The Tower of London: History's Most Notorious Prison
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- Опубликовано: 28 окт 2019
- In the annals of world history, there are a handful of prisons whose very names are guaranteed to send a shiver down your spine. Alcatraz is one, Devil’s Island another. But even these can’t hold a candle to the most notorious prison of them all. We’re talking, of course, about the Tower of London.
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Credits:
Host - Simon Whistler
Author - Morris M.
Producer - Jennifer Da Silva
Executive Producer - Shell Harris
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Source/Further reading:
(Quick overview, lots of stories): www.historyextra.com/period/m....
www.history.com/topics/middle...
www.britain-magazine.com/caro...
A history of the Tower menagerie: www.theparisreview.org/blog/2...
Guy Fawkes and the gunpowder plot: www.history.com/this-day-in-h...
Some technical details: www.britannica.com/topic/Towe...
Ranulf Flambard: www.durhamworldheritagesite.c...
Have you checked out my latest channel Business Blaze? It's interesting business stories with a dose of ridiculousness thrown in. Check it out here:
ruclips.net/channel/UCYY5GWf7MHFJ6DZeHreoXgw
Its anglo saxons. Then vikings. Then normans. King harold hardradda was a viking lol
Sorry for my pedantism but at 3:45 you said the Lantern Tower was built in 2020 when it was supposed to be 1220. I usually don't mention these sorts of minor errors but this time y'all even put a 1220 graphic on screen when you said it.
1189 was actually the 3rd crusade.
Yes, I have.
I’m not sure I should listen to Simon about his other channels. After all he has less then six trousers. I simply can’t trust a man who’s wardrobe doesn’t include enough pants to wear a different set of leg coverings for every day per week.
😁
I'm proud to say that my uncle was the Chief Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London for nearly 20 years. He literally ran the place. He lived in flat above the front entrance and his bedroom used to be a prison cell which housed a famous prisoner (sadly I forget who it was now...). His daughter got married at the Tower and his grandkids were christened in the chapel.
Family events like those were always quite special. We would turn up suited and booted, walk straight past a massive long queue of tourists, and be waved straight through the front gate. Some of the looks we got from tourists were priceless lol. I'm sure they must have thought we were royalty or something (we definitly are not lol) because of the 'special treatment' we got from the Yeoman Warders.
We'd be allowed in to areas where tourists aren't allowed too, like the private yeomans bar and the chapel grounds, so we always had loads of tourists taking photos of us. I'm fairly certain that I'm probably in quite a few photo albums of tourists from around the world who though we were something special lol
Great anecdote thanking you for sharing. 😮❤
I hope that's true cuz that's badass
What year
Simon Whistler, I have learned more with random bits of world history/geography from you in the short time I've watched you rather my 12 years in school. Thank you for making History/Geography fun, good work
It’s cuz you chose to watch this. School was force fed.
School taught me the basics but it's places like this that I really learn
@@harryoates91 Things from the history of the tower of London to the Cuban missile crisis were a few short paragraphs in our history books. There's so much more to learn!
You're not supposed to learn at school, you're supposed to become obedient and submissive through conditioning
This channel always gets facts wrong.
"He had more wives than I have pairs of trousers."
Does he have more wives than you narrate channels though, Simon?
exactlyyyyy, this guy is everywhere, i cant even
I heard he works for the CIA as a spy and moonlights as a butcher.
Lol
4 vs 7, so no. Henry still being a chad
😂😂😂
"Finally in 2020..."
Wtf?! 😂😂😂
Quinten Whyte I want what he’s smoking
I heard it too.
@@Youngxfatal93 sugar and spice and all things nice that would be
movin too fast....dammm 2020.....They really don't edit that well
I caught that too 😂
As far as animals at the tower? You forgot the Ravens.
"If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it"
That's why the ravens have their wings clipped, to prevent them from flying
@@franl155 They only clip one wing so that their flight is irregular. They're also fed twice a day and cared for quite lovingly (something an intelligent animal can't ignore), so they're more inclined to stay. Either way, they keep a pair of spares just incase some die.
@@rsmith6366 - I knew about the spares but not rest, so thanks for that
I was about to mention the same thing. Its a prophecy that the crown didn't necessarily believe but didn't want to test either. So it stuck.
@@TenRyuEridu - lol yeah, why take chances?
3:43, you said "2020" instead of "1220" lol gotcha bro
1:15 - Chapter 1 - A symbol of conquest
4:05 - Chapter 2 - Whoether takes the tower
7:45 - Chapter 3 - A gilded cage
10:55 - Chapter 4 - Bigamy & brutality
14:35 - Chapter 5 - The greatest zoo in history
17:50 - Chapter 6 - Life during wartime
Nearly 1000 years of history in 20 mins? Even the guards at the Tower take an hour!!! I didn't think you would cover it all, but you certainly hit all the high points! Well Done!!!
3:43. A massive rupture in the space-time canvas sends the Tower straight to our near future
Heard it, came to the comments and couldn't have worded it better than this
and Richard the Lionhearted is now in the first crusade, instead of the third
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Something like the Philadelphia project, with fortress instead of battleship.
With so many channels to narrate there's no time to stop and say "wait a minute, that's gotta be a typo on the teleprompter" so it's just read as written.
Richard Lionheart did not participate in the First Crusade. He participated in the Third Crusade
Popa Dorin thanks, I was questioning myself for second there
Exactly!
Common misconception. It was actually the 1rd crusade.
ehtuanK no the first crusade was fought in the the 11th Century, Richard was even alive
@@ehtuanK The 1st Crusade was 1095-1099
"Oh, John, you rapscallion. Of course I'll forgive you for trying to overthrow me! It's the 1200s after all, everyone does it." - Richard the Lionheart, apparently
Boys will be boys.
@@Mycroftsbrother A fantastic use of that phrase.
Admittedly, Richard and John did have issues from their father. That Henry didn't share (and both before and after kings gave the heir lands to gain income and practice from), even though the sons were promised.
If I recall my history correctly, John was the father's favorite, Richard the mom's.
@@Mycroftsbrother the power hungry will be the power hungry 🤷 lol
It’s speculated that he did that because of homosexuality, he knew that if killed his brother he would die without heir
I would have also mentioned that it still houses the crown jewels
So it does. Now it's basically a big vault. :-)
And the ceremony of the keys, locking the Tower every night at 10pm. Only late once in 600 years
Also the ravens wandering around..
And the Beefeaters private pub, I'd love a pint in there! 🍻
@Megan B Which is why they keep the wings of the Tower Ravens clipped. Or at least they always used to... with modern sensibilities and understanding I wouldn't be surprised if nowadays they didn't just have a tailored breeding colony imprinted upon the location.
Crazy to think how many videos are going across all these channels, this really is full time work and I truly appreciate all who are making these videos from the forefront, Simon, to the editors and researchers. I have learned so much and I could never thank you guys enough.
Also, please do Edinburgh castle!
I do love the medieval mindset:
''Ofcourse we should allow a massive and highly agressive white bear to swim in the heart of the largest city in the realm. What could possibly go wrong?''
Thanks to her sister Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth I was also a prisoner in the Tower for about 2 months.
Edit: Sorry for any confusion, that’s Queen Elizabeth the 1st lol.
Lol I read it as
Thanks to her sister queen Elizabeth , I was a prisoner in the tower
I am too for 40yrs
I rape and murder my lover
HAHA oh Simon! Only YOU can get away with calling the Tower of London a "medieval Death Star " and we all get a mental CLICK that says.."Oh, damn...he's right!" 🤣🤣 Great video and very, very entertaining!!
I remember touring the Tower of London, years ago, and what I remember most is the Norman Chapel (Saint John's) inside the White Tower, which, as I recall, is the oldest part of the Tower. What a wonderful example of Romanesque architecture...
"Bit of a classic king of England move . Am I right Americans!"
That was good.👍👏👏👏😆
:D
Yes! Today we just have Democrats doing the same thing with taxes. LOL.
Just watched this while in the Tower of London!
I’d say this video is better than the audio tour!
Love your videos Simon!
"Finally in 2020, The Lantern Tower" Construction has been delayed by 800-years, due to industrial disputes and the occasional war.
The Beefeaters are wonderful guides -- every one of them has their own unique spin and selection of stories they tell tourists. I go whenever I'm in London and hold a high respect for their storytelling abilities!
They might not make it, I don't know, but it's a catchy name
Heard of this place mentioned so much in the British history docs I watch often. But these shows are on the BBC, so naturally it stands to reason that most watching the BBC know all about the Tower. However, this Yank wanted to know more. I mentioned the Tower as a possible future video some time ago.......thanks for delivering! Well done! 👍🏻
Does anyone else think RUclips was created so Simon could narrate
Like Morgan Freeman, only white and bald 😄
Yes, he is absolutely the best...
Simon IS RUclips. But is that a compliment?
What?
2:38..." London Death Star " The Tower was also the cities armory.
With all due respect, the production cost of making a three hour documentary covering every detail is costly. Consider it an abridged version.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The peasants are revolting!!"
"Yes. Yes, they are."
Anne Boleyn was beheaded with a sword. Henry had a special executioner brought over from France to do it.
Evan Friend, Didn’t Simon see the Private Life of Henry the VIII? I did and I live in Texas ;)
Bloody romantic...
That was Henry being “merciful”!?!
Sandra Streifel, Proves his love ;)
TFW the French really has the best head choppers, recognized around Europe even centuries before the guillotine even became a thing!
A family friend of my parents is a beefeater at the tower of london and I always loved hearing him speak about the tower. It's such a scary yet fascinating place
Great work, Simon! I watch a few of your videos everyday, my favourite lately has been your Biographics channel. Thank you man :)
Britain's history is like a Monty Python movie
The comment section too. Reminds me of the miners who are disputing historical events and brawl about it "It was the damn peace of westfalica, you bummer" and their boss is completely ignorant of any history.
Or maybe Monty Python was based on Britain's history?
Britain’s history, is like a monty python movie starring Edmund Blackadder.
Thank you, Simon, for a brief history of Edwards. I think you also mentioned a tower or something in there as well.
Awesome! I’ve been trying to find this channel since you announced it.
Love your new channel!! I have always enjoyed your voice. I am always learning something new as I watch and listen to you!! Thank you!!
French monarch go-to name: Louie
English monarch go-to name: Edward
Henry, James, Charles to name a few!
@@tonilove8245 dont forget George
Louis
Or Henry.
American Monarch go-to name: N/A
Thank you for making this video.
The Tower of London has always fascinated and frightened me with its dark rich history, and ghost tales that accompanied it, and it is one of the places I would love to visit if and when I get the chance to visit London...
This video was brilliant, keep it up! Well done :)
how to we convince youtube to focus on quality youtubers, it's guys like this, scott manly, destin, being the only thing keeping me on the platform
They also have a nightly ceremony to lock the tower up. It's called the ceremony of the keys. No photographs or videos of the actual ceremony exist at the queen's behest despite it happening nightly but it's an amazing experience to be there, especially once it is locked up.
@jane lam it's of a rehearsal of the ceremony, the actual one takes place late at night.
None of them had as bad an end as Edward II. It's also rather splendid that Richard III's final resting place was beneath the asphalt of a local authority car park in Leicester.
BRILLIANT! This place is definitely on my bucket list! Thank you Simon! 💙
And as always... thank you for making good content.
When you said we have never had wild lions in the UK you are very wrong, there was lions all over europe and cave lions even as far north as the UK (They were even bigger than african lions)
I was curious if anybody would note that
Really wow.
Those were the stone age times
The man who had his head chopped off during the peasants revolt was called Sudbury and his head is still partially mummified today just Google sudbury's head
I adore your channels!! I literally watch at least 2 a day. Thank you for all your hard work
Boy do I love this channel. I learn something new each time.
"Three more lions than we ever had in the wild..." - That's not entirely true. Britain did in fact once have wild lions, but we're talking 13,000 years ago.
Try 40,000+ years ago during the Pleistocene era.
I would love it if you did a video on the Taj Mahal, was it really true that the builders got their eyes gouged out so they could not see anything more beautiful then what they worked on? Was it built like the hagia sophia that Byzantine architecture style?
Great content as usual. I'm still waiting on the Potala Palace video.
Great video Simon, very informative.
As a student of history I wounder if Simon see's it repeating itself. we live in divided times, it seems like lessons are not learned from.
When things are divided its usually for a reason, the reason is nearly always corruption
@@markmorris7123 Sad, but often true.
how can you do such a good documentary and miss out the Ravens!
Hi there Simon, I enjoy your videos very much, since this video talks about prisons. May I suggest that you make one about San Juan de Ulua on Veracruz Mexico, it was an Island fort that was turned into a prison and there are some very bad stories about it. Cheers Mate!
Fab as always. Need a video on Hess and Krays. 👍
I love all your videos and I have to admit that errors rarely happen when you are reading the "script." This misspoken error was an 800 year mistake. Though I had to laugh when you said 2020 instead of 1220. Please keep making videos like this.
Not that big of difference between the two...😂
Tower of London is one of my favourite places to visit. I go every time and spend a day there. You can have a good lunch, see some funny skits, catch the Crown Jewels. It’s a cool place to hang out.
Was Awesome! Enjoyed that! Thanks :)
Another great & entertaining video Simon. 👌
The Peasant Revolt was darkly comical.
The peasants demanded liberty, equality, and brotherhood. And when did they want it? NOW! 400 years before the French Revolution. Talk about pushy. The king went home to think about it. Annoyed, the peasants decided to make their point more forcefully, so they rampaged through London, killing lots of Flemish people. When they got into the tower, they also poked into the beds with their sticks, and burned up a bunch of debt documents.
The original fight club
You forgot to mention the vital ravens of the tower! If the ravens fly away then Britain and its crown will fall. 6 are kept captive for the sake of superstition
Ya but they cheat they are caged and their wings are clipped
@@jaywalkin1793 Not caged, they are seen hoping on the lawns.
@@ViDeOMaStErPaUl I haven't been their since I was 8 so I'm not sure if I'm wrong or if that changed 😂
The Ravens did disappear during the Blitzkrieg. When they didn't return after the war, nestlings from Scotland were brought to the Tower, the Ravens in residence are descended from these. There is still hopes that wild Ravens will return to London.
Great video!
Simon, love the channels, watch them all. Question?? Why did you move to Prague?
Jane was already in the tower when Mary came to the throne. the Tower was still considered to be a royal residence as well as a prison, and traditionally all english kings and queens spent time there immediately prior to their coronation. Jane was in the tower for the entire nine days of her reign, and when she was deposed by Mary, she was simply moved to different quarters.
also, there are still animals kept in the tower: the ravens. it was said that as soon as ravens stopped roosting in the tower, the british empire would fall. measures were immediately undertaken to tame and clip the wings of several generations of ravens, ensuring that they would never fly away, a practice that has continued to the present day, even though the british empire has most definitely fallen.
Helena Farkas: There’s still the Commonwealth of Nations, though! The era of colonialism is over.
I'm surprised Simon didn't talk about the Beef eaters and the ravens. Legend has it, if the ravens leave, the tower will collapse and the monarchy will fall.
Yes, the monarchy will fall and skin its knee.
love your docs man, you should do one on Stirling Castle in Scotland
Really enjoyed this one
The most notorious prison I know of is Australia,... not a building IN Australia, but Australia itself.
I bet the Krays loved being locked up in such a iconic place. Something to brag about when out on the town with their celebrity friends.
Loved this!
Was...was that a clip from Spaced? Awesome sauce!!
13:49 A head in a basket kind of brings new meaning to the phrase ‘basket case’ don’t ya think
4:30 third crusade, not first crusade. Besides that, good video
12:05 I think you meant Thomas Cranmer* Just discovered the channel and loving it by the way!
Thank you
Did I miss the part where he said that it held royal apartments sumptuous in nature? And that all the kings and queens stayed there the night before their coronations. With much pomp and splendor?
4444444
10:30
If you accept that particular narrative. . .
I myself believe that Richard the 3rd was murdered by the bumbling Edmund Blackadder the 1st, whose father, Brian Blessed, ruled England for a few years before, in turn, being accidentally murdered by his own son. . .
Oh, and then his ancestor, Edmund Blackadder beheaded Charles the 1st after Baldrick accidentally got him captured. . .
Absolutely LOVE your material. One excellent production after the other. Just a heads up...Richard I participated in the 3rd Crusade in 1189, not the 1st. Simple mistake, but I figured you would want to know. Cheers and keep them coming!
I keep finding new channels with the same host and I love them all lol (bio, today I found out and now this one)
You didn't talk about the ravens :(
I think Eye of Sauron vs Death Star might be a more accurate equivalent.
Edit: change from equivocation to equivalent. What I learned today... Equivocation is a fallacy of an interpretation of a word which has multiple meanings due to ambiguity. Such as saying Man in the in the US Constitution and bill of rights ... Does it mean Man as in a male/masculine person or does it mean man-kind/humans. Whilst equivalent is the correct word for meaning two things are comparable and similar (though not completely equal).
The more you know 😊
Another excellent video, just curious as to no mention that the tower is also where the crown jewels are kept.
You should do a video on Rosslyn Chapel in Edinburgh, a truly fascinating place.
3:40 finally in "2020"
It says 1220
No retakes.
Where does the tradition come from that England will stand as long as there are ravens in the tower????
In addition to Sam's information they actually clip the wings of the raverns to stop them flying away.
Which I think is cheating, slightly
@Sam Bacon Wow didn't know that. Thanks
Notorious prisons rabit hole (video subject ideas): Alcatraz, Sing Sing, Leavenworth, Joliet, the chateau (french prison from The Count of Monte Cristo), Siberian gulags, German POW stalags and/or concentration camps, American Japanese internment camps, there were a couple of POW camps from the American Civil War (from both sides) that were notorious for their cruelty, there are many "luxury" prisons around the world. Australia & Georgia, U.S.A. both started out as prison colonies i believe.
Bataan death march
The River Kwai and its bridge...
(Just spitballing ideas, i know a couple of these have been covered. Going to watch this video now.)
An analogy linking history and Star Wars....ah, Simon, I do love your narrations.
2020? It clearly showed the date of 1220. Lol
Wait wait - what about the Tower’s ravens!?
I was about to type the same thing lol I'm pretty surprised it wasn't mentioned
@victor bruun yeah because no other country has been terrible to animals has it. I mean it's not like America, the "enlightened country of the world" that she is, has laws currently that let individuals keep the same type of animals and they are often kept in terrible conditions. And im sure no other European countries did similar terrible things to animals. Seriously though, take your head out of your ass mate-noone in their right mind would be proud of what happened there but it is what it is and all I can say is thankfully the UK has finally came a long way since then
@victor bruun that wasn't exactly what I was saying though was it? I clearly said that noone in their right mind would be proud of a horrible history like that. Also I made sure to carefully add in Europe as well as the USA so dont get all excited about that. One more thing-even if I were to have entered your last name and saw it was Danish that firstly wouldn't mean much since people do tend to travel and secondly most people tend to use an alias and not their actual name. So again, why is Britains terrible history to animals any different? Noone is hiding from it, Simon didn't whitewash it-lets be honest, you thought youd give yourself a little warm glow by attempting to be high and mighty-i sincerely hope your not older than 25 lol
This man is so good at explaining these things!
His script writer is!
Hey Simon, loving your channel alot, but with the greatest respect, I think you made an error at 4:30, Richard the Lionheart took part in the Third Crusade, not the First. Just kinda caught my eye. Again, I love your channel here and on Warographics, but just wanted to respectfully let you know of the slip is all.
Keep up man, love your show!~
The Peasant's Revolted sounds kinda like the Boston Tea Party. 😁
"jumped up and down on the kings bed" sounds like a bunch of 5 year olds.
and can we be sure it wasn't the kings mother demanding the kisses from her grandchildren?
When Thomas Cromwell was executed Henry VIII was particularly mad at him so he arranged for a rookie axe man to do the job... and botch the beheading spectacularly. It was like Nearly Headless Nick in the Harry Potter books but worse.
Really? Henry VIII commuted Thomas Cromwell's sentence from hanging, drawing and quartering (HDQ), to beheading; this was seen as an act of mercy, as HDQ was the prescribed method of execution for traitors. I believe he showed such mercy, as Cromwell was once a dear and close personal friend to the king.
@@benjamintaylor3934 Henry VIII did commute the sentence because of who Cromwell had been. But he had a poorly qualified executioner in presence because he was so frustrated with TC for not swearing the oath about Hviii being the head of the Church.
My last comment on one of Simons channels was no adverts! Ta-dah! No adverts! Keep up the good work Simon (and I forget your producers name, I'm sorry) I subscribe to them all anyway
I love the interesting historical facts you teach and your accent lol
Rudolf Hess was interred there? I guess he couldn't get away, but it would be very difficult for him to answer questions after a day or two.
Actually if memory serves he was convicted at the trails for German war criminals, and was the last one alive in the special prison made for them. He committed suicide officially, but his family protested that end.
Oh yeah his secret mission of peace to the Allies was 110% not authorized by Hitler. In fact assuming he was allowed to return to Europe he would have most certainly faced a firing squad back home.
The man faced a no win scenario.
Correction: it's unlikely that the "princes in the tower" actually died in the tower. And Richard III almost certainly had nothing to do with their disappearances, because their mother - a long time enemy to Richard - sent her daughters to Court under his care. Not something she would have done had she had even the slightest hint that he had killed her sons.
Another thing in defense of Richard is the fact that there were two rebellions in the time of Henry VII where the leaders claimed to be one off these lost princes . Indeed, one of them was taken so seriously by Henry that he didn't kill him, but made him a Royal page.
The boys were mostly likely killed on the instructions of Maraget Beaufort. Also it is likely that Richard was swapped with another boy before Elizabeth Woodville allowing Duke Richard to take the boy to the tower, which sparked and allowed the appearance of "Richard of York" years later. Also the bones have been proven to not be those of the Princes through DNA testing x
Please do other famous prisons!
Ever since reading Robert Bolt's "A Man for all Seasons" about Sir Thomas More, who stood up to Henry VIII and paid for it with his life, I have wanted to pay a visit to the infamous Tower of London. Both Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher followed their consciences instead of bowing to the pressure of Henry and his lackey, Cromwell; were both martyred in the tower and are now venerated as Saints. Henry VIII and Cromwell are remembered as villains. Ah, it is good to know history!
Yay! I'm the twenty-fifth to post about the 1220/2020 mistaken date for the building of the Lantern Tower! Is there a prize?
You talk about the closure of the menagerie. You say there are no more prisoner's. But what of the ravens? Still living in the tower, their wings clipped so they cannot leave
They can fly in a limited capacity. They are revered and treated royally.
Is Simon Whistler just on fire as hell and doing several channels at once? Badass! I mean: Goodass!
Can you please do one on founding of Britany