- 8 hours ago
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:01It's the most visited palace and fortress in Britain.
00:05We're surrounded, we're literally saturated in history here at the Tower.
00:09The Tower of London has seen everyone from powerful royals...
00:12Elizabeth didn't know how long she was going to be held here,
00:15or even if she would leave alive.
00:18...to notorious criminals.
00:20The infamous Cree twins.
00:22They've all set foot inside its walls.
00:25This is my favourite execution, but I love this one.
00:30Controversial!
00:31And it's still got plenty more stories to tell.
00:34Definitely a skull. I can see teeth.
00:39This time, we uncover the shocking untold story
00:43of how the Tower's top brass once spied for queen and country.
00:47We have this family business of espionage.
00:51Discover how the fortress became part of an international spy ring.
00:55This is brand new research, isn't it?
00:58And expose the sinister methods used to interrogate suspects.
01:02Oh, gosh, so he's naming names.
01:05He's absolutely spilling the beans on everything.
01:10Also in this episode, a new yeoman warder joins the team.
01:15Jumping out of an aircraft is definitely easier
01:18than getting a thousand years of history crammed inside your head.
01:21And the Tower pays tribute to the fallen on Remembrance Sunday.
01:27There's an unwritten bond, a sort of a code of how special today will be.
01:33This is the Tower of London.
01:42The Tower of London has more iconic buildings than almost anywhere else in Britain.
01:49And looking out over Tower Green is one of its most important.
01:53But it's a building you may never have heard of.
01:56Moving round into the corner, the L-shaped white building is the King's House.
02:01Now, obviously, the King doesn't live here, but his representative does.
02:06Dating back to the reign of Henry VIII,
02:09the King's House is one of the last remaining timber-fronted Tudor houses in London.
02:14And that makes it uniquely precious.
02:17Chief historian Tracey Borman is investigating a mystery hidden behind its walls.
02:27It's got a really different atmosphere to the rest of the Tower,
02:31because out there there's the fortress, the execution site.
02:36And yet in here, it's a comfortable, very beautiful home today.
02:43It's lived in by Sir Gordon Messenger, the constable of the Tower.
02:46He might be upstairs, even as we speak, having his breakfast.
02:51I feel rather like I'm snooping around.
02:55But it's so special being allowed in here.
03:01The constable is the highest-ranking officer at the Tower.
03:04And although these days the King's House is his home,
03:07it was built nearly 500 years ago for a different Tower official.
03:13This house would have been lived in by the Tower Lieutenant.
03:16And you can tell that he was an important person,
03:20because it's a very luxurious residence.
03:22You get a lovely view of the White Tower just over there.
03:26So you definitely get a sense that this is somebody of status.
03:32Under Elizabeth I, the Tower was a fortress, royal palace, and much-feared prison.
03:39And the Lieutenant was the man in charge.
03:42He had an incredibly powerful position, responsible for everything,
03:46from overseeing the Tower's military garrison
03:49to preventing the spread of disease within its walls.
03:52But the Lieutenant also had a far more sinister role.
03:57And there is a reminder of that at the end of this corridor.
04:08This space is so different to the other side of the door.
04:13The temperature plummets.
04:16It's freezing in here.
04:18And you can see it's very sparse.
04:21The bare stone walls, there are no furnishings.
04:25And it's got a really chilling atmosphere.
04:30This is one of the Tower's many prison cells.
04:33Today it is only accessible through the King's House.
04:36And it's in this very cell that Sir Thomas More was imprisoned
04:40for opposing Henry VIII's break from Catholic Rome.
04:44More spent over a year here before his execution in 1535.
04:49And one of the men responsible for keeping him under lock and key
04:52was the Lieutenant of the Tower.
04:55And to think that this is part of the King's House
04:59is really quite creepy.
05:01The Lieutenant would have been just upstairs,
05:05enjoying family life, taking his meals.
05:08Maybe the prisoners would have heard them.
05:11To find out exactly why the Lieutenant kept inmates
05:15so close to his own living quarters,
05:18Tracy is heading to another cell,
05:20right at the top of the Bell Tower.
05:24500 years ago, this is where high-status prisoners were held.
05:30She's meeting historian Danielle Shaw.
05:34Hi, Danielle. Nice to meet you.
05:36Danielle has examined records from the time,
05:39which revealed that the Lieutenant
05:40was more than just the Tower's head jailer.
05:43She believes they had another vital and highly secret job.
05:48There's a painting of Elizabeth I that hangs here.
05:51And if you look carefully,
05:53you can see some hidden clues
05:55about what that secret role might have been.
05:58Wow, this is one of my favourite portraits of Elizabeth,
06:01the rainbow portrait.
06:03See, this version is a little bit faded.
06:05The original shows her in this glorious, bright orange gown,
06:09and she's clearly at the height of her powers here, isn't she?
06:12Very much so, yes.
06:14But if we look a little bit closer on that gown itself,
06:17what we see is a depiction of eyes and ears.
06:22These are symbols for spies.
06:25So she's got her eyes and ears everywhere.
06:32Throughout her reign, we know that Elizabeth relied on a vast network of spies to keep her safe.
06:38And that's because while England was Protestant,
06:41its powerful Catholic enemies, France, Spain and Rome,
06:44wanted Elizabeth out of the way,
06:46and her Catholic cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, put on the throne.
06:51Elizabeth's spies had one main objective, to stop the numerous plots against her.
06:57And in 1571, they uncovered something very close to home.
07:02The Queen's second cousin, the Duke of Norfolk, was caught planning to overthrow her.
07:09While Norfolk waited for his execution, he was locked up in the tower under the watchful eye of the lieutenant,
07:16a man called Owen Hopton.
07:19Danielle has unearthed a remarkable record from the time.
07:23I've got a copy here of a letter from Owen Hopton, writing to Elizabeth's advisers about one of his prisoners,
07:34the Duke of Norfolk.
07:35In the letter, Hopton details the extraordinary steps he took to stop his high-profile prisoner escaping.
07:43So we have here,
07:45The window at the Duke, his rooms, looketh into a little garden, the door whereof I so nailed up.
07:54Not only does he nail up the door, but he places a watch on the Duke's cell day and night.
08:01Danielle believes these extreme security measures weren't just designed to prevent Norfolk's escape.
08:07Owen Hopton says it's very unlike for any to receiveth letters there as well.
08:13So what this document shows us is the extraordinary lengths that the lieutenant's going to to ensure that information does
08:19not leak out from the Duke of Norfolk.
08:23Nobody can send him secret messages and he also can't get any messages out of the tower either.
08:30As a noble, Norfolk could have expected to be allowed visitors, even servants, while he was a prisoner.
08:37By placing him in solitary confinement, Lieutenant Hopton was able to stop the Duke from plotting with conspirators outside the
08:45tower.
08:46Hopton had played a critical role in stopping the plot to overthrow the Queen.
08:51But Danielle's research suggests the lieutenant wasn't just having Norfolk guarded, he was also having him spied on.
08:59What we start to see with Hopton and subsequent lieutenants is that they start to collect information and gather intelligence
09:07themselves.
09:08Really?
09:09They too would be the eyes and ears for Elizabeth and able to report that information back.
09:14That is amazing.
09:16I had no idea. I thought the tower lieutenant was just more to do with keeping control of prisoners.
09:22But actually, intelligence, that's a whole other ballgame.
09:28With plotters like Norfolk under lock and key, the lieutenant was in a unique position to extract intelligence about their
09:35plans and pass it on to the Queen's advisors.
09:39The Tower of London had become part of Elizabeth's security service, a Tudor MI5, with a lieutenant at its head.
09:48This is brand new research, isn't it?
09:50It is absolutely new.
09:52I'm discovering there's a whole host of lieutenants who are engaging with intelligence gathering on a bigger stage than we
09:59ever thought before.
10:00But gathering intelligence from inmates was just the tip of the iceberg.
10:05The lieutenants would soon begin spying far beyond the tower's walls.
10:13These days, the tower's guardians, the yeoman warders, are less concerned with spying on their guests than with ensuring they
10:21have an enjoyable time.
10:23I stand here all day just hoping someone will ask me for a photograph. Very kind of you, thank you.
10:30But the Beefeaters still have close links with the monarchy. Such privileges don't come easily.
10:36To be up for the job, you need to have a proven track record serving the country.
10:41You first need to complete a minimum of 22 years in either the Army, the Royal Air Force, the Royal
10:46Navy, or that other fine, fit, handsome, splendid bunch of chaps, the Royal Marines.
10:55Today's yeoman warders come from every branch of the armed forces.
10:59But there's one regiment that's never been represented at the tower until now.
11:05New recruit, Lee Fox, also known as Foxy, has swapped life in the elite parachute regiment for a flat in
11:13the casemates.
11:15This is my seventh week at the tower, which has just gone like that.
11:20For Lee, becoming a Beefeater is a dream come true.
11:27I came down for a day, went on one of the Yeoman Warder tours.
11:31Now, during our little journey together, I do want to hear some hearty cheers along the way.
11:36Yay!
11:38And then at the very end of the tour, they mentioned the criteria to become a Yeoman Warder.
11:42I was like, oh, this is something that I could actually do.
11:44Let's get down and join us again!
11:48When I found out I got the job, I had sort of a three-week turnaround to sort of get
11:52myself down here and start a brand new life, and it's been a bit of a roller coaster.
11:57Lee served with the Paris for 23 years.
12:01I joined at the age of 17. This picture, I think it was taken on a Polaroid camera, which is
12:08going back a fair few years, and I just remember the immense pride to be awarded that maroon beret.
12:12And as soon as I turned 18, we were away out on operations out to Iraq.
12:17It was tour, tour, tour, tour, tour.
12:20But becoming a Beefeater has its own set of unique challenges. Lee will be expected to share the tower's vast
12:27history with members of the public.
12:30Closing your eyes and jumping out of an aircraft is definitely easier than getting a thousand years of history crammed
12:37inside your head.
12:41When he completes his training, Lee will become the 426th yeoman warder in tower history.
12:49If he were to tell me then that you're going to replace that maroon beret for a Tudor bonnet, I
12:54would have absolutely laughed.
12:58Coming up, it's Lee's first day on the job.
13:02This is the new rig.
13:03It wasn't too long ago that I was actually in Lee's shoes.
13:06But who is his surprise visitor?
13:10While there's a shocking discovery about secret operations at the fortress.
13:14What's absolutely remarkable is we have this family business of espionage.
13:25Welcome to my house. Have a lovely day.
13:28This morning, visitors at the fortress are in for a royal treat.
13:36Today is a really special day here at the tower.
13:41It is King Charles' 77th birthday, and we're going to be celebrating that with a 62-round gun salute.
13:48Despite the rain, the crowds are out in force.
13:50A left turn!
13:53And the salute begins.
13:56Fire! Fire!
14:01The tower has been marking royal occasions with a bang for over 500 years.
14:10After just 10 minutes, it's all over.
14:12And the fortress returns to business as usual.
14:20Meanwhile, parachute regiment veteran and brand new yeoman warder Lee Fox is at home, getting ready for his first day
14:28meeting and greeting visitors.
14:31So, this is the new rig.
14:33After just seven weeks of training, putting on the world-famous B-feater uniform is still a novelty.
14:40These are my medal ribbons.
14:42So, we've got Iraq, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, and you'll notice two rosettes on there.
14:47That essentially means that they were combat tours.
14:49And then we've got some Jubilee medals, the King's coronation, and finally, one of the conditions to even get this
14:55job is obviously your long service and good conduct medal.
14:59Lee swapped his maroon beret for a Tudor bonnet, but his military past is never far away.
15:05That is the parachute regiment cap badge, so obviously paying homage to my former regiment.
15:10Lee's cap badge isn't the only personal touch he's bringing to the job.
15:17Straight away, you can't but not notice the awesome moustache that he has.
15:21Back in the day, the Army, the RAF, and the Royal Marines were allowed to grow moustaches, but they weren't
15:26allowed to grow a beard.
15:27And in the Royal Navy, we could grow a beard, but we weren't allowed to grow a moustache.
15:31But here in the tower, there are no rules.
15:35Visitors are treated to a whole host of different takes on the ultimate B-feater accessory.
15:44For Lee, it will take more than his moustache to win over visitors.
15:49Today, he will be stationed outside the Jewel House, where he'll be expected to direct guests and answer their questions.
15:55And with so much history, he could be asked almost anything.
15:59Luckily, he'll have mentor Lisa Garland on hand.
16:03We don't actually know why we're called B-featers.
16:06It's never been written down anywhere.
16:08All right, take care.
16:09Lisa joined the Yeoman body just two years ago, so she knows how daunting the training can be.
16:14It wasn't too long ago that I was actually in Lee's shoes.
16:19I think it's important to realise that when you first arrive here, you are not going to know everything.
16:24Lisa has been mentoring Lee, helping him learn all the things he needs to know about being a B-feater.
16:30I have absolutely no idea of what to expect, but I'm really looking forward to meeting the public.
16:37Just remember everything we've talked about, you know, lots of interaction, smiley faces, you know, helping people enjoy the day
16:43here, so you're going to be brilliant.
16:44Yeah, and I'm guessing you're going to be close by, keeping an eye on me.
16:47I will be close by, don't you worry.
16:49That makes me feel better.
16:50All right, I'll see you soon.
16:51Nice one, thank you very much.
16:52See you later.
16:57A little bit nervous, in case I get asked some history questions that I've not quite learnt yet.
17:02How are you doing, guys? All right? Having a good day?
17:04Did you get to the bloody tower?
17:06Did you see the bloody tower? That's pretty cool as well.
17:07Have you done the jewels yet?
17:08No.
17:08Do you go in there now?
17:09Please, try and keep an eye out right near the end.
17:11My favourite is the Queen Victoria's crown.
17:14So far, so good.
17:16So I'm the new guy.
17:17I left the parachute regiment two months ago.
17:19I used to be eight foot, and now I'm only six.
17:21Some really hard landings, yeah.
17:23Yeah.
17:24The stash like that, you're good to go, no matter what.
17:26Yeah, well, this is it.
17:28See, yeah.
17:29So is it a cup of tea now, is it?
17:30It is definitely.
17:31Yeah, nice one.
17:33Under Lisa's watchful eye, Lee is getting used to his new role.
17:37You like to get a photo?
17:39Cheese.
17:40Beef.
17:41Beef.
17:43I really enjoyed that.
17:44Just so many different interactions, and you're just chatting with people from all over the world.
17:49With his first shift successfully under his belt, someone very special is paying Lee a visit.
17:55How you doing, Mum?
17:56Lee's mum, Dawn, has travelled all the way from Grimsby in Lincolnshire to surprise him on his first day.
18:03It's been lovely. I'm really enjoying it. I'm so proud.
18:07Don't, because you make me cry.
18:09And the friendliness of everybody.
18:12Yeah.
18:12It's a real community, and that's something that drew me to this place.
18:17Good few years ago, Lee did say to me, look, Mum, you really want to be a beef eater.
18:23And I was like, oh, heck, you know. And he went for it, and he's got it. Today will be
18:31a day I'll never forget.
18:33I'll never forget that.
18:38Our journey begins back in the year 1066.
18:42While visitors soak up the tower's famous stories, at the National Archives, Chief Historian Tracy Borman is uncovering the secret
18:51methods tower lieutenants used to spy for Elizabeth I.
18:54It's part of the tower's first.
18:57It's part of the tower's shady past, which is only now being revealed, thanks to historian Danielle Shaw.
19:03I'm always excited to have a document in front of me.
19:06Danielle has found a record from the 1570s, revealing how tower lieutenant Owen Hopton helped foil a conspiracy against Elizabeth.
19:15This is an examination of an alleged co-conspirator who's implicated in smuggling of letters to Mary, Queen of Scots.
19:25And it is Owen Hopton who is the lieutenant here, and we see his signature just listed there.
19:32Oh, yes. There he is, our man.
19:35In February 1575, Lieutenant Hopton was ordered to interrogate.
19:41In those days, they called it to examine.
19:44A man accused of smuggling letters on behalf of Elizabeth's rival, Mary, Queen of Scots.
19:49The suspect was a Catholic bookseller named Henry Cockin.
19:55During interrogations, the prisoner might be threatened with torture.
20:00But contrary to popular belief, it was rarely used.
20:05Instead, the lieutenant would try and win the inmate's trust.
20:10They might build a rapport by saying, you know, are you comfortable?
20:14Do you have enough firewood? Are they treating you well?
20:17But also, there's also a caveat that all of this could be taken away at any moment as well.
20:22So there's that manipulation and control from the lieutenant.
20:27Lieutenant sometimes made promises to their prisoners that if they confessed, they would be pardoned.
20:34In Cockin's case, Hopton promised to put in a good word with the Queen.
20:39But when this didn't work, Hopton got nastier.
20:43He threatened to imprison Cockin's wife.
20:46Intimidating the families of prisoners was a common tactic used by interrogators.
20:51And it worked.
20:53Cockin finally confessed.
20:58Henry Cockin, over the course of five months, is ground down by the lieutenant.
21:03And through a process of repeated examination, we see him implicate other co-conspirators.
21:11And this is what that document is here.
21:13Oh, gosh, so he's naming names.
21:15He's absolutely naming names.
21:17We go from Henry Cockin being very reluctant to share information,
21:22to him absolutely spilling the beans on everything.
21:28Cockin's confession revealed the names of nine other plotters
21:32and exposed a network of Catholic conspirators plotting against Elizabeth.
21:37It had been a textbook example of how to interrogate a suspect.
21:43And Hopton's success didn't go unnoticed.
21:47The head of Elizabeth's spy service, Sir Francis Walsingham,
21:51wrote in praise of the lieutenant's skill.
21:55This is from Walsingham, writing to Elizabeth.
21:59He's very quick to praise Owen Hopton for his work.
22:02And he says that it's been faithfully and substantially executed
22:07by the lieutenant of the tower as well.
22:10And also that he was deserving of thanks.
22:15To come to the attention of the queen, that's quite something.
22:19But Hopton's spying techniques didn't end there.
22:23He had other sometimes shocking methods for collecting intelligence.
22:27He secretly planted spies in the tower cells
22:30who pretended to be prisoners to eavesdrop on suspects.
22:34And he also ran a network of agents outside the tower
22:37who would report intelligence back to him.
22:40He even turned spying into a family business.
22:45And what's absolutely remarkable is the lieutenant's own children themselves
22:51are being sent out to spy.
22:54Owen Hopton is using his own children as spies.
22:57He is. And the lieutenants after him use theirs too.
23:00So we have this kind of family business of espionage.
23:04Several sons of Hopton's were sent overseas.
23:07They were attending Catholic events
23:10and informing back on them as well.
23:16Hopton's sons began spying when they were just 16 years old.
23:21And his daughter also spied too.
23:24She spent eight years carrying secret letters between London's prisons.
23:29Danielle's new research shows that under Elizabeth I,
23:33tower lieutenants took on more responsibilities for national security,
23:37interrogating inmates themselves and passing on intelligence.
23:42They became expert spy masters.
23:47All of that evidence is being fed back through the Tower of London
23:51and then it eventually makes its way to Elizabeth's advisor's desk.
23:55The tower is playing a crucial role in safeguarding the Queen.
24:00Absolutely.
24:00And here the tower and the position of lieutenant is central to that.
24:05So the tower is actually an intelligence hub.
24:14Coming up, the constable discovers what his predecessors got up to in his home.
24:19This room had a much darker purpose.
24:22And Yeoman Warder Darren brings military precision to Tower Green.
24:26Is that straight? No, it's not.
24:28It looks like a donkey's hind leg.
24:36The Yeoman body is led by two senior beef eaters.
24:41Chief Yeoman Warder Paul Langley
24:44and his right-hand man, Yeoman jailer John Donald, known as JD.
24:50At the moment, they're preparing for one of the most important days in the tower calendar.
24:56Remembrance Sunday.
24:57Remembrance Sunday is on the 9th of November.
25:00Guys and girls who are off on that day will have the opportunity to march on the Cenotaph in London.
25:06Each year, the King leads a service of remembrance at the Cenotaph in central London
25:11to commemorate those who gave their lives for their country.
25:15Then, around 10,000 veterans take part in the Royal British Legions parade.
25:21And this year, that includes the Chief Yeoman Warder himself and nine of his fellow beef eaters.
25:30At the same time that veterans are gathering at the Cenotaph,
25:34the fortress will be leading its own remembrance service on Tower Green.
25:38So I'll start going through, making sure everything's in place.
25:43For the first time, Jailer JD will be the man in charge.
25:47And it's a huge responsibility.
25:50Timing will be crucial.
25:52The service will culminate in a two-minute silence in line with the nation,
25:57at precisely 11am.
26:01Every year, remembrance is something very special to the nation.
26:04But obviously, even more so for our community being veterans.
26:11At his home in the Casemates, Army veteran and Yeoman Warder Darren Hardy
26:17is preparing his own very special remembrance tribute.
26:22I'm writing out the names of each individual Yeoman Warder that has passed since 1827.
26:30These crosses will be placed on Tower Green, forming the centrepiece of the tower's remembrance service.
26:37There are 342 names, each one a Yeoman Warder who has died over the past 200 years.
26:44When it comes to writing these out, there's been a lot of trial and error.
26:48The best tool I've found so far has been the humble biro.
26:53So when I write it out, I try and write it out in nice, neat handwriting so everybody can read
26:58it.
27:00It's a chance for Darren to learn about some of the beef eaters who came before him.
27:06As the years have gone by, you really feel like you start to get to know some of these Yeoman
27:11Warders.
27:13John May is probably one of the most famous ones.
27:15He's Yeoman Warder number one.
27:17Yeah, and he fought at the Battle of Waterloo with the Duke of Wellington.
27:24But for Darren, it's the names of the Yeoman Warders from the 20th century
27:28that really bring home the importance of remembrance.
27:32We have Yeoman Warders who fought at the Somme, you know,
27:35and the very thought that they actually survived that, got through the war
27:38and actually ended up here after the war is just a miracle in itself.
27:49While the tower prepares for Remembrance Sunday,
27:52its visitors are being reminded of another November anniversary.
27:56Have we heard of Guy Fawkes?
27:58Yeah.
28:00On the 5th of November 1605,
28:03the biggest terror plot ever hatched in England was foiled,
28:07all thanks to the tower.
28:11Guy Fawkes had been caught red-handed,
28:14preparing to blow up Parliament and King James I.
28:17But authorities had no idea who his accomplices were
28:21or if any more attacks were planned.
28:23They needed information, and fast.
28:26He was taken to the King's House,
28:29where he was interrogated by the formidable Lieutenant,
28:32the professional spy, Sir William Wade.
28:35Wade eventually broke Fawkes
28:38and made him give up the names of his fellow conspirators.
28:43Chief historian Tracey Borman is investigating how important interrogation was
28:48to the role of the tower's Lieutenant.
28:51She's discovered that Wade worked from his home at the fortress,
28:56known as the King's House.
28:57Well, there's one person I want to talk to about all of this,
29:01and that's the current occupier of the Lieutenant's lodgings, the constable.
29:07Hi, Tracey.
29:08Hello, Gordon. Very nice to see you.
29:10And you. Nice to see you.
29:11Thank you for having me.
29:12Well, it's a very beautiful room. I have to say, I've never been in here before.
29:15Oh, really? Yes, well, it's my favourite room in the house, actually.
29:19And this was where monarchs had their breakfast
29:23in what was in those days a two-day coronation.
29:26Charles II was the last monarch to have his breakfast here.
29:30I, you know, obviously choose that seat for myself whenever we have dinner parties.
29:38This elegant dining room was once a great hall,
29:42but that all changed in 1607 when Lieutenant Wade gave his home a makeover.
29:48He inserted a ceiling and split the room in two.
29:52The dining room on the lower floor with another room,
29:55the council chamber, upstairs.
29:58These renovations weren't just to give Wade more living space.
30:02They had a far more sinister design.
30:06So this was the room that Wade added
30:09to create an extra space with a very deliberate purpose.
30:13And it's dominated by this huge memorial
30:16to the foiling of the gunpowder plot.
30:19Of course, the size of his crest at the bottom,
30:22the fact that he's named in the script,
30:25and the fact that he commissioned it, we understand,
30:27says that he really wanted to let everyone know his role in the gunpowder plot.
30:32The plaque didn't just celebrate Wade's part in stopping the plot.
30:37It also served as a warning to suspected traitors
30:40who found themselves inside these walls.
30:43This room had a much darker purpose.
30:46There would have been scenes of hell painted around the walls.
30:51Oh, really?
30:52Because this room was used to interrogate prisoners.
30:56Prisoners were brought here knowing that the gunpowder plotters had been tortured,
31:00then hanged, drawn and courted.
31:04And if they didn't cooperate, the same fate might happen to them.
31:10There's something about what this room was used for
31:14that gives you a slightly greater sense of intimidation and foreboding.
31:20Interrogations had become such a crucial part of the Tower Lieutenant's role
31:24that Wade chose to build this disturbing space right in the heart of his family home.
31:31Wade was so feared for his terrifying techniques
31:35that the Catholic priests nicknamed him the Devil.
31:40The sort of macabre things happened in the same place where
31:43William Wade ate with his family, entertained downstairs, as we know,
31:49and lived his life.
31:51This being a home, as well as a prison and a fortress,
31:54I think is an incredible thing about the Tower more generally.
31:58This place is always full of surprises.
32:06It's a grey November morning, and the heavens have opened,
32:10just as Yeoman Warder Darren is heading to Tower Green.
32:15He's planting crosses as part of Remembrance Commemorations of the fortress.
32:19I don't know if it's me, but every time I tend to do this,
32:21and this is the fifth year I've done it now, it's always rained.
32:24I'm convinced that it waits for me to plant the first cross,
32:27and then the heavens usually open.
32:30Over the years, Darren has perfected his technique.
32:35So I use this cross as a template,
32:37and I've got my trusty kitchen knife here.
32:40I create a bit of a slot, and then they just go in nice and easy, like that.
32:45The first year I did it, I didn't use a knife, and I had blisters all over my hands.
32:50There are 342 beef eaters to remember.
32:54It's probably going to take between two and a half and three hours, really,
32:57to get this done.
32:59Army veteran Darren wants the poppies to be laid out with military precision.
33:05So we have to plan it out so we've got a, you know, a correct layout.
33:11Luckily, he has a helper.
33:14Gardiner Jess is lending a hand.
33:17The tower's not open yet, and we've really broke the back of this.
33:22Is that straight? No, it's not.
33:27In the army, we said, it looks like a donkey's hind leg.
33:32Right, turn around, turn around now, look. Come over here.
33:35We've got to go to get it done just before the critics arrive.
33:38But they haven't got long.
33:41To the critics of the other yeoman warders, yeah, they'll be along.
33:45And they'll pass on their wisdom and their judgement.
33:49After a few final tweaks, it's time for a headcount.
33:53I just want to check, we should have 342 crosses.
33:59322, 342.
34:03Coming up, the Tower of London remembers.
34:07We cannot afford to be late for the act of remembrance.
34:11And ex-chief yeoman warder Rob Fuller makes a special return.
34:16It's always good to see you, Chief.
34:18Likewise, Chief.
34:26It's the morning of Remembrance Sunday.
34:29And while the rest of London is still tucked up in bed,
34:33these yeoman warders are gathering for an important event.
34:37A day like today, you have lots of mixed emotions, really.
34:41They will soon be leaving the Tower to take part in the Remembrance Day march
34:46past the Cenotaph in central London.
34:48It's an opportunity for the yeoman body to pay their respects
34:52to fallen servicemen and women.
34:54For ex-RAF nurse Tracey Machin, it will be an emotional experience.
35:00There is a small amount of excitement,
35:02because it's always lovely to see old friends.
35:05Also thinking about why we're there.
35:08Got some tissues in my pocket.
35:11I find the two-minute silence always incredibly moving.
35:16Marching alongside Tracey will be her boss, Chief Yeoman Warder Paul Langley.
35:22We got an early start this morning, so I'm busy getting myself ready,
35:27making sure I'm dressed correctly.
35:29Today, Paul is swapping his famous beef-eater uniform for a yeoman warder blazer.
35:35We don't go in our traditional uniform because it's not about the yeoman body today.
35:41It's about veterans, it's about all of us collectively.
35:44And instead of his Tudor bonnet, he'll have the cap of his former regiment.
35:49We'll all wear the headdress from whatever unit we came from.
35:54I'm former Royal Air Force Regiment, so I will be wearing my blue berrier with my warrant officer's cap badge.
36:0110,000 veterans are expected to take part.
36:05But there's one old friend that Paul hopes he'll see,
36:09the man who he replaced as chief four months ago.
36:14We're lucky today to have the former Chief Yeoman Warder Rob Fuller is going to be joining us.
36:22It's time for Paul to head down to Water Lane,
36:26where his beef-eater colleagues are putting the final touches to their uniforms.
36:31How do you get three o'clock in the morning to do this?
36:35Before they set off across London.
36:42They will join thousands of fellow veterans on Horse Guards Parade.
36:47Once His Majesty the King has performed the National Service of Remembrance,
36:51they will parade down Whitehall and past the Cenotaph.
36:58It's a great occasion to be part of, especially in Whitehall, the national event.
37:03And we know there's events happening all over the country, but this is like the focal point.
37:07As the team make their way to Horse Guards,
37:10Paul is scanning the crowds for his former boss and previous Chief Yeoman Warder Rob Fuller.
37:16We're all looking forward to him joining us again and marching with the body.
37:22The beef-eaters soon catch up with the veterans lining the streets of central London.
37:27We've all made it. It's always really well organised.
37:32Most of us don't know each other, but there's still that kind of buzz of excitement.
37:36So it makes it really special.
37:37Paul soon spots a familiar face.
37:41Hey!
37:43Good to see you, Rob.
37:45Yeah, yeah.
37:46It's absolutely fantastic to see you, Rob.
37:49It's always good to see you, Chief.
37:51I like us, Chief.
37:54He's always there in the background, believe it or not.
37:57Come on, I'm waiting for the orders.
37:58Every man for himself.
38:01Everyone is present and correct.
38:04Two and a half miles away, the tower is preparing its own remembrance service.
38:09And with senior staff taking part at the Cenotaph, Yeoman Jailer JD has a lot on his shoulders.
38:17The Chief is not here today.
38:18He's given me the ultimate responsibility to make sure that everything takes place here, exactly as he would do if
38:23he was here, so I can't afford to let him or anybody else down.
38:27Rememberance Sunday is especially poignant for the tower community, including Deputy Governor and Army Brigadier Anna Kimber.
38:37Every single person that is a veteran in the tower has lost somebody in wars.
38:44It's an unwritten bond, a sort of a code of how special today will be.
38:50The service will begin with a sermon read by tower chaplain, Canon Roger Hall.
38:56Just pray in front of the tree, please.
38:58The tower will then join the rest of the nation in a two-minute silence at precisely 11 o'clock.
39:06So the most important part of today is timings.
39:09We cannot afford to be late for the act of remembrance.
39:13It will be JD's job to make sure everything runs smoothly.
39:18So there's still a lot to do.
39:20The bugler, we're going to make sure he's in place, ready for the timings.
39:23The chaplain, who is obviously leading the ceremony.
39:26And an additional factor is the public who are coming in today as well.
39:29So a little bit of pressure there.
39:32As the clock counts down to 11, JD checks that the Yeoman Warders and Tower Guard are lined up correctly.
39:45It's time for the tower's remembrance service to begin.
39:49Good morning and welcome to our act of remembrance.
39:52As we join His Majesty the King, the nation and the Commonwealth
39:57in remembering those who have gone before us.
40:03Greater love hath no man than this,
40:07that a man lay down his life for his friends.
40:15At the Cenotaph, King Charles prepares to lead the nation in remembrance.
40:28Then, at exactly 11 o'clock, a two-minute silence is held across the nation.
40:49As the first wreaths are laid, many thousands of ex-servicemen and women march on Whitehall.
40:57Veterans, as far as the eye can see.
41:00That's what it's about today.
41:05Amongst them, the last of those who served in World War II.
41:09Each group lays a wreath at the Cenotaph, in memory of those they have lost.
41:24Meanwhile, back at the tower, the remembrance service is brought to a close.
41:34This is the first time I've led this parade as a yeoman jailer.
41:41So I have the privilege to stand here today with all my colleagues and other veterans from various different backgrounds
41:47to just pause and remember all those who have gone before us.
41:52This year, we were absolutely delighted that we got the timing absolutely spot on.
41:58That just adds to the whole poignancy of the whole occasion, really.
42:05As the tower returns to normal, the yeoman warders on Whitehall conclude their march.
42:12And it's been a special day for ex-chief Rob Fuller.
42:16This is not my last hurrah with the members of the body of the Tower of London.
42:20Because remember, you're a yeoman warder for life.
42:25I just want to say great effort to everyone today. Generally, well done. Thank you very much.
42:29Cheers.
42:31It's an absolute honour and a privilege to be the chief yeoman warder and represent the yeoman body today.
42:40Next time, chief historian Tracey uncovers the tower's extraordinary link to Henry VIII's favourite warship.
42:47I'm so close to the Mary Rose. It's actually like being on board.
42:51We discover the gruesome role played by one historic object at the tower.
42:55It's been here for hundreds of years and no one's ever noticed it.
42:58And it's a big day for Tower Chief Paul Langley.
43:01I don't want them to stab you when you see them do this funky drill.
43:06Despite a hiccup or two.
43:08You did that on purpose.
43:12And you can see all that new next Wednesday at 8.
43:15With spectacular landscapes steeped in history, could Cornwall be ideal for a staycation summer?
43:21A year by the sea continues new tomorrow at 8.
43:24And as close to losing control as she is to discovering the truth,
43:28it's all been leading to this for Amanda.
43:30Drama the Fortune concludes next.
Comments