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In the square inside the fortress. We took a Tower tour guided
by a Beefeater. They live in the Tower Fortress, and when they die
they are memorialized in the chapel.
One of the most popular Tower attractions involves
people: the Yeoman Warders to be exact. They were originally established
in 1485 as King Henry VIII's bodyguard. They are perhaps best known
for their gorgeous scarlet and gold dress uniforms which date to
1552 and are worn on state occasions. They are usually seen at the
Tower in the blue undress uniform granted to them by Queen Victoria
in 1858.
The Yeomen Warders, also known as the beefeaters,
are armed with a haberd or pike known as a partisan. The Chief Warder
carries a staff surmounted by a silver model of the White Tower,
while his second-in-command, the Yeoman Gaoler, possesses a ceremonial
axe.
According to The London Encyclopedia, the popular
name beefeaters may have been derived from their fondness for roast
beef; however, it has also been suggested that it comes from the
French buffetier. Moreover, the term may originally have been derogatory,
used by the lower classes in sneering at the "pampered guards"
who regularly ate beef, while they rarely had any.
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