Apr. 01, 2011 - London, England, United Kingdom - ''Beefeater'' guard.Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It was founded in 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of E

• Contributor: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo
• Image ID: CDM728
• File size: 60.2 MB (2.1 MB Compressed download)
• Releases: Model - no | Property - no
• Dimensions: 3744 x 5616 px | 31.7 x 47.5 cm | 12.5 x 18.7 inches | 300dpi
• Date taken: 1 April 2011
• Photographer: ZUMA

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Apr. 01, 2011 - London, England, United Kingdom - ''Beefeater'' guard.Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It was founded in 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison since at least 1100, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. The Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century remains..The Tower of London has played a prominent role in English history. It was besieged several times and controlling it has been important to controlling the country. The Tower has served variously as an armoury, a treasury, a menagerie, the home of the Royal Mint, a public records office, and the home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. (Credit Image: © Veronika Lukasova/ZUMAPRESS.com)