It’s a little-known fact that the Tower of London is also a castle. Home to many beheadings (including poor Anne Boleyn), today it’s a massive tourist attraction.
The Tower of London is also home to the Crown Jewels, thought to be worth from 2 to 4 billion pounds. Along with robes that are used during Coronations, to crown a new King or Queen.
Many of us these days believe that it would be better to use that money for other causes, though there are still more monarchists than not in England – it’s okay to disagree!
Located in the London borough of Tower Hamlets, this actually used to be a palace for royalty, before becoming infamous for housing people who would later meet a grisly end. This included spies who were executed during World War I. The last person to be executed here (by firing squad) was a Luxembourg-born German spy, who was captured after parachuting into the UK during World War II.
Ravens live at the Tower of London. They have their wings clipped to stop them flying off, though the tower claims this is to keep them safe and well-fed, as they have never lived in the wild.
Less common than smaller crows, ravens have metallic feathers and wedge-shaped tails. They are very playful, often flying upside-down for fun. Young ravens drop sticks mid-air, to fly and catch them.
