The Tower has been a tourist attraction since the reign of Charles II (1660-85), when both the Crown Jewels and the line  of Kings collection of armour were first shown to the public. The area within the mighty walls houses the remaining parts of the Medieval Palace  built by Henry III, as well as several towers that held prisoners, including Anna Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell and Catherine Howard.

For much of its 900-years history, the Tower was somewhere to be feared. Those who had committed treason or threatened the throne were held within its dank walls-many did not get out alive, and some were  tortured before meeting violent deaths on nearby Tower Hill.