'If the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall...'
Meet the famous ravens at the Tower of London and learn more about why they are known as the guardians of the Tower, at their lodgings on the South Lawn.
The names of our current Tower ravens are Jubilee, Harris, Poppy, Georgie, Edgar, Branwen and Rex.
Ravens are intelligent birds and each of ours has its own personality; they can mimic sounds, play games and solve problems. See if you can spot some of their fascinating behaviour on your visit as they explore the Tower grounds.
The legend of the Tower ravens
It is said that the kingdom and the Tower of London will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress.
Charles II is thought to have been the first to insist that the ravens of the Tower be protected after he was warned that the crown and the Tower itself would fall if they left.
The King's order was given against the wishes of his astronomer, John Flamsteed, who complained the ravens impeded the business of his observatory in the White Tower.
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Included in palace admission (Members go free)
Buy Tower of London ticketsSee the ravens at the Tower of London
Our ravens preside over four different territories within the Tower's walls. You might even be lucky enough to witness them snacking on your visit — but please be careful and do not feed the ravens yourself, as they can bite if they feel their territory is being threatened.
These magnificent birds respond only to the Ravenmaster and should not be approached too closely by anyone else.
Meet Edgar and Branwen, born in 2021.
Meet Edgar and Branwen
We welcomed Edgar and Branwen to join the Tower’s legendary corvid community in May 2021!
Resident Ravenmaster, Chris Skaife shares stories about the Tower ravens.
Caring for our ravens
Discover the stories of the ravens at the Tower of London as told by our former Ravenmaster, Chris Skaife.
Why are the ravens' wing feathers trimmed?
The Ravenmaster occasionally trims some of the ravens' primary and secondary flight feathers to encourage them to stay at the Tower. All the Tower ravens are able to fly but, with careful feather management, plenty of food and a comfortable new enclosure, they are happy to call the Tower their home.
However, some ravens have gone absent without leave in the past and others have even been sacked. Raven Munin flew off to Greenwich and was eventually returned by a vigilant member of the public after seven days. Raven George was dismissed for eating television aerials and Raven Grog was last seen outside an East End pub.
A diet of meat, biscuits and blood
The ravens are fed twice a day by our Ravenmaster and dine on a special diet of mice, chicks, rats and assorted raw meats. As a special treat, they are given biscuits soaked in blood.
Four baby ravens born at the Tower
Meet the four raven chicks that were born as part of the Tower of London's breeding programme in 2019, in this short video.
Explore What's on
- Things to see
White Tower
Marvel at the imposing White Tower, a magnificent example of Norman architecture at the heart of the Tower of London.
- Open
- Tower of London
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
- Things to see
- Tours and talks
Yeoman Warder tours
Discover captivating stories of pain and passion, treachery and torture with our Yeoman Warder tours at the Tower of London.
- Daily
- Tours begin every 30 minutes
- Tower of London
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
- Things to see
The Crown Jewels
Discover the dazzling history of the Crown Jewels in the spectacular Crown Jewels exhibition.
- Open
- Allow one hour
- Tower of London
- Included in palace admission (Members go free)
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Shop Raven gifts
Legend has it that if the six ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the Tower and the kingdom will fall. These products have been inspired by the Ravens that live at the Tower of London.
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Shop Tower of London gifts
Shop our products inspired by the almost 1000 years of history at the Tower of London.
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Tower of London raven navy sweatshirt
Featuring our unique and exclusive design, our Tower of London raven navy sweatshirt will keep you warm on chilly days.
£38.00