The Tower of London is locked – not to keep the traitors in, but to keep us all out. And it really must be feeling eerie down there, as there have been reports that even the ravens have fled with grumbling tums, missing the tourists and their dropped crumbs.
But fear not, you can still tour the London landmark in the comfort of your Prince of Wales check pyjamas. Channel 5 have released the third season of Inside the Tower of London, showing what goes on behind those thick stone walls. In the series, we get pally with the Beefeaters, the ex-military personnel who live and work there, parading about in those dashing uniforms, acting as both guides and bouncers. And they’ve got some cracking stories, including a visitor who declared she was the reincarnation of Anne Boleyn, and demanded to be taken to where she was hanged. Surely, she’d know?!
And as well as reincarnated royals, we’ve got the real deal, as Charles and Camilla pop by to celebrate a historic anniversary. Only problem is the Beefeaters hit the Beefeater gins too hard the night before, and had to apologise for their sore heads. It’s classic comfort telly, so cosy you that half expect Paddington Bear to waddle on screen munching a marmalade sandwich and chatting to the ravens.
Anita Signh in The Telegraph can’t get enough of Inside the Tower of London, saying “I could happily have watched an entire series about the lives of these Beefeaters,” commenting that “the informality of the encounters was what made the programme fun.” And it’s not just Anita who can’t get enough of the Beefeaters – Pre-‘rona around 3 million people visited the Tower of London every year, and it’s among the ten most-visited spots in the UK. So, if you’re one of those who were planning to visit this year, pour yourself a gin and enjoy a virtual visit with Channel 5.
More average than we hoped? Tick.
First shown October 2018.
