After more than half a millennium guarding the Tower of London from rebellions and invaders, Beefeaters are facing redundancies for the first time because visitor numbers have plummeted due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Officially called Yeoman Warders and instantly recognizable with their distinctive red and blue hats and uniforms, the Beefeaters live with their families inside the fortress which houses the Crown Jewels, glittering symbol of the British monarchy.
Historic Royal Palaces, which manages the Tower along with Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace and other sites says it is facing a 124-million dollars hole in its finances due to the closure of their six sites for almost four months.
"We simply have no choice but to reduce our
payroll costs," said Barnes. "We urgently need the public to support
us by visiting our sites now they have re-opened."
The Tower of London is its largest paid-for attraction and normally attracts around 3 million visitors per year. The site reopened on July 10 but can now welcome fewer than 1,000 people each day due to new safety measures.
Historic Royal Palaces estimates tourism will not
fully recover until 2023-2024.
The Tower of London, founded by William the Conqueror after his famous victory at Hastings in 1066 nearly a thousand years ago, is a symbol of English royal power, wealth and terror. For centuries it acted variously as a fortress, a magnificent lodging and a prison to torture and execute enemies of the state.
There are currently 37 Yeoman Warders, a unit created by the founder of the Tudor dynasty Henry VII in 1485 as personal guard. Henry's son, Henry VIII, decreed that some of them would stay and guard the Tower permanently.
From USNews (edited)
