yeoman warder

yeoman warder, the official guardian of the Tower of London. The office of yeoman warder has existed since the Tower was constructed in the 11th century; it is one of the oldest such offices in the world (compare Swiss Guards). In early times yeoman warders were charged with guarding the Tower’s typically prestigious prisoners and assisting in their punishment, which often involved torture.

Contemporary yeoman warders act as historians and guides in the Tower of London. Prior to being named a yeoman warder, a candidate must have served a minimum of 22 years in the British Army, the Royal Marines, or the Royal Air Force and must have achieved the rank of senior noncommissioned officer. All Yeoman Warders (and their families) live in the Tower so that warders may attend to duties at any time of the day or night. The first female yeoman warder was installed in 2007.

On state occasions the yeoman warders wear a red and gold Tudor uniform, while their daily uniform is dark blue with red trimming. They are supervised by the chief yeoman warder and the yeoman gaoler. Because legend holds that the Tower of London (as well as the British monarchy) will collapse if the ravens ever leave its grounds, the Tower appoints a yeoman ravenmaster to tend to the birds from dawn to dusk. (Each of the Tower ravens has at least one clipped wing, making it impossible for the bird to fly any great distance.) All members of the Body of Yeoman Warders are sworn in at St. James’ Palace as Members of the Sovereign’s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard Extraordinary, reinforcing the Yeomen of the Guard when necessary.

The origins of the “Beefeater” nickname are unclear. Some erroneously attributed it to a presumably French word for “food-taster” (bouffetier), but no such word exists in the French language. Others believed that the name was applied to men who, as the bodyguards of royalty, were better fed than were other royal servants.