London - Tower of London and Crown Jewels

We spent an afternoon at Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison from 1100 until 1952, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. 

The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history. It was besieged several times and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. From the early 14th century until the reign of Charles II, a procession would be led from the Tower to Westminster Abbey on the coronation of a monarch. 
The peak period of the castle's use as a prison was the 16th and 17th centuries, when many figures who had fallen into disgrace, such as Elizabeth I before she became queen, were held within its walls. This use has led to the phrase "sent to the Tower". Despite its enduring reputation as a place of torture and death, popularised by 16th-century religious propagandists and 19th-century writers, only seven people were executed within the Tower before the World Wars of the 20th century. Executions were more commonly held on the notorious Tower Hill to the north of the castle, with 112 occurring there over a 400-year period. 

In the latter half of the 19th century, institutions such as the Royal Mint moved out of the castle to other locations, leaving many buildings empty. In the First and Second World Wars, the Tower was again used as a prison, and witnessed the executions of 12 men for espionage. After the Second World War, damage caused during the Blitz was repaired and the castle reopened to the public. Today the Tower of London is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. Under the ceremonial charge of the Constable of the Tower, it is cared for by the charity Historic Royal Palaces and is protected as a World Heritage Site. (Thanks Wiki for the summary!)

I personally loved seeing the Crown Jewels but we weren't allowed to take pictures inside.  It was quite amazing to see the massive amounts of gold and jewels that were housed there.  The jewels are so huge that they almost done even look real. The neat thing is that still use many of the pieces from that vault regularly.

My snapshots:

Ricky in front of the building/vault where the Crown Jewels are housed. 

Our "Beef-eater" guide.

The Crown Jewels are protected by the Royal Police. 

Inside the White Tower is now a museum and Rick found a book bigger than anything he owns.  

This is the portion of the Tower that is still considered the Royal Residence, again, guarded by the Royal Police. 

The Tower Bridge...not to be confused with the London Bridge that isn't all that amazing to see. 

Ricky outside the Tower of London. The grass is where the moat would've been. 

Ricky before entering the Bloody Tower.

Count your blessings for modern day toilets. This is the toilet in the White Tower.