Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, the Banqueting House, Kensington Palace and Kew Palace. We help everyone explore the story of how monarchs and people have shaped society, in some of the greatest palaces ever built. We receive no funding from the Government or the Crown, so we depend on the support of our visitors, members, donors, volunteers, and sponsors. The Tower of London, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a history that stretches back almost one thousand years to the Norman invasion of 1066 when William the Conqueror ordered the building of a massive stone keep that would remind Londoners of just who was in charge. Since that time the Tower has been extended and fortified considerably and has had a myriad of uses including fortress, mint, zoo, prison, palace, public records office, and of course, as an execution site, and as result has been host to some of the most important events in our nation's history. The Yeoman Warders, or 'Beefeaters' as they are nicknamed, have long been symbols of London and Britain. It is thought their nickname is derived from their position in the Royal Bodyguard, which permitted them to eat as much beef as they wanted from the king's table. The Yeoman Warders are a detachment of the ‘Yeomen of the Guard’ and have formed the Royal Bodyguard since at least 1509, although their origins stretch back as far as the reign of Edward IV (1461-83). Today the Yeoman Warders are required to have served in the armed forces with an honourable record for at least 22 years. The current contingent of warders have experienced serving in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War, Bosnia, the first and second Gulf conflicts and in Afghanistan.