- I'm Alice Loxson, and I present documentaries
over on History Hit TV. If you're passionate about
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use the code realroyalty, all one word, when you sign up. Now on with the show. (soft ethereal music) (dark brooding music) - London. In the 21st century, London is a busy, modern international
company with all the traits of a sophisticated, up-to-the-minute
connected conurbation. Evidence of its modernity
is simply everywhere, from the stylish high rise to
the transport infrastructure, which is being updated all the time, to the way this capital
leads in the fields of popular culture, fashion,
filmmaking, and lifestyle. But appearances can be deceptive. Despite all this ultra modern
architecture everywhere, London has a really rich
history dating right back to Roman times and
before, and at its heart, the city has a dark medieval presence. And that's because just
about 1,000 years ago, this city went through a major upheaval, and for the only time in its
history since those days, London was invaded when it was transformed by a force of hard-minded warriors whose brutal behavior
totally shaped the character of this place. The Norman invaders put
their stamp on London and made sure that no one ever again was gonna get away with
what they had achieved. But you have to hand it to them because the building that most
symbolizes their rule of law, or should I say their rule of
terror, is still here today, right at the heart of the city. It's the Tower of London. (up-tempo electronic music) Today, the Tower of London is one of the world's most famous
tourist attractions, but within these stone
walls lies another world, a dark past full of diabolical treachery and deadly ambition, a
place of imprisonment, torture, and agonizing death. (tense brooding music) These stones echo with
the weeping of prisoners, the cries of the condemned, and
the tales they have to tell. Built by Norman conquerors,
the Tower of London was the source of power over England. Across 1,00 years, the fortress has been the
home of kings and queens, a vault for their treasures,
and a prison for their foes. Over the centuries, the
tower has had many uses, but to begin with, its
primary purpose was to act as a safe haven for
the conquering Normans, somewhere where they could
demonstrate their might to the cowering Saxons
and, at the same time, provide a safe place for them
to lay their heads at night. - In the background, you
can see the two pinnacles on the top of the corner
towers of the White Tower, - Yeah.
- and then coming towards us, this tower on the corner is on the line of the first curtain wall,
Henry III's curtain wall. And then the wall here, the outer wall, is his son, Edward I's, wall, - So what was the purpose
- and that's the- - [Robin] of this curtain wall here? - The curtain wall is a
protection to create an enclosure so that an attacker may
capture the first wall, then finds themselves in a trap because there is a wall behind and there's a killing ground between. The river is really central to London for trade and communications. Downstream, it opens
out into the North Sea, and the continent is so near, and most English trade
until the 16th, 17th century was obviously with Northern Europe. But it's also strategic because it allows a defense of London. It acts as a moat for London on this side whereas southern on that side, I'm afraid, would be left to its own devices, which is actually what happened in 1554. And London Bridge, the old London Bridge, was a defensive feature
because it could be manned, and an enemy bringing ships
upstream cannot pass it. And while they're attempting to break the line of the bridge, their flank is exposed to the tower. So it's the two elements
together in the Middle Ages, which provide a defense for London. - [Robin] And made this
virtually impregnable. - It makes it impregnable. It's the only way if
the garrison goes absent without leave or simply loses heart that it could be captured. Tower Bridge and the
Tower of London really are centuries apart, but the
bridge was built in the style which the late Victorians thought was the true Gothic medieval style. Tower Bridge is finished in 1894. It really was needed as a lower
crossing further downstream as the East End developed, and it was built and finished
in this Gothic style. At the time, there was
conservation concerns that it would dominate the tower, but because it was built in this style, it quickly seemed to blend in, and the two are now
regardless as inseparable whereas, of course, this is
really a very late arrival in the history of the tower. But the tower that's projecting, this St. Thomas's Tower, and
within St. Thomas's Tower is what became known as Traitors' Gate. It was the water gate of the tower, and it is where high status
prisoners would be brought because they wouldn't be brought through the city and across Tower Hill. They would have the privacy of arriving by boat and they would land there. And so that designation as
Traitors' Gate gradually was given to the entrance
through St. Thomas's Tower. Behind that is the Bloody Tower, which was its predecessor
as the water gate, which was used as a prison. The river came much higher.
Tower Wharf is reclaimed ground. The Cradle Tower just in front of us had the moat
immediately in front of it and just a narrow strip of
ground in front of that, between it and the river. The River Thames, because of
inbanking over the centuries, but particularly in the 19th century and then a little bit
additionally in the 20th century, the Thames is narrower
than it has ever been, and so the flow on it of the
water downstream is faster. The White Tower really
is the hub of the tower. It's where originally
the royal apartments were and where the original
arsenal of weapons was kept. A defender could afford to
lose control of the outer wards but could still retain the White Tower. You would've thought it was impregnable. It had one entrance, and
that was a narrow one. And so, yes, that really
is the heart of the tower. It's the oldest surviving part, but it's also still the heart of it. - [Robin] In the 11th century, the tower represented control. Whoever had the tower
had control of London and, therefore, the country. It was impregnable, and
even more than that, it symbolized the majesty and
strength of being in charge. People all the country spoke
in awe about the White Tower. It was the ultimate
statement of ownership. (dark brooding music) The battle over the town and
the control it symbolized claimed many victims over the centuries, the greedy and the treacherous, and even on occasion the
innocent paid a heavy price in the struggle for power. As the fear of the town spread, so, too, did the stories of what went
on down those dark corridors. The losers in the struggle
for power ended up in prison in a cell in the tower, and for most, the only
way out was execution. But there was something
even worse than death. (crowd yells)
(tense brooding music) And that was the art of torture. At the tower, it was taken
to a ridiculously high level with no limit to how long
they might incarcerate you for and no limit to what devilish
deeds they might carry out. (rope pulls taut)
(man screams) Carefully written rules
of torture were used. First, tell the victim the threat. Then show the implement.
Prepare the victim slowly. Strip the victim. Give them a
taste of physical discomfort. Then take them to the
tools of the torturer. Then finally, inflict unimaginable pain. (muffled shouting)
(man screams) The tools of the torture
trade was sophisticated. When using the dreaded rack, the victim's arms and legs
were securely strapped to the device. As the ropes pulled tight, the muscles and joints are
pulled to their breaking point. Torture was an everyday
occurrence in the 16th century, a bloody era when religious
wars shook England. Among the most accomplished
practitioners in the art of torture was actually a
cleric, Bishop Edmund Bonner, and although he was a man of God, Bonner enjoyed inflicting pain. But say this for him. Bonner was an equal opportunity torturer. During the reign of Protestant Henry VIII, Bonner tormented Catholics. When Henry's Catholic daughter,
Mary Tudor, came to power, Bonner switched sides
and tortured Protestants. Because his victims felt
he was doing Satan's work, he earned the nickname
the Devil's Dancing Bear, but Bonner was really doing the
bidding of Queen Mary Tudor. When Mary succeeded
her father, Henry VIII, she was a woman with an ax to grind, both metaphorically and on
a rather less prosaic level. Henry VIII had divorced Mary's
mother, Katherine of Aragon, declaring Mary illegitimate and outlawing the Catholic faith. Queen Mary now had the
power to get her own back on her father and take revenge. She reinstated Catholicism as
the only religion of England. Subjects who didn't renounce
their Protestant faith soon had reason to call her Bloody Mary. (flames crackle) History has not being kind to Mary, even though she was a
remarkable character. Her mother ensured she was well educated. If not actually prodigious, she was certainly extremely bright and showed typical Tudor traits in fighting for and winning the crown. But her sobriquet of
Bloody Mary has stuck, but then she did do her best to earn it. If Protestants refused
to become Catholics, they would be tortured. If they still refused, they would be burned at
the stake as heretics. It was a medieval inquisition,
and Bishop Bonner, the Devil's Dancing Bear,
was Bloody Mary's enforcer. Hiding behind religious vestments, The burly former lawyer
fulfilled his dark purpose. When Mary appointed him
bishop of London in 1553, Bonner set up headquarters
in the Tower of London and eagerly executed his
work as heretic hunter. (eerie discordant music) Queen Mary made sure
Bonner had a steady supply of suspects for questioning,
and he held suspects in custody until they either repented
or were condemned. One way or another, he got a result. Bonner drew up a list
of over 100 questions about religious beliefs. If the accused did not
answer each correctly, they faced the terror
of the torture chamber. (embers crackle) - So Richard, I know thou
has no fault inside thyself but has been led astray by
those of evil intent that work. - [Robin] Sometimes a
small dose of torture was enough to persuade his prisoners. Just holding a victim's
hand over a lighted candle till the flesh blistered
off frequently resulted in a quick change of mind. (dark brooding music) Other times, more elaborate
methods were required. There were red hot irons and thumbscrews, bilboes to crush the ankles, and the breaks to snap off teeth. But the most popular instrument of torture was always the rack. Eventually, everyone broke under Bonner's relentless torment. If they were shown to be
enemies of the Catholic church, they were condemned to burn at the stake. (tense brooding music) In his first year in office, Bonner sentenced 89 men and women to be burned alive for
their religious beliefs. (man screams) By the beginning of 1555,
there were probably no more than 200 active Protestants
remaining in London, but that was 200 too many to
satisfy the bloodthirsty queen. She scolded Bonner, sending
him a letter stating that he was not working fast enough
rooting out heretics. Eager to please his employer,
Bonner redoubled his efforts. He sent out spies and
finally discovered a group of Protestants who were meeting in secret. Their deacon was almost
immediately arrested. One of the parishioners, Cuthbert Simpson, consoled the gathering, but
he was himself then arrested on charges of attending church services in English rather than Latin, a charge that was punishable by death. (slow dramatic music) Simpson was taken to the
tower to be tortured, but the Protestant deacon
would prove to be a challenge for the sadistic Devil's Dancing Bear. Simpson's diary described
what happened next. - [Man] "The following
Thursday, I was commanded to give the names of those who
came to the English service. I answered said that I
would declare nothing. In consequence of my refusal,
I was set up on the rack. (muffled whispering) (rack groans) (Cuthbert screams)
(ropes pull taut) (eerie music)
(Cuthbert screams) (rack groans)
(Cuthbert screams) - [Robin] As the ropes pool tight, the muscles and joints of Simpson's legs were stretched and
pulled to breaking point. (muffled speaking) When Simpson passed out, he was revived. After three hours of torture, Simpson was unable to walk and had to be carried back to the cell. (dark brooding music) The following week Simpson was brought from his cell to face
Bonner again, and again, he refused to name those
who had worshiped with him. Simpson's forefingers were bound together and an arrow was put between them. The sharp arrow was then
driven between them, and Simpson had to endure
the excruciating pain. (eerie music)
(Cuthbert screams) (Edmund growls)
(arrow clatters on ground) Relentlessly determined to
break the religious man, Bonner forced Simpson
into the rack twice more. Twice more, he refused
to divulge the names of his congregation. (muffled shouting)
(Cuthbert screams) By now, even the brutal Bonner had to admit a grudging admiration for the strength of Simpson's convictions. Bonner later wrote. - [Man] "I affirm that
if he were not a heretic, he is a man of the greatest patience that ever came before me. Thrice was he racked and yet
never have I seen him broken." (Cuthbert screams)
(flames crackle) - Of the ravages by wolves. - [Robin] Bonner might've
admired Simpson's bravery, but mere strength of character alone was not enough to save
Simpson from a grisly fate. - His mighty soul. Recant now! Though it be too late to save the body, save thy own mighty soul! Recant now!
- Never! - Then God have mercy on thee! Burn him! - [Crowd] Burn him! - Bonner had Simpson tied to the stake and burned on March the 28th, 1558. (dramatic music)
(flames crackle) (Cuthbert screams) The brave Cuthbert
Simpson joined a long line of martyrs to the cause
of religious tolerance, but the Devil's Dancing Bear is nearing the end of his cruel career. It's hard not to feel an
element of schadenfreude for old Bonner, but in medieval England, justice could swing both
for you and against you, depending, as it did, on
the whim of the monarch, and Bonner's shocking acts
were not to go unpunished. Having burned, hanged,
and tortured hundreds of innocent victims, Bishop Bonner, the Devil's Dancing Bear, was soon asked to face
his own moment of truth. When his benefactor, Queen Mary, died in 1558 in St. James's Palace, having condemned over 280
Protestants to the stake, her younger sister, Queen
Elizabeth, became queen. Religious persecutions stopped. Bonner was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in the tower. Now the once torturer of the tower was a prisoner there himself. (dark brooding music)
(Edmund sobs and laughs) For almost a decade, Bonner could contemplate the 450 people he had tortured and killed
in the name of God. Surrounded by squalor and filth, the Devil's Dancing Bear died in 1569. But Bishop Bonner was
only one in a long line of torturers, executioners, and murderers who stalked the halls
of the Tower of London. Bonner fully realized that the tower was an intimidating place to visit, let alone be held captive, but then intimidation was one of the main reasons why
the tower was built. When the Normans invaded England, led by William Duke of Normandy, they wanted to stamp their
authority on the country as quickly and forcibly as they could. (men yell)
(weapons clang) William wanted to physically
intimidate the populace. He wanted to scare them and show them just how mighty he was, and to do that, he built the most fearsome
structure the country has known, the White Tower, the
keep of the Tower of London. For his capital, William wanted
the strongest castle of all, a building that would symbolize his power and terrorize his subjects. That meant getting the best
designer and builder he could. So, needing an architect, William looked to the
large building projects of Northern France and
actually chose a man of God, a monk, Brother Gundulf,
who, as an architect, was considered without equal. But all his work until
then had been dedicated to the construction of
churches and cathedrals. But the ambitious Gundulf dreamed of bigger and better religious buildings. William offered Gundulf the
chance to become a bishop and design his own cathedral,
but there was one catch. He had to first design and build the ambitious
fortress William had in mind. Gundulf's ambition drove
him to accept the offer. The man of God made a pact with the fearsome Norman conqueror. (tense brooding music) Despite his misgivings, Gundulf designed a masterful new fortress, condensed into a single great tower. The castle would dominate London
and guard the River Thames. A perfectionist, he insisted
on the best materials. Protected on two sides by the
old Roman wall and the river, the remaining two sites were enclosed by a water-filled moat. The great tower would be
virtually unassailable. For over 200 years, it was the
tallest building in London, the ultimate statement, telling anyone who
looked just who was boss. The tower was oriented with its strongest and most impressive defenses
overlooking Saxon London. It would've visually
dominated the surrounding area and stood out to anyone
using the River Thames. However, despite all that, the tower could not keep
its first prisoner securely. In 1100, the bishop of
Durham was imprisoned in the newly finished Tower of London. The bishop, a tax collector in addition to his religious duties, was
a corrupt public official. To placate the taxpayers,
the king jailed the bishop on charges of extortion and bribery. Even though he was
guarded by Norman knights, the bishop was allowed to keep
sacks of gold for expenses and have his servants
bring him food and wine. The heavyset bishop hosted dinners in the tower's lavish banquet hall. They often turned into drunken revels. But the bishop tired of his gilded cage and plotted a cunning escape. The bishop ordered a special feast and that extra casks of
wine should be delivered. Brought in under the
nose of the jail guards, one of the wine casks had a
length of rope hidden inside. The bishop invited the
tower guards to the banquet and made sure they had as much
wine to drink as they wanted, but the bishop remained strangely sober. He waited until the guards
nodded off in drunken stupors. Grabbing his sacks of gold and
the rope from the wine cask, the bishop made his way to the tower wall. Securing the rope, he climbed
over and started sliding down. The fat bishop had the
added weight of his gold, and it looked as though the
rope might break, but it held, and the bishop completed
his slide down to freedom. (rope pulls taut)
(tense brooding music) Reaching the very end of the rope, he discovered it was
not quite long enough, so he simply let go and fell to earth. (body thuds) (coins clink) Gathering up his coins,
he hustled to a boat and made good his escape to the continent. The bishop became the first prisoner to escape from the fortress. But the bishop was an extreme rarity. More often than not, prisoners
were brought by river from Westminster where
they would've been tried. Crowds would gather along the river bank to find out the verdict to
see if they would be treated to the spectacle of a public execution. The executioner would stand
behind the accused on the boat, and if they were guilty, he would point the head of
the ax towards their victim. If they were innocent,
they would point it away. (slow dramatic music) The crowds knew that if
they were found guilty, there would be a public
execution 48 hours later. Only the most privileged were allowed to die in private within the walls. The responsibility for
looking after the prisoners was given to the Yeoman Warders. (military marching music) - Hip hip! - [Men] Hooray! - Hip hip! - [Men] Hooray! - The most important role of the tower was the defense and
security of the monarch, but as the centuries passed,
so did the role of the tower and the architecture associated with it. The White Tower is on the site
of the original Norman Keep, built by William the Conqueror. The curtain wall tower and moat were all added in the 13th century, together with a unique
double drawbridge entrance. The moat was eventually drained in 1841. It had become a health risk. The water was stagnant and disease was starting to spread from it. Several wardens actually died as a result. (bright lively orchestral music) In addition to being
a palace and fortress, the tower has served as
the first royal armory, royal mint, and even royal zoo. Whilst such roles have
long since moved elsewhere, there is one creature that has a very close link with the place. - Ravens, of course, are a
great legend within the tower, and the story goes back to
the reign of King Charles II. Just after the great fire of London, all the ravens that were
in the city left the city and came into the tower. And of course, there were so many of them that the residents of the tower and in particular the royal observer in the northeast corner of the White Tower was being inundated with
not only the droppings but the birds and the
feathers and the chicks. And so a petition was raised to Charles II to have the ravens killed off. Firstly, he agreed, but then
some bright spark came up with this old legend that said if the ravens leave the tower, then the White Tower will
collapse and so will the monarchy. Of course, Charles, having
just been reinstated on the throne after Cromwell, thought, "Better not push it too far," so he ordered that six
ravens be kept in the tower, and we still to this day have
six tower ravens looked after by the raven master. (military marching music) Beefeater is a nickname. We've had the name for
many hundreds of years, and nobody honestly knows its origins. There are some people who think it derives from an old Norman word
(speaks in foreign language), but that has never been proved. What we do know is that the Yeoman Warders of the Tower of London,
right up to the 1800s, were paid part of their salary in beef. - But one of the most
well-known victims at the tower was either completely
innocent of any cunning or ambition or extremely naïve. (wind rumbles) Jane Grey was just 15 years old when her life was turned upside down. She landed in a nightmare where everyone, even her parents, abandoned her. Trapped in a paranoid web of intrigue, Jane's nightmare was real enough, though. Her horrible journey
included a nine-day reign as Queen of England, the shortest ever, and it included an
unwanted stay in the tower. (soft music) Jane's cousin was
15-year-old King Edward VI. when he took the throne in
1547, he was weak and sickly. Six years later, the
child king was near death. Because of the king's youth and illness, a group of nobles known as the Royal Council ran the kingdom. The council was run by the
ambitious Duke of Northumberland. Northumberland's power was threatened because if the king should die before he could cement his position, the throne would revert to
the king's elder sister, Mary. He hatched a risky plot. He would arrange a marriage
between his own teenage son, Lord Guildford, and the
king's cousin, Jane Grey, who was a Protestant and
would keep the faith. Then, Northumberland would
persuade the dying king to name Jane as his heir. Northumberland would then
effectively rule the country. Jane and the young Guildford knew nothing of their parents' scheme. The two teenagers who
barely knew each other were told they were to
become husband and wife. Jane's greedy social
climbing parents jumped at the chance and eagerly
agreed to the plot. The marriage was arranged. (mid-tempo low-fi music) On the morning of her
wedding, guests remarked, "She looks like a toy doll,
even younger than her years." (thunder booms)
(rain patters) But the omens for Jane's
marriage were not good. Thunder and torrential rain marred the hastily arranged wedding. After the ceremony, the couple suddenly
found themselves alone, not in a world of their making at all. Jane was determined to do
her duty and fulfill her role as a right and proper wife to Guildford. That night, the couple slept
the sleep of the innocent, blissfully unaware of the
nightmare that lay ahead. (mid-tempo low-fi music) (birds chirp) For the first few weeks
of their forced marriage, the teenagers got to know each other. (bird caws) But less than six weeks after the wedding, Jane received startling news. A lady in waiting came to
her bedchamber with the news that her cousin, the boy,
King Edward, was severely ill. She was to go at once
to her father-in-law, Lord Northumberland's, estate. (eerie music) At Northumberland's palace, the young couple were met
by a disturbing scene. As Jane wrote in her diary. - [Woman] "Everyone began
making complimentary speeches and bending their knee,
which made me blush. My distress increased when my
parents paid homage to me." - [Robin] Finally, Jane's father-in-law, Lord Northumberland, told
her the king was dead. For the first time, a
shocked Jane was told that she was to become
the queen of England. - [Woman] "I fell to the ground, weeping piteously for
the death of the king and cried out, 'The crown is not my right and pleaseth me not!'" - [Robin] Telling her it
was for the good of England, Jane's scheming parents convinced
her to assume the throne. Later, she wrote. - [Woman] "I should not have accepted it. It showed a lack of prudence. - [Robin] The next day,
Jane was taken to the tower, where she was proclaimed queen. The crown was brought to her, but Jane insisted that she
had not asked to see it. It was explained that the crown was going to be adjusted to fit her head. Then Jane found out that a king's crown was being fitted for
her husband Guildford. Suddenly, the whole
ugly plot became clear. Her scheming father-in-law,
Lord Northumberland, was using her to have his
son Guildford become king. Jane was furious. She told the counselors
they had betrayed her. She couldn't trust her
parents. She was alone. (eerie discordant music) - [Woman] I told them I will never, never allow Guildford to become king. (slow dramatic music) - [Robin] Meanwhile, outside the tower, Princess Mary was raising an army to take the throne by force. A civil war over the crown erupted. Jane was to remain in the
tower until Mary was captured. (dark brooding music) Although Jane did not know it, the 15 year old would never set foot outside the fortress walls again. (door shuts) As Jane passed her days and
nights quietly in the tower, across England, the entire country began to take sides for either Mary or Jane. The stakes were high and the
price of failure was death. Jane was now in the eye of the storm. At the time, powerful noblemen were able to raise their own militia. (men yell) Northumberland gathered
soldiers and set off to try and defeat Mary and her followers. If he failed, he knew he
would pay with his life. As the desperate Northumberland
battled back in London, his scheme was unraveling, and
support for Mary was growing. The council began to
question their decision making Jane queen. Jane had become a liability. In a desperate attempt to save themselves, the council switched their support to Mary Tudor as their rightful monarch. They declared Northumberland
a traitor and Jane a usurper. Jane's time as queen was up. Word was sent to James
father that his daughter must give up the crown,
which, only 10 days earlier, she had tried so hard to refuse. On hearing the news,
Jane said to her father. - I'd much more willingly take
it off than I'd put it on. Please, may we go home now? - [Robin] Her father didn't answer. Northumberland was defeated by Mary's army and taken prisoner. Jane's parents fled the tower, leaving their daughter behind. Jane was arrested for treason and was left in the tower a prisoner, along with her teenage husband, Guildford. A triumphant Mary Tudor took
the throne as queen of England and began plotting her revenge on everyone who had kept her from power. Jane's father-in-law Northumberland paid for his treason with his head, but even Bloody Mary could
not believe Jane Grey was a traitor. The teenager had simply been a pawn in a massive game of power politics. Jane knew that she had to
stand trial for treason, but Jane had been given the queen's word that she and her husband
would be pardoned. Jane's thoughts were with her husband. - If it be your will,
Lord, let me be pardoned, but above all, let my husband be spared. (mid-tempo low-fi music) (men yell) - [Robin] Everything might've
gone according to plan if Jane's father had not
foolishly raised an army to return his daughter to the throne. Jane's father and his
army seized the south bank of the River Thames. He demanded the town and his daughter and that the new Queen Mary
should surrender to him. When Queen Mary refused, he actually bombarded the tower with his own daughter inside. He was endangering his daughter's life as well as that of the queen. Jane's fate, though, was sealed. The innocent teenager now had to die to end the plots against the new queen. (soft dramatic music) Jane's fate was sealed. She had a chance to see her
beloved husband Guildford, but unable to face the pain,
she refused to meet him. - To meet him would weaken our resolve to meet our deaths. We must postpone our meeting until we meet in a better world where our
happiness will be eternal. - [Robin] From her cell, the teenager watched her young
husband led to the scaffold. She remained at the window
until his headless body was carried back. For the first time, she
broke down and wept. (Jane sobs)
(birds chirp) Now it was Jane's turn
to face the executioner. A pawn in the struggle for the throne, she walked bravely from her cell to the scaffold on tower green. As she mounted the steps,
Jane remained brave and calm, but her priest and her ladies in waiting broke down and wept. When Jane knelt down
and tied a handkerchief around her eyes, she
reached for the block, but it was beyond her reach, and for the first time, she panicked. - (sobs) Where is it? Where is it? I don't know what to do. Dear God! - [Robin] Everyone on the
platform froze in horror. Finally, one of the crowd
mounted the steps of the scaffold and placed the hands of the
terrified girl on the board. (dramatic music)
(Jane pants) - Lord, into the hands
I commend my spirit. (Jane pants) (ax thuds)
(birds chirp and caw) (soft dramatic eerie music) - Lady Jane Grey was executed
on February the 13th, 1558. The 15-year-old queen had
reigned for just nine days. Through the centuries,
those who were trapped in the Tower of London fought to get out. Now instead of fighting to get out, crowds line up to get in, and the warders who once led the prisoners
to be executed on the block now act as tour guides and
entertain school parties where the gallows used to stand and brutal beheadings took place. The walls of the tower
have withstood 1,000 years of deadly struggles and treacherous plots, attempted invasions, the
overthrow of monarchs. The tower stands as a
fierce symbol of royal might and a reminder of the tragic
fate that befell those that attempted to
challenge the king's power. Now only the ravens that live in the tower are confined to these ancient walls. Legend has it that if the birds depart, the tower and the kingdom will fall, so their wings are clipped to
keep them life-long prisoners inside the Tower of London. (up-tempo electronic music)
