Constable of the Tower

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Nicholas Houghton , constable of the Tower since 2016

The Konstabler des Towers ( English Constable of the Tower ) is the highest officer of the Tower of London and representative of the English monarchy in the Tower.

Originally the post of constable was one of the most influential posts in the English army . The constable was responsible for the administration of the tower and the tower division , which included larger parts of what is now East London. The constable has been a representative post since the late Middle Ages, while the actual administration was the responsibility of the Lieutenant of the Tower . After the lieutenant became a ceremonial post, the actual on-site administration of the tower is carried out by the resident governor of the tower .

According to the Queen's Regulations for the Army , the office has been given to a field marshal or retired general for five years since 1932 .

Introduction of the constant

Since 1932 the constable of the tower has been appointed for five years. For the induction ceremony, several military units line up on three sides around Tower Green. The units are selected by the constable. Normally these are units in which the constable served and the Honorable Artillery Company , which is responsible for the gun salute from the tower. The Yeomen Warders form a semicircle in front of the troops. There is a military band in the north. The new constable comes out of the Queen's House, where he enters the Tower Green accompanied by selected officers. There he meets the Lord Chamberlain of the Household , who gives the constable the keys to the Tower. The constable then inspects the troops and the fortress. The earliest mentions of a similar ceremony can be found in 1712. It is not known since when the ceremony was carried out as it is today.

List of constables since 1660

The first Constable of the Tower was Geoffrey de Mandeville, appointed by William the Conqueror in the 11th century . The number of incumbents is estimated at 158 ​​so far.

Remarks

  1. ^ WDM Raeburn: Ceremonies of the Tower in: John Charlton (ed.): The Tower of London. Its Buildings and Institutions. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London 1978, ISBN 0-11-670347-4 , pp. 123-124.