Inside Story Issue 60
Queen Victoria’s reign transformed the celebration of Christmas, even behind the formidable walls of the Tower of London. Assistant Curator Minette Butler reveals that life was surprisingly festive and fun inside the 19th-century fortress.
Tower residents (including the Yeoman Warders) embraced the period’s renewed enthusiasm for the winter season, filling the fortress with dancing, dinners and Christmas trees. Meanwhile, the introduction of bank holidays lured thousands of tourists to enjoy the Tower’s many historic sights each Boxing Day. Together, these stories paint a vibrant, festive portrait of life inside the fortress during the 19th century.
A day out at the Tower
Image: Sightseeing in London during the Christmas holidays: A visit to the Tower of London’, 1892. Visitors in the White Tower admiring the exhibit of Queen Elizabeth I and her page © Historic Royal Palaces.
Christmas was one of the Victorian Tower’s busiest times of the year. Long established as a public showplace, the fortress appealed to the era’s romantic fascination with all things medieval and was a must-see for anyone visiting London for the holidays.
Tourists enjoyed many of the same sights seen inside the fortress today, from well-established attractions like the Crown Jewels and the Tower Armouries to the graffiti in the Beachamp Tower (opened in 1851) and the scaffold site (first commemorated in 1866). Yeoman Warders escorted visitors around these curiosities, enlivening them with dramatic tales of famous prisoners and ghastly punishments.
However, some tourists sought other attractions. On 20 December 1841, John Dickens (father of the famous author of A Christmas Carol) visited to inspect the ruins of the Grand Storehouse, once home to the Tower Armouries. The building had burned down the previous October, leaving a twisted pile of melted weapons and charred rubble – what Dickens described as ‘eccentric unions’ and ‘monstrosities of extraordinary character’.
Festive tourism took off in 1871 with the Bank Holidays Act, which made St Stephen’s Day, better known as Boxing Day, a day of leisure. This meant more people could visit the Tower than ever, particularly working-class families or those travelling from the countryside. Boxing Day visitors soared from around 1,500 in 1871 to as high as 8,000 by the end of the century.
Sadly, most tourists missed out on any Christmas card-like views of the fortress. Eyewitnesses complained about the ‘muggy, sloppy, drizzly and nasty’ weather that plagued visitors each Boxing Day. Still, they made the best of it – commentators observed that the fortress was ‘always a favourite resort for people on a holiday’.
But the Tower’s grim reputation didn’t always invoke Christmas cheer. In December 1871, the Illustrated London News amused its readers with the tale of a little girl invited to inspect a set of thumbscrews by a Yeoman Warder. Full of festive spirit, he reminded her ‘how thankful she ought to be that she was not born in the dark ages, when she might have been racked, and (who knows?) perhaps burnt at the stake for truth’s sake’ – and a happy new year!
Image: 'Holiday sights: The Torture in Her Majesty's Tower' shows a Yeoman Warder demonstrating thumbscrews to a group of visitors in 1871 © Historic Royal Palaces.
Image: In this satirical scene from December 1871, a Yeoman Warder shows the block and axe to a group that includes the former Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli leaning over the block, watched by John Bull © Historic Royal Palaces.
A Constable for Christmas
Image: The installation of Field Marshal Sir George Pollock as Constable of the Tower in 1871 © Historic Royal Palaces.
Even the busy Christmas season did not interrupt the Tower’s ceremonial duties. On 23 December 1871, just three days before the first Boxing Day Bank Holiday, the fortress gathered to install Field Marshall Sir George Pollock as the new Constable of the Tower.
Again, the fortress had no white Christmas. Instead, Tower Green was engulfed in thick black fog that turned the lunchtime ceremony ‘dark as midnight’, shrouding the scarlet clad Yeoman Warders in dreary gloom.
Spectators gathered in the shadow of the White Tower as Pollock received the keys to the fortress by lantern light, followed by cheering cries of ‘God Save the Queen’. Among the crowd was one unusual attendee – a ‘fantastically caparisoned goat’, who was the garrison’s beloved mascot.
Trees and treats
Beyond the tourists and traditions, the Tower community had their own Christmases to celebrate.
Families living inside the fortress, including the spouses and children of the Yeoman Warders, married soldiers and other employees, would have enjoyed many of the now iconic traditions popularised in the 19th century, including Christmas cards and Christmas crackers.
At the centre of these celebrations were Christmas trees. Brought to England by Queen Charlotte and popularised by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, many Tower families would have had their own fir trees decorated with candles, paper chains and small gifts.
But the best Christmas trees belonged to all the Tower’s children. First reported in the 1880s, these trees were gifts from the garrison’s commanding officers. They invited the children to choose a toy from under the branches – maybe a doll or their own penny trumpet. Accompanied by tea, cake and plenty of games, this much anticipated festive treat was a welcome break from the routines of Tower life.
Image: © The Stapleton Collection/ Bridgeman Images.
Dancing, dinners and revelling ravens
The Tower enjoyed many merry moments over the last weeks of December. In 1851, the Scots Fusilier Guards, then stationed at the fortress, organised a glittering Christmas ball in the barracks. Complete with music, supper and distinguished guests, most notably the 82-year-old Duke of Wellington (then Constable of the Tower), dancing lasted ‘with untiring energy’ well into the early hours of the morning.
Among the most anticipated festivities was Christmas dinner. In the barracks, soldiers decorated the mess rooms with evergreens and paper chains before sitting down to beef, turkey and plum pudding – all popular treats on the Victorian Christmas table. Similar scenes played out in homes all around the fortress, where families enjoyed food, games and giving gifts.
Even the ravens took part in the celebrations. In 1896, one newspaper reported that the famous birds were ‘well attended to’ and some were even conveyed to the mess rooms (maybe to enjoy a share of the officers’ Christmas beef).
The Tower of London has seen nearly a thousand Christmases come and go. Though tales from the fortress may not always sound like A Christmas Carol, they give us a fascinating glimpse into the Tower during Queen Victoria’s reign.
Christmas at the Tower
Celebrate Christmas at the Tower of London and discover the Victorian traditions that shaped the festive season, from Christmas cards to gift giving. 27 November 2026 - 03 January; no pre-booking required.
