The Yeomen Warders of her Majesty’s Royal Palace, or ‘Beefeaters’ have been active since King Henry VII’s rule in 1485. They were formed primarily to take care of the Tower of London prisoners and to oversee protection of the Crown Jewels.
Henry VII moved residence in 1509 however the ‘Beefeaters’ remained as guards for the Tower. There is speculation as to where the title, ‘Beefeater’ originated from.
However it seems the most logical explanation was their diet during King Henry VII’s rule. It refers to eating beef from the King’s table, a gesture of kindness for their work protecting the Royal Palace.
All Yeomen Warders must have carried out 22 years of service with the armed forces of Commonwealth countries in order to be eligible for the position.
Their attire shows the Tudor Rose throughout, a memento of Henry VII’s tudor role. When they were formed the Yeomen Warders were split into two groups: there were 105 permanent Warders with an extra 300 ‘extraordinary’ or reserve Warders.
As the years progressed their roles became decreasingly reliant on guarding prisoners and the Royal Palace.
In 2011 there were 37 Yeomen Warders with one Chief Warder, their modern day role mainly sees them conduct tours of the Tower of London. They’re also a tourist attraction in themselves because of the historic attire which the Yeomen Warders wear.
On last day of the Remembrance Sunday installation of 888,246 poppies I went to photograph some of the Yeomen Warders around the grounds.
During this day members of the Royal Family came to visit the Tower and the Warders dressed in their red and gold ‘Tudor State Dress’ a tradition when any sovereign visits.
While their role today is more form over function I feel they provide us with a nostalgic reminder of the Monarch’s historic role and due to their long history they have become truly embedded within the character of the Tower of London.
Words and photography by Tom Tapolczay