A trip to London is never complete without a visit to the Tower of
London. The Yeoman Warders, or ‘Beefeaters’, guard the Tower.
King Henry VIII first introduced Beefeaters in 1485. They were his
bodyguards. They looked after
1 the prisoners in the Tower and guarded the
Crown Jewels. These days they guide the tourists who visit the Tower. They
also take care of the eight big black ravens which live in the Tower.
There are 36 Yeoman Warders. They all live in the Tower with their
families. The Beefeaters are famous for their red and gold uniform, but they
only wear this on formal occasions. Most of the time they wear a dark blue
uniform with red trimmings
2
.
No one is exactly sure where the name ‘Beefeater’ comes from. One theory is
that the warders got meat instead of money as a salary! Others say that the name
comesfrom the French word buffetier. Buffetiers were the guardsin the palace of
the French king. They protected the king’s food