The Ravens of the Tower of London: A Fascinating Tale

The ravens at the are getting restless. Due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, visitor numbers have significantly declined, leaving the jet-black birds feeling bored and straying further from their home on the lawn of this historic site.

These curious and clever ravens hold immense cultural significance at the Tower. According to a 350-year-old superstition, if the Tower’s six feathered residents were ever to leave, the kingdom would fall. This belief, possibly originating from the reign of King Charles II, has the keepers today taking no chances. Currently, there are six ravens, along with an extra one for safety, kept in an aviary, yet they are free to roam the premises during the day. The names of these well-cared-for birds are Jubilee, Harris, Gripp, Rocky, Erin, Poppy, and Merlina. They are looked after by the in-house ravenmaster, who trims their feathers to encourage them to stay close while still allowing them to fly.

The Tower of London, known as the UK’s most popular paid attraction, reopened in mid-July after being closed since March 20. However, not many travelers have returned. In peak summer months, visitor numbers would exceed 15,000, but due to the pandemic, current attendance has dwindled to fewer than 800 visitors per day. The ravens are feeling lonely and have missed the antics of snatching food from visitors, while the ravenmasters have been doing their best to keep them entertained with small footballs and squeaky dog toys.

In late June, it was announced that the could face layoffs due to a significant funding shortfall resulting from the pandemic and the prolonged closure of the site.