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Musical Tradition
Throughout the centuries all the chapels royal have been associated with fine music. Byrd, Tallis, Gibbons, Tomkins, Purcell and Boyce are some of the fine musicians who served in the chapels royal, many both as children and as adult. It was with this in mind that, in 1966, the Choral Foundation at the Tower was set up, so that the great musical tradition of the Chapel Royal might be maintained. There is today an excellent professional choir.
The organ, too, is a worthy instrument. It was completed in William III’s reign but had been commissioned by Charles II for Whitehall Palace from Bernhardt Schmidt, better known as ‘Father Smith’. It was moved to the Tower in 1890, from the Banqueting House, the only part of Whitehall Palace to survive. The carvings on the organ case are attributed to Grinling Gibbons.
The Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincela has seen many changes through the centuries, but it remains the parish church of the Tower residents. It is, for example, the only chapel royal in which banns of marriage can be called, a privilege which those living within the walls have long enjoyed. During the reign of James I there was a dispute concerning the solemnization of marriages in the Tower and the Chaplain was put in prison for performing these services, but judgment was given in favour of an ancient tradition and so it continued to the present day.
The heavy spiked club was known as "Henry VIII's Walking Staff." The visitor leaves the Tudor Room by the north-east staircase and descends to the basement popularly called the "dungeons," which, in spite of the romantic tales of prisoners drowned at high tide, is more than ten feet above high water mark. It was vaulted in brick about 1730, and is divided into three rooms, of which that entered from the stair is known as THE MORTAR ROOM.
This was originally the Council Chamber. The armoured figures, horse and foot, in the centre show the development of armour from the late 15th century to the reign of Charles I.
On the west side is the rampart known as Princess Elizabeth's Walk and in the south wing is the Council Chamber containing a contemporary memorial tablet of the Gunpowder Plot. In the north wing is the small room where ANNE BOLEYN spent the last days of her life.