The Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London is one of London’s longest-running rituals. But what is it exactly, and how do you see it? Here’s what you need to know before you go.
London isn’t short on a historical ceremony or two. Between the pomp of the Changing of the Guard and numerous rituals scattered across the city’s annual calendar, there’s no shortage of history and tradition to explore.
Even so, the Ceremony of the Keys is something special. The ceremony has taken place every single night at the Tower of London for over 700 years, let’s just take a minute to let that soak in. While London was being bombed during the Blitz, during the Black Death, during the Great Fire of London, even through Covid lockdowns, the Beefeaters and Tower Guard have ensured the Tower of London was locked up safe and sound.
Tickets aren’t free anymore (more on that below), and they sell out fast, but this remains one of London’s most fascinating traditions, and one every Londoner or visitor should see at least once.
What is the Ceremony of the Keys?
The Ceremony of the Keys is the ritual during which the gates to the Tower of London are locked each night.
During the ceremony, the Tower Guard march with the Chief Yeoman Warder, keeping him safe as he protects what was historically the most important palace in London. It’s an opulent and bizarre yet fascinating tradition that every person visiting or living in London should see at least once in their lives.
What should I expect when visiting?
Good question. Here’s a first-person narrative from our founder that explains it pretty perfectly.
Somehow, despite living in London for the majority of my life, I hadn’t actually seen the Ceremony of the Keys until fairly recently. I’d taken a sneak peek at descriptions but still didn’t know quite what to expect.
Having booked tickets a few weeks earlier, I’d all but forgotten about it until I received an email reminding me of the date and the strict time (the tickets are very clear that anyone who arrives after 9.25 on the dot will not be admitted).
Finally, the day arrived, we headed to the designated point and waited, a small group of people of all ages, waiting with a thinly veiled sense of anticipation.
It started suddenly, with a clang of metal. The gate to the Tower entrance was unlocked, and one of the Yeoman Warders (more commonly known as the Beefeaters) emerged, a smile on his face and a booming voice that ran through the roll call of attendees before he ushered us inside.
“I’m Terry Briggs, Yeoman Warder number 408 at the Tower of London, nickname Basher,” he started with a cheeky smile.
Whatever I’d expected, I’m not sure it was this. Basher was fun and engaging, peppering his verbal walkthrough of the ceremony we were about to see with interesting historical facts and humorous asides, before putting us into place in time for the grand occasion.
Now, despite the ceremony having run for over 700 years, there are very few pictures or videos of it happening. This isn’t an accident, the Tower of London is very strict about the fact that you’re not allowed to take photos of the Ceremony of the Keys while it’s taking place, hence why I don’t have any pictures of the ceremony itself, but I’ll give you a brief run-through of what to expect when you arrive.
What happens during the ceremony?
Around 9.46pm, the Chief Yeoman Warder emerges, bringing a lantern in one hand and the King’s Keys in the other. Members of the Tower Guard await his arrival in the archway of the Bloody Tower, and when he arrives, he gives the lantern to an unarmed guard.
Together they march in procession to the two gates that need to be locked for the night. After locking the gates, the Chief Yeoman Warder and the Tower Guard return towards the Bloody Tower, but before they arrive, they’re challenged by a sentry.
“Halt, who comes there?” the sentry shouts.
“The keys.”
“Whose keys?”
“King Charles’ keys.”
“Pass then, all’s well.”
The sentry allows the group to pass, and they proceed to a set of stairs where the Chief Yeoman Warder proclaims “God preserve King Charles” and the Guard and audience chorus “Amen”.
As the clock strikes 10, the soldier representing the drummer (confusingly, he’s actually a bugler) plays the solitary sound of The Last Post, and with that, the ceremony concludes, officially winding up at 10.05pm.
That, friends, is the Ceremony of the Keys in a nutshell. But no words can really do it justice, the only way to get a true sense of this event is to go and see it yourself.
The London x London Take: the ceremony itself lasts barely half an hour, but it’s one of the only times in London where you’ll watch something happen exactly as it has for seven centuries, no concession to tourists, no re-enactment for cameras, just the same words and the same walk, night after night. That’s rarer in this city than you’d think.
How to book tickets for the Ceremony of the Keys
Tickets are no longer free. The Ceremony of the Keys now runs on a pay-what-you-want model, with a suggested price of £30 per ticket, though you can choose anywhere from £10 to £50 depending on what you can afford. Historic Royal Palaces says the extra goes toward the upkeep of the Tower and its sister sites, since HRP receives no government or royal funding.
Tickets are released on a rolling monthly basis, generally at 1pm on the first working day of the month, for the following month’s dates. So tickets for October, for example, are usually released at the start of September. They sell out extremely quickly, often within the day, so it’s worth marking the release date in your diary rather than assuming you can book whenever suits.
Book directly through the Tower of London’s website. A maximum of six tickets can be booked per person, and Historic Royal Palaces members have their own separate Members-Only Ceremony of the Keys dates to book instead.
History of the Ceremony of the Keys
King Edward III was the first to command that the Ceremony of the Keys take place, in the mid-1300s, after strolling into the Tower of London unchallenged one evening.
He decreed that the Tower’s gates be locked each evening to protect the palace, a tradition subsequent kings and queens, especially the rather unpopular Queen Mary I, were keen to continue.
Over the years, the number of Yeoman Warders (Beefeaters) increased to provide additional security for the Tower, a trend that continued until the Tower ceased to be a royal residence, though it remains a Historic Royal Palace to this day.
The Ceremony of the Keys has taken place every day since the mid-1300s. At first, it was held at sunset, but the time changed to 10pm in 1826, and it’s happened at this time ever since, with one notable exception, during the Second World War, when the Tower of London took a direct hit just before the ceremony was due to start. No one was harmed, and the ceremony was still held later that same evening.
The Ceremony of the Keys: practical information
Where: The Tower of London
When: Every night, arrival by 9.25pm sharp, ceremony runs 9.30pm to around 10.05pm
Tickets: Pay-what-you-want, £10-£50, suggested price £30. Book here, released on a rolling monthly basis roughly a month ahead
Website: hrp.org.uk
