All 32 of the Yeoman Warders live at the Tower of London, have served at least 22 years in the military with distinguished records and their traditional role is to guard the Crown Jewels and protect the monarch. In modern times their role has become more ceremonial but they remain a military unit.

Saladino, Emily (9 May 2018). "There's a Secret Pub in the Tower of London, and Only 37 People Are on the Guest List". Vinepair . Retrieved 29 November 2021. Aims to deliver the next working day including Saturdays, but please note that 1st Class is not a guaranteed next day service. While this is the most-cited etymology, including by the Corps themselves, [8] some etymologists have noted the term's similarity to hláf-æta, the Old English term for a menial servant, lit. "loaf-eater", the counterpart of hlaford "loaf-warden" and hlæfdige, which became " lord" and " lady" respectively. [9] Claims that the name derives from buffetier (an Old French term meaning "a waiter or servant" at a sideboard) are often mentioned, since one role of Beefeaters was to attend the king at meals. However, Skeat in An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language (published 1879–1882), concludes that there is "not the faintest tittle of evidence" for this conjecture. [10] Other reliable sources also indicate that buffetier is unlikely to have been the source of the word. [6] [11] [12] History [ edit ] The Tudor Yeomen [ edit ]Yeomen Warders working at the Tower of London, are usually seen wearing the blue undress uniform (pictured left) granted to them by Queen Victoria in 1858.

Sherman, Jonathan (1 November 2011). "Take him to the tower! Gosport sailor is now a Beefeater". Portsmouth News. Mad Hatters Fancy Dress was opened in 2000 and now has over 3000 Costumes and Accessories. Our staff and are knowledgeable and ALWAYS here to help. Your costume is as important to us as it is to you. We want you to look the BEST. In December 2018, the yeomen, members of the GMB union, staged walkouts of several hours in protest of planned changes to their pension benefit scheme, the first such action since 1963. [24] The more heavily worn blue underdress will be replaced with new versions while the State dress will be repaired and upgraded in time for the coronation, The Telegraph understands. Real golden thread embroidery

On 1 July 2007, Moira Cameron became the first female Yeoman Warder. [22] In 2009, three male warders were suspended, accused of bullying Cameron; two were dismissed and one was re-instated following the month-long investigation. [23] Theobald, John Owen (11 February 2016). These Dark Wings. Chicago: Head of Zeus. ISBN 978-1-7849-7436-7. The state dress has real golden thread embroidery and is the highly recognisable clothing seen on Beefeater gin bottles. The State dress will be worn at the coronation of King Charles III next month as the Yeoman Warders will be involved in the ceremony.

Queen Elizabeth’s cypher has continued to adorn the uniforms of the Warders, better known as Beefeaters, at the Tower of London despite the late monarch’s death in September 2022. The Warders are purportedly the oldest military unit in the world, which is still performing the same purpose it was initially founded for. Comment: The womble costume was awesome at the festival this weekend. It has become a bit of a legend xxx Thank you so much 🙂 xxx a b Rudgard, Olivia (15 May 2017). "Exclusive: Could the legend come true? Tower of London raven allowed to fly free". The Daily Telegraph. London . Retrieved 29 November 2021.Yeoman Warders will receive new uniforms emblazoned with the cypher of King Charles III after it was hoped the current outfits could be recycled to save money. Skeat, Walter William (1882). An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language: Arranged on an Historical Basis. Oxford Clarendon Press. p.53 . Retrieved 23 December 2018. The Yeomen Warders of His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, popularly known as the Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners in the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels. They have also conducted guided tours of the Tower since the Victorian era. The Yeomen Warders provided the permanent garrison of the Tower, but the Constable of the Tower could call upon the men of the Tower Hamlets to supplement them when necessary. The Tower Hamlets was an area significantly larger than the modern London Borough of the same name, which owed military service to the Constable in his ex officio role as Lord Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets. [15] Current duties [ edit ] Moira Cameron, the first female Yeoman Warder

South Uist raven which served the Tower of London dies aged 22". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. 27 March 2018 . Retrieved 29 November 2021. The initials ER on the their uniforms stand for Elizabetha Regina (Regina is latin for queen). The initials refer to Elizabeth the Second, who is the present Queen

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beefˌeater, n.". OED Online. Oxford University Press. March 2016. The conjecture that sense 2 may have had some different origin, e.g. < buffet 'sideboard,' is historically baseless. No such form of the word as *buffetier exists; and beaufet, which has been cited as a phonetic link between buffet and beefeater, is merely an 18th century bad spelling, not so old as beef-eater. Hale, John Rigby (1983). "On a Tudor Parade Ground: The Captain's handbook of Henry Barrett 1562". In Hale, J.R. (ed.). Renaissance War Studies. History series. Vol.11. London: Hambledon Press. pp.252–4. ISBN 978-0-9076-2802-6. To prevent the ravens flying away, their flight feathers have traditionally been trimmed so that they are unable to fly in a straight line for any appreciable distance. The ravens are free, however, to roam the Tower grounds. [29] More recently, the Ravenmaster has been clipping less of the wings and feathers, to allow them to fly, instead of merely hopping or gliding, and they can reach the top of the buildings. [30] One of the birds, Merlina, was allowed to fly to the wharf on the Thames but she always returned due to the bonding with her keeper. [30] [35] During Skaife's tenure to date, only one raven, Munin, escaped but was captured by a member of the public. [32] The Yeomen of the Guard were formed in 1485 by King Henry VII. After his victory at the Battle of Bosworth, he gathered a group of soldiers together to become his personal bodyguard together and they accompanied him wherever he went as his nearest guard.