We’ve all seen the Beefeaters proudly parading at Royal ceremonies such as the State Opening of Parliament. But who are these men – and women – in the red and gold coats and the top hats with flowers round the brim? Why are they called Beefeaters? And why are they only found in the Tower of London?
The Yeoman Warders – to give them their proper name – were originally soldiers in the Yeoman of the Guard, which was formed in 1485 by King Henry VII as an elite bodyguard who went everywhere with him. At that time the Tower was a full-blown Royal Palace. When the new King Henry VIII moved his official residence in 1509, a detachment of twelve Yeomen of the Guard remained as a token garrison and these were later renamed as Tower Warders. These Warders were granted the right to wear their splendid ‘state dress’ uniform on state occasions such as the monarch’s birthday. Their normal ‘undress’ uniform of blue and red dates from the 19th century but is also very smart.
While they remain formally responsible for guarding any prisoners in the Tower (though there haven’t been any for over seventy years) and protecting the Crown Jewels, their role now is largely ceremonial. They are involved in Royal processions in London; they lock the Tower at night in the Ceremony of the Keys which dates back 700 years, and they have conducted guided tours of the Tower since Victorian times.
Why they are called Beefeaters is not entirely clear: the term was common as early as the 17th century as a slang term for the English in general. It probably dates back to a visit to the Court by the Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1669, who said of the Yeomen of the Guard that “A very large ration of beef is given to them daily at the Court, and they might be called Beef-eaters“.
Today’s Tower Warders number 32 men and women plus a Chief Warder, all of whom are former servicemen and women from the Armed Forces who must have long-service and good-conduct medals. One is appointed as the Ravenmaster, and has the responsibility of caring for the Tower’s guardian birds. The Beefeaters live in apartments in the Tower, though most have another home. They have their own private bar in the Tower and each receives a bottle of Beefeater Gin on their birthday, as a mark of respect from the distiller!
Would you like to live in a fortress like the Tower? What would be the good and bad points? Find out more about the Beefeaters, jewel thieves, traitors and executions on my tour of the Historic Royal Palace, The Tower of London!