Browse all episodes of Inside the Tower of London

The Beefeaters, the first 400 years and royal connections.

The Medieval Tower

The Chief Curator reveals the history of Anne Boleyn.

The Tudor Tower

Examining the execution of German spies captured in the two world wars. There's a profile of suffragette Leonora Cohen, who took aim at the crown jewels to publicize her cause. Plus, a look back to 2014, when the Tower hosted a display of nearly 900,000 ceramic poppies in the moat for Remembrance Day. And cameras follow Scott, a new recruit for the Beefeaters.

The Tower at War

Cameras follow Chris, the ancient structure's Raven Master, and General Nicholas Houghton, former Chief of Defence staff and current Constable of the Tower. Plus, a look at the original document which reveals how brutally Guy Fawkes was torture

The Victorian Tower

Raven chicks are born in the tower for the first time in 30 years - but only one of the newborn birds can stay, and ravenmaster Chris faces the tough decision of choosing one to keep and finding suitable homes for all the others. The tower director prepares to retire after 15 years, and takes a moment to enjoy his final gun salute, while AJ Clarke, only the second woman to join the Yeoman warders, embarks on a fitness regime that soon leaves her in need of a new uniform. Plus, a look at the story of the time the future Queen Elizabeth I was imprisoned in the tower for plotting to overthrow her sister, Queen Mary.

Episode 1

The chief yeoman warder oversees the tower's celebration of the end of the First World War, and special preparations are made for the tower director's retirement party, involving a military band and a unique farewell as he leaves the tower for the last time. Newly hatched raven George is introduced to the rest of the birds, not all of whom take kindly to newcomers, and historian Tracy Borman unearths the story of Roger Casement, who was executed for treason for supporting Irish independence during the First World War.

Episode 2

The new tower director starts work on the same day that Donald Trump visits London, while curator Eleri Lynn goes in search of a recently rediscovered royal treasure - the last surviving dress made for Elizabeth I, which has turned up in a small village church in Herefordshire. Plus, a look at the golden armour of Charles I and the ultimate fate of Henry VIII's imperial crown.

Episode 3

The stories behind some of the most dramatic escape attempts from the tower, including Henry Howard, who tried to avoid execution by making his way through the sewage system. In the present day, curator Sally Dixon-Smith deciphers some graffiti by a Tudor mystic who mysteriously disappeared, while Yeoman warder Chris Clawson reveals why the tower is still a spooky place to work in after dark.

Episode 4

At the heart of this episode is one of the Tower of London's greatest tragedies — the story of teenage Queen Lady Jane Grey, who was  executed at the Tower during the reign of Mary I. Join Historic Royal Palaces curators as they investigate Jane's imprisonment at the Tower, and explore ancient graffiti carved into the walls by her fellow prisoners a reminder of the once-powerful lives that were destroyed here.

Episode 5

In episode six, Tracy Borman goes on the hunt for the lost royal palace of Henry VIII. Tracy investigates the changes that Henry made at the Tower for Anne Boleyn, his second Queen. To discover what this lost palace  would have been like, Tracy visits Henry's kitchens at Hampton Court  Palace to find one of the last tantalising surviving fragments of Henry's great passion for Anne.

Episode 6

In episode seven we follow the Tower's Deputy Governor Deborah Whittingham as she leads the preparations for the Constable's Dues. Meanwhile, Tracy

Borman investigates the Duke of Wellington and discovers how he reinvented the Tower during his time as Constable. Wellington reformed the Yeoman Body and strengthened the Tower's military stronghold with the Waterloo Block.

Episode 7

In this episode we follow the remarkable discovery of the first complete skeletons discovered by archaeologists at the Tower of London. Two skeletons, buried for centuries as visitors walked innocently over their graves. But who are they, and why were they buried right by the entrance to the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula?

Episode 8

In February 2020, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visit the Tower to celebrate the Yeoman Warders' anniversary, the first time Prince Charles has visited the Tower in over a decade. Meanwhile, the business of researching the Tower's history goes on for Chief Curator, Tracy Borman, as she digs into the tragic story of Henry VIII's fifth wife, Catherine Howard.

As the country goes into lockdown in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, the Tower is forced to close its gates for the first time since the Second World War. As the weeks turn into months, cameras follow the small team of Yeoman Warders locked within the tower, keeping this great fortress running in isolation.

The tower staff prepares to reopen to paying visitors after lockdown results in the longest closure in 75 years, beginning with a special ceremonial lowering of the drawbridge. The ravenmaster makes sure his birds are ready to interact with members of the public after months in isolation, while the chief curator oversees the launch of a gruesome new attraction commemorating the executions on Tower Hill.

As the UK's lockdown relaxes in July, visitors finally return to the Tower as it reopens it gates to the public, and staff have to adjust to a new normal. The new one-way system is up and running, and new yeoman warders Barry Stringer and Darren Hardy have to get back up to speed with their historical facts.

The return of the documentary that goes behind the scenes at one of the nation's most historic and best-loved attractions. The tower's oldest raven goes missing and ravenmaster Chris Skaife must come to terms with the fact it might have gone for ever, while in April a special gun salute is organised to mark the death of Prince Philip.

Two baby ravens have joined the Tower's resident colony. One of them, Edgar, is called after the horror writer Edgar Allan Poe, but his sister still needs a name. It will be chosen by public vote and Ravenmaster Chris is on tenterhooks waiting to find out the result. Cameras also focus on Tower Governor Brigadier Andrew Jackson and Chief Yeoman Warder Pete McGowran. They are rehearsing a new ceremony celebrating the Tower re-opening its gates to visitors after the covid lockdown.

It is June and staff at the Tower are bringing out the big guns to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen's coronation in 1953. A massive 62-gun salute is planned on the Wharf, but with his boss, the Chief Yeoman Warder, away, new Yeoman Gaoler Rob Fuller is in charge for the first time. Three 4,000lb guns and thousands of visitors to contend with mean the pressure's on Rob to get it right.

Today, the Tower of London is kept pristinely clean, but it has a dirty past. For centuries, all its rubbish was chucked into the River Thames, but, as chief curator Tracy Borman discovers, yesterday's trash is today's treasure. She joins a team of archaeologists on the foreshore for a once-in-a-decade survey, and makes some remarkable finds, from thousand-year-old pottery to ancient armour

Love is in the air as Yeoman Warder Matt Pryme prepares to marry his sweetheart Jo at the Tower of London. The whole community is getting ready for the big day. While Matt prepares the chapel, Canon Roger Hall chooses his most celebratory vestments

Historic Royal Palaces interpretation officer Emma Bell has a bold plan to transform the fortress into a spectacular winter wonderland, inspired by the Tower's famous menagerie. Chief curator Tracy Borman uncovers how a grumpy Henry VIII rejected his wife Catherine of Aragon's Christmas gifts, Beefeater Darren Hardy takes the Yeoman Warders carol-singing around their homes in the Casemates cottages, and the Tower community comes together for a special service in the Chapel Royal

Christmas

Return of the documentary going behind the scenes at the castle. As autumn arrives, the royal bodyguard of Yeoman Warders come together to commemorate one of the saddest moments in the Tower's history, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, before announcing the formal proclamation of King Charles III.

The Tower is continuing work on its most ambitious installation ever, the transformation of the moat into a huge floral display to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Ravenmaster Chris Skaife is keeping a close eye on the Tower's ravens, who are taking advantage of their popularity to steal visitors' lunches.

Deputy governor Debbie Whittingham and yeoman gaoler Rob Fuller have spotted an impressive visitor berthed across the river from the Tower – it’s a Japanese warship, which is on a world tour and is stopping off in the capital. Meanwhile, Historic Royal Palaces chief curator Tracy Borman investigates the bridges that connect the Tower to the south side of the Thames, including London Bridge and Tower Bridge.

Cameras focus on the events of June 2022, the start of the Platinum Jubilee weekend and the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years on the throne. In the Tower's gift shop, sales assistant and royal superfan Allen Jones has been doing a roaring trade in Jubilee memorabilia. Meanwhile, senior official General the Lord Nicholas Houghton is preparing to retire. He reflects on his time living in such an extraordinary building.

On Thursday 8 September, news arrives that would change the nation's history. The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is announced after 70 years on the throne. It's a time of deep sadness for the Tower staff and for the yeoman warders, some of whom have met the Queen in their role as royal bodyguards. As a royal palace, with special links to the Royal Household, the Tower enters a two-week official period of mourning.

The Tower has recently mourned the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and proclaimed King Charles III. Having seen 42 monarchs come and go, the fortress needs to make some important changes to mark the new King's reign - the Yeoman Warder's uniforms need to be updated and the Queen's House, where the Constable lives, must now be changed to the King's house.

It's March 2023, and the Tower prepares for the crowning of a new monarch.

It's spring, and the Tower is now just weeks away from one the most important events in its 1000-year history – the crowning of a new monarch. Staff have been working hard to prepare for the new era, but one thing is yet to change – the Beefeaters' iconic uniforms. These world-famous uniforms still bear the royal monogram of the late Queen Elizabeth II, known as a cypher, and they must be updated to represent King Charles III.

It's May 2023 and the Tower is preparing for the crowning of a new monarch. Among those featured is AJ, the first female Yeoman Warder to take part in a royal coronation. Plus, curator Charles Farris examines one of the most famous events in Tudor history - the coronation of Queen Anne Boleyn.

It's May 2023, the week after the coronation of King Charles III. Celebrations at the Tower are still in full swing, and highlight of the week is a spectacular concert, held at the Chapel of Saint Peter ad Vincula, where Handel's coronation anthems will be performed.

It's July 2023 and, after 14 years of loyal service, Pete McGowran has announced his retirement. He reflects on treasured memories, including when he gave Queen Elizabeth II a private tour of the Chapel. Over on the Tower's defensive wall, a crumbling turret on top of the Cradle Tower is in urgent need of repair

It's mid-summer at the Tower of London, and the Beefeaters are preparing to say goodbye to their Chief Yeoman Warder, Pete McGowran. There is still plenty for Pete to do in his last few days at the fortress, including paying a visit to Ravenmaster Chris Skaife to learn the name of the recently arrived baby raven

A year on from the coronation of King Charles and it’s all change at the Tower as we meeting the new Chief Yeoman Warder and Yeoman Gaoler, and much loved Ravenmaster Chris steps down.

A 700-year-old tradition, The Constable's Dues at the Tower, features marines, boats, and a helicopter - but rehearsals don't go to plan. The Chief Curator uncovers Tudor-era graffiti.

Unpredictable weather proves a challenge as busy staff prep a gun salute a year after the King's coronation. Plus, the Tale of one of the most audacious prison escapes from the tower.

There's an impressive procession of 18 Tudor barges traveling along the Thames from Hampton Court to the Tower. And major building work is under way inside the famous White Tower.

At 950 years old, the Tower of London is one of the oldest landmarks in Britain and has had many famous residents over the centuries, from Guy Fawkes to the Kray twins. But the only people who live in the ancient stronghold these days are the 37 ‘Yeoman Warders’ – or Beefeaters – who guard the walls and look after the three million visitors who walk through the gates every year.

All Episodes of Inside the Tower of London

All Episodes of Inside the Tower of London

Season 1

The Medieval Tower

Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 10/23/2018

The Tudor Tower

Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 10/30/2018

The Tower at War

Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 11/6/2018

The Victorian Tower

Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 11/13/2018