Dressed in their costume in vermilion and gold, white collar, round hat, black shoes and a red down, the "beefeaters" who guard the tower of London are part of the national heritage of the uk. But for the first time since the creation of this body of yeoman royal in 1445, a plan of termination is anticipated because of the impact of coronavirus on international tourism in the capital.
With three million visitors last year, the ominous tower of London is the first of the tourist attractions pay in the United Kingdom. While the famous fortress commanding the course of the Thames has re-opened its doors on 10 July, the lack of foreign visitors, especially north americans and asians in the wake of the pandemic, has been deprived of most of its revenues. Instead of 12 000 visitors per day, the Tower of London receives more than 1 000. The closure and the new restrictions are responsible for the most serious financial crisis of the former prison turned into a museum, which draws two thirds of its income through the box office.
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" in the Face of the drying up of our income, we had no other choice than to reduce the wage bill ", the management explained, by announcing a first series of departures among the guards and the administrative staff. The effect of coronavirus on the tourism london has been devastating in a capital with one-fifth of the revenues are related to foreign visitors. In 2019, London had experienced a record year with $ 21.7 million of foreign tourists.
who are Accustomed to garden parties the queen
One can only imagine the tearing of the kingship in the face of these layoffs affecting an institution closely associated with the lineage. The "beefeaters" (literally, meat eaters) weld the links of the chain britain through five centuries, Tudor and Stuart to the house of Orange, the Hanoverian and Saxe-Coburg renamed Windsor.
The quarantine keepers take part in all the great royal ceremonies, of the "garden parties" annual banquet through the speech from the Throne or the awarding of decorations and titles of noblemen. Every evening, at 21: 53 stack, according to a ritual dating back to the dawn of time, the commander seeks the key to the guard, shouting, " that god preserves queen Elizabeth ". The inhabitants of the Tower (one hundred and fifty people in total, comprised of the "beefeaters" and their families) are theoretically locked in until dawn.
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above all, the former soldiers to guard the crown jewels, in particular the emblems of royalty used at the coronation. They are also in charge of feeding the six ravens that are based permanently in the enclosure. According to the legend, the desertion of birds announce the end of the kingship. Hated to be that ill think about it... To fix them at home, they cut a wing...
A first wife... in 2007
between the Ages of 40 and 55 years, " Yeomens Warders are former military with twenty-two years of good and loyal services. In 2007, the section hosted his first wife. The harassment to which she had been a victim of the part of his colleagues had led to the dismissal of two officers. In 2019, the "beefeaters" were engaged in a strike to defend their pensions. Many tourists complain of their lack of friendliness, in particular in the management of tails, as well as the high price of the entrance ticket, or 25 pounds (27,5 euros) for an adult.
the eyes of the public, their reputation is also related to the presence of their logo on the labels of bottles of gin namesake, owned today by the French group Pernod Ricard.
