The Tower of London at Night By Deb Hunter

Step Into the Shadows and see the Tower in a Different Light

By Deb Hunter

According to Indigenous American legend, when a raven appears, magic is in the air. Raven ignites the energies of the supernatural, signifying achievements and dreams becoming reality.

The bird is known as the Keeper of Secrets. Raven works by casting light into the darkness.

In October 2019, my husband and I were invited to visit the Tower at night—this place that had been so pivotal in the story of Anne Boleyn.

The ravaged stone sits as a silent sentinel, unwavering and seemingly all-powerful. In the daytime, the turrets and tourists stand as reminders of its unparalleled past. The ravens mill about, ever watchful of their keep. Kings, Queens, soldiers…all have had their place at the Tower of London. Both elation and executions have been held within these walls. A glimpse into this fortress reveals some of the secrets, promises, and betrayals. Tourists mingle and Beefeaters guide the curious. Children scamper toward the food stands, visitors check phones and devices for vouchers and Tube tickets. Then the sun sets on a castle that has seen every British monarch since William the Conqueror.

The Tower of London is officially Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London. This castle is located on the north bank of the Thames in London. It was founded in 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England, the White Tower built by William the Conqueror. The structure has served alternately as a palace, prison, a menagerie, military barracks, and home of the Crown Jewels. Its prominent role in English history has made it a symbol of power. The coronations of monarchs have traditionally begun at the Tower and led to Westminster Abbey. Anne Boleyn stayed here in joyous celebration before her coronation in 1533.

On the more sinister side, the reign of the Tudor kings and queens saw the Tower used mostly for prisoners. Queen Anne Boleyn was housed here before her execution in 1536. Her daughter, Elizabeth I, was jailed here by her sister, Mary I. Elizabeth was released on May 19, 1554, eighteen years after her mother’s execution. Others held within its walls include Katheryn Howard and another young queen, Jane Grey.

So what happens at night?

We arrived after sunset. There is something hauntingly beautiful in these ancient stones. We entered via the main gate and walked the stones past the site where Anne Boleyn had been housed, both in celebration and disgrace. The Tower Bridge illuminated our path.

Our entire group gathered outside the White Tower – very near the area of the Queen’s Apartments in Anne’s lifetime. As we walked toward the Jewel House, our first stop of the evening, I couldn’t help but think of Anne. The entry to the Jewel House is in close proximity to where her scaffold was. The first destination, after our stop for cocktails in the antechamber, was the Crown Jewels. Liquor and those jewels, but we left without incident, under armed guard the entire time. One of the Yeoman Warders did relate that a ghost of Anne had once been reported in this area, and that the man who saw the apparition was so terrified, he died within days of the incident.

From there, we moved across the cobblestones toward the White Tower. Anne crossed my mind as I imagined the night before she was crowned, how full of hope she must’ve been, only to see it so violently end less than three years later.

My husband motioned for me to look up and pointed out a raven in the greenery. It seemed it had come to say hello and remind me of the history its ancestors had been witness to.

Inside, the White Tower was ablaze with festivities. Servers dressed in Tudor costumes roamed about to serve hors d’oeuvres. Musicians played on instruments from the era. The rooms were awash in white candlelight as we finally sat for our feast of contemporary food, which was okay – I not certain I could eat swan!

Our evening drew to an end as our ‘carriage’ waited to whisk us into the London night. Raven bid me adieu and I said a thank you to the special spirits that had made the evening in this hallowed site one of enchantment.

References:

https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/anne-boleyn

In the footsteps of Anne Boleyn by Sarah Morris & Natalie Grueninger

The Lady in the Tower, Alison Weir

The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn, Eric Ives

About the Author:

Author and historian Deb Hunter writes history and fiction as Hunter S. Jones. She publishes independently as well as through traditional platforms. Recently she revealed that she is a Stage IV cancer warrior. She is passionate about the history of romance, science and music, a.k.a. sex, drugs and rock & roll. She is repped by Past Preservers Casting. When she isn’t writing, talking or tweeting about kings, queens, and rock stars, she lives in Midtown Atlanta with her Scottish-born husband.

She has been involved in academic projects at Harvard University, The University of Texas, UCLA, Vanderbilt University, University of The South, University of Notre Dame, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She has been associated with the prestigious Society of Authors founded by Lord Tennyson, Royal Historical Society, Society of U.S. Intellectual History, Atlanta Historical Society, American Historical Association, Organization of American Historians, Society of Civil War Historians (US), Dangerous Women Project, Romance Writers of America (PAN member), and Historical Writers Association.

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