Ceremony of the Keys (London) through the Bloody Tower archway. The Chief Warder and the escort were blown off their feet, but they recovered and carried on. The Tower holds a letter from the Officer of the Guard apologising to King George VI that the ceremony was late, along with a reply from the King which says that the officer is not to be punished as the delay was due to enemy action. Between 40 and 50 visitors are allowed access to the ceremony each night, under escort. Tickets are free but must be obtained in advance from Historic Royal Palaces, the organisation that looks
Grand Casemates Gates closing of the gates, a drum-and-fife band awoke the echoes in the narrow streets, accompanying a strong military guard which escorted the keys of the fortress to the Governor's Palace..." The practice was discontinued for a while, then revived as an annual Ceremony of the Keys by General Sir Charles Harington Harington when he took office as governor in 1933. The keys were ceremonially presented to his successor Governor Ironside every evening. Today, a version of the ceremony is staged in Casemates Square at noon every Saturday by actors in uniforms similar to those worn by the defenders during the