A daily tradition for 700 years

The Ceremony of the Keys has become a tourist attraction even though it was never promoted as such. It is defined by stillness, solemnity and respect for rituals.

A silent, solemn, traditional and majestic London ritual takes place every evening in stark contrast to the tourist comings and goings during the day. The Tower of London has been the backdrop for this ceremony for more 700 years. Its purpose? To lock and secure the building housing the crown jewels for the night.

Throughout the centuries, this tradition has only been interrupted once, and that was during World War II when a bomb fell into the Tower complex while the ceremony was in full flow. The magnitude of the solemnity of this daily moment can be fully appreciated on hearing of the letter that the officer of the guard wrote to King George VI apologising for the delay the incident caused in handing in the keys, and the King’s reply deciding not to punish the guard as it had been the enemy at fault.

The ceremony starts at 21.53 every day, with typical British punctuality. A few minutes earlier, at 21.30, a group of no more than 30 is escorted inside the Tower from the West Gate. The people present stand next to the famous Traitor’s Gate and have to remain completely silent throughout. Then the Chief Warder, dressed in the Tudor-style uniform (a red coat and traditional bonnet) and carrying a candle closes the main gate. On his return inside the building along Water Lane, accompanied by the Tower Guard, he is stopped by the sentry who asks him to identify himself, setting the scene for the crucial moment in the ceremony:

Sentry: “Halt! Who comes there?”
Chief Warder: “The Keys”.
Sentry: “Whose Keys?”
Chief Warder: “Queen Elizabeth’s Keys”.
Sentry: “Pass Queen Elizabeth’s Keys, and all’s well”.

Next, now inside the Tower, the Chief Yeoman Warder calls “God preserve Queen Elizabeth”. When the guard allows him to pass, a dozen escorts accompany the bearer of the Keys to Queen’s House, where the keys are kept safe. Only 35 minutes since it began, the small audience that had the privilege of watching is accompanied to the exit and returned once again to the present after witnessing the past. It is the moment when, for that night, the Tower of London is locked securely.

Although the Queen no longer lives in this stronghold and it is obvious that security measures to protect the British crown jewels have evolved in the past 700 years, the ritual continues to enthral us with a spectacular staging that has endured the test of time. The audience leaves in silence, but every night a member of the guard keeps watch in the sentry box next to the gate symbolising the need to keep guarding despite the passage of time.

No photos, no price

Entrance to this show is free, although donating a few pounds at the end is recommended. Taking photos or recording the ceremony is prohibited. Until recently, the only way of obtaining tickets was by sending a letter and a stamped-addressed envelope so they could send you the tickets. The process has now been modernised and you can book on the Internet, although we recommend you do so two to three months in advance

The Beefeater

The Chief Yeoman Warder, one of the famous Beefeaters, is responsible for performing the ceremony and handing in the keys. He comes out of the Byward Tower with the keys in one hand and a lamp in the other. The Beefeaters’ striking red and gold state uniform with enormous bonnets dates from the 16th century. Queen Victoria granted them permission to wear the black everyday working attire with red adornments in 1858. Until a few years ago, no woman was allowed to become a Yeoman, but equality has finally caught up with the Beefeaters