What do Beefeaters wear?
Both the Yeomen of the Guard and the Yeomen Warders are best known for their scarlet and gold State dress uniforms which date from 1552 and are worn on state occasions. The uniform consists of a knee-length scarlet tunic, scarlet knee-breeches and stockings, and a round brimmed hat called a Tudor bonnet.
What is the difference between Beefeaters and Yeoman?
‘Beefeater’ eventually became a term used to distinguish between the Body Guard at the Tower of London, and the Royal Bodyguards working in other locations. Yeomen Warders have been in service at the Tower of London since 1485 when the corps were formed by King Henry VII, although their origins date back even further.
How many Beefeaters have there ever been?
Yeoman Warders have been guarding the Tower of London since Tudor times. Nicknamed ‘Beefeaters’, the Yeoman Body of 32 men and women are all drawn from the Armed Forces.
When did Beefeaters start?
1485
Commonly known as Beefeaters, the elaborately uniformed Yeomen were introduced in 1485 by Henry VII to help guard the Tower – then a cobbled complex where not only prisoners and princes, but also hundreds of residents, lived.
Why do Beefeaters wear big hats?
Answer: The origins are that every gunner in the British military and the French military wore bearskin caps to make them taller and more intimidating because they were the ones that did the hand to hand fighting. In Napoleon’s imperial guard everybody wore them, and they were supposed to be his elite troops.
Why is a Beefeater called a Beefeater?
It is mentioned in several of the guided tours (you probably got one of the more elderly warders). The correct title is “her (his) Magesties royal Yeoman Warders.” The name Beefeater is the corruption of Bueffetier (old french) Meaning food taster.
Why are Beefeaters called Beefeaters?
Henry VII’s personal guards were the first ‘Beefeaters’, so named as they were permitted to eat as much beef as they wanted from the King’s table, and Henry VIII decreed that some of them would stay and guard the Tower permanently.
What is the ER on Beefeater uniform?
In addition to those, the initials ER are present on the chest of the tunic. They stand for ‘Elizabeth Regina’ (Queen Elizabeth in Latin), about the present Queen; Elizabeth the Second. The general attire of the Yeoman Warders is dark blue and red as granted in 1858 by Queen Victoria.
What does the word Beefeater mean?
Definition of beefeater 1 : a yeoman of the guard that forms part of an English monarch’s train on state occasions. 2 : a warder of the tower of London uniformed like a beefeater.
How did Beefeater get its name?
However, the name Beefeater is more likely to have originated from the time when the Yeomen Warders at the Tower were paid part of their salary with chunks of beef. This took place right up until the 1800s.
Why is the Queen’s bodyguard called a Beefeater?
However, the name Beefeater is more likely to have originated from the time when the Yeomen Warders at the Tower were paid part of their salary with chunks of beef. This took place right up until the 1800s. The Queen’s Body Guard, known as the Yeomen of the Guard, are a bodyguard of the British Monarch.
Who was the first female Beefeater?
Britain’s famous Beefeaters have been helping academics with an oral history research project The first female Beefeater, Moira Cameron, is inspected at the final fitting of her uniform. Photograph: Richard Lea-Hair/newsteam.co.uk/HRP
How many yeoman Serjeants does a Beefeater have?
In a strict hierarchy, four Yeoman Serjeants report to him, with the other Beefeaters, including the famous Raven Master, working under them. Somewhat unusually for academic research, Martin’s interviews were recorded in the Yeoman Warders’ drinking club at the Tower, surrounded by bottles of Beefeater Gin.