Tower Of London

The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of 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 and features a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. The castle has played a prominent role in English history, serving as a prison, armoury, treasury, menagerie, and home to the Crown Jewels of England, among other uses. It was besieged several times and controlling it was crucial to controlling the country. The Tower was used as a prison from 1100 until 1952 and served as a royal residence, with the monarch traditionally preparing for their coronation there. In the late 15th century, the Princes in the Tower were housed at the castle when they mysteriously disappeared. The castle's defences lagged behind developments to deal with artillery under the Tudors and its use as a prison peaked in the 16th and 17th centuries, leading to the phrase "sent to the Tower". Today, the Tower of London is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions and is protected as a World Heritage Site.learn more on wikipedia