

was reformed by the then Constable of the Tower, the

Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of 19th-century Britain, serving twice as prime minister of ...

. The ceremony has never been cancelled, and has been delayed only on a single occasion due to enemy action during the

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. During much of the First World War, the

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(HAC) provided the Tower garrison but in 1919 after handing back the Tower Guard to the Foot Guards, the HAC's 3rd Battalion presented a lantern to the Yeomen Warders on the 12 May 1919 as a mark of friendship during their time on duty. The lamp was used for the ceremony of the keys that night and every night ever since.

Access

Between 40 and 50 visitors are allowed access to the ceremony each night, under escort. Tickets are £5 and must be obtained in advance from

Historic Royal Palaces Historic Royal Palaces is an independent charity that manages some of the United Kingdom's unoccupied royal palaces. These are: * Tower of London * Hampton Court Palace * Kensington Palace (State Apartments and Orangery) * The Banqueting Hous ...

, the organisation that looks after the Tower. The event is usually sold out at least 12 months in advance. Following the suspension of public visits during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony was opened to the public again from 1 June 2021.

References

External links

* * A 1936 BBC recording of the Tower of London ceremony: {{Cite web , url=http://www.soundsurvey.org.uk/index.php/survey/radio_recordings/1930s/1802/ , title=Ceremony of the Keys 1936 , website= London Sound Survey , access-date=13 November 2017
Order of the Ceremony of The Keys (London)
a personal website describing the ceremony (with photographs) State ritual and ceremonies 14th-century establishments in Europe Tourist attractions in the City of London Events in London Tower of London Ceremonies in the United Kingdom