The Ceremony of the Keys
The Ceremony of the Keys is an ancient ritual, which involves the traditional locking up of the Tower of London. The ceremony “has taken place on each and every night, without fail, for at least 700 years” (website of Historic Royal Palaces).*
Exactly seven minutes to ten o’clock, the Chief Yeoman Warder of the Tower, appears from the Byward Tower and walks up to Traitor’s Gate. He is wearing a long read coat and the Tudor bonnet, holding a lantern in one and the Queens Keys in the other hand. An escort is awaiting him at Traitors Gate and he hands over the lantern to one of the escorting soldiers. Together they move on to the outer gate. The guard at the outer gate salutes to the Queens Keys, before the Chief Yeoman Warder proceeds to lock up the gate. The escort, now joined by the guard of the outer gate, walk back, locking up the gates of the Middle and Byward Tower in the process. Upon returning to Traitor’s Gate, a sentry is noticing the escort and the following “dialogue” is taking place:
Sentry: “Halt! Who comes there?”
Chief Yeoman Warder: “The Keys!”
Sentry: “Whose Keys?”
Chief Yeoman Warder: “Queen Elizabeth’s Keys.”
Sentry: “Pass Queen Elizabeth’s Keys and all’s well.”
The sentry joins the escort and they continue to walk through the Bloody Tower archway and up towards the steps, where the main guard is drawn up. At the foot of the steps the escort halts and the officer in charge orders the escort and the guard to present arms. The Chief Yeoman Warder walks two steps forward, raises his bonnet and calls “Good preserve Queen Elizabeth”. The guard answers “Amen”. It is now exactly 10 o’clock (the clock chimes ten times). The Chief Yeoman Warder walks away to the Queen’s House and the guard is dismissed.
- When I attended the ceremony in March 2009, we were told by a yeoman that on a few occasions the ceremony was delayed. During the Second World War for example it was once interrupted by an air raid, but it still took place. Even though the delay was well justified, the Officer of the Guard apologised to King George VI (by letter) that the ceremony was being late. The King responded that they were not be punished, because the delay was caused by enemy attack and not on their part.
Source: Wilkinson, Philip. The British Monarchy for Dummies. West Sussex: John Wiley, 2006.
Website Historic Royal Palaces: http://www.hrp.org.uk/TowerOfLondon/WhatsOn/ceremonyofthekeys.aspx