Ceremony of the keys with kids: Tower of London after dark

Standing in the shadow of Traitors’ Gate, it is silent within the Tower of London’s walls – until out of the shadows, there’s a metallic jangle of keys, the sharp rap of footsteps on stone, a crisp order barked to the guard and the ancient Ceremony of the Keys begins.

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I’ve visited the Tower more times than I can count, but watching the beefeaters and guards carry out the historic locking-up ceremony as the sun set over the centuries-old fortress is easily the most memorable, especially with my daughter watching beside me.

How often do you get the chance to be part of living history, after all, to observe a ritual that’s been repeated since medieval times? So if you’re considering booking the Ceremony of the Keys with kids, read on for everything you need to know.

What is the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London

Back in the 14th century, Edward III was furious to discover he could walk into the Tower of London unchallenged – it was, after all, a royal palace as well as a prison.

He decreed the fortress should be locked at sunset and unlocked at sunrise from that point on, a tradition which continued until 1826 when the Duke of Wellington decided he wanted all soldiers stationed at the Tower to be inside the walls before they were locked, and changed it to 10pm.

For almost 200 years, it has taken place at that time – even when a bomb fell on the Tower in 1940, the ceremony continued after everyone had picked themselves up and dusted themselves down (thankfully unhurt).

And the words themselves are even older: apart from the monarch’s name, you’ll hear the same exchange that medieval and Tudor kings and queens would have recognised.

As the sentry cries out, “Halt, who comes there?”, the Yeoman Warder (the proper name of the famous beefeaters) replies, “The keys”. 

“Whose keys?” 

“King Charles’s keys.” 

“Pass then, all’s well.”

Along the way, the Middle Gate and the gate of the Wardrobe Tower are locked up with perfectly timed precision, so the ceremony ends by the White Tower as the clock chimes 10pm.

Said to be the longest continuously running military parade in the world, it is also one of the shortest.

Visitors are escorted into the Tower at 9.30pm (don’t be late!) with an introduction by one of the Yeoman Warders on what’s about to happen, some of the history, and a few insider details on life inside the Tower of London.

At 9.53, the Beefeater in charge that night emerges in his traditional dress, including flowers around his hat, holding the Queen’s Keys and with a lantern lit with a single candle. But this is definitely not a fun re-creation for tourists.

The guard, including the escort for the keys, are armed, the duties taken very seriously – which is why I’d only recommend the Ceremony of the Keys with kids over a certain age (read on!)

After the chance for a few photos of the illuminated White Tower, it’s time to leave again.

Why you should book the Tower of London’s Ceremony of the Keys

This is easily one of the most unusual experiences you can have in London (with kids or without). There are always limited numbers, so it feels incredibly special to be one of these few allowed inside the Tower at night.

The atmosphere is spellbinding: this is shiver-down-your-spine territory, as you stand silently watching the guard in the dusk and darkness.

Not to mention the thrill of seeing something with such a long history, and getting to be part of it. Centuries of tradition, re-enacted in front of you.

The introduction itself, before the ceremony started, was also fascinating. We discovered the origins of the phrase ‘password’, with the Yeoman Warder pointing out the gap in the Tower wall where the word was originally passed, to prove your bona fides.

It is admittedly a while since I last did a beefeater tour, but that’s not something I ever remember being told or noticing before.

For my daughter, the discovery that our own Beefeater guide has a cat, dog and various goldfish in his Tower home was another memorable insight, as we discovered little facts about life and work at the Tower.

And apart from the guards taking part in the ceremony, we didn’t see anyone else inside – it feels like you have it to yourself, a thought that’s enough to make your imagination run wild.

Should you see the Ceremony of the Keys with kids?

Yes – absolutely. My daughter was transfixed, and loved the idea of being part of history for a night.

But this definitely isn’t something to try with toddlers: I’d only recommend the Ceremony of the Keys with kids who are old enough to follow instructions and to appreciate the history.

You do need to be able to stand still and be quiet, during the ceremony. My daughter was mildly alarmed at the thought that the guard had a bayonet as well as his gun – and while I suspect you’d have to offer a LOT of provocation before he’d use it, overtired hyperactive small children and armed guards aren’t an ideal mix!

More to the point, for younger kids, it won’t be interesting – from a toddler’s point of view, it’s lots of hanging around, being shushed, with not a lot to see.

Expect loud shouts too. Despite being warned in advance, around half of our group jumped out of our skins as the guard called out ‘Halt!’

It’s also a late night: even though it’s a short ceremony, you don’t leave until around 10.05pm, and unless you’re staying very close to the Tower of London, you’ve also got to factor in the journey back to bed – Minnie fell asleep the second she got into the car.

The best age to see the Ceremony of the Keys with kids is going to vary from child to child – there were a couple of others of a similar age to my eight-year-old on the night we went, but I wouldn’t have wanted to take her before she was 7 at the youngest.

The Ceremony of the Keys: Need to know

The trickiest part of seeing the Ceremony of the Keys with kids is being able to get tickets. There’s no waiting list so you have to keep an eye out for when bookings open and be prepared to pounce as soon as you can.

Tickets are usually released on the first working day of the month, with a month’s worth of tickets available.

Otherwise you just have to be lucky and see if there’s a cancellation.

To book tickets for the Ceremony of the Keys, click here.

There’s currently a £5 admin fee per ticket, with a maximum of six per booking – the tickets themselves are officially free.

You’re also asked to bring ID (although you may not have to show it) and there’s a brief bag search.

Tickets are non-transferable and you cannot change names on bookings under any circumstances.

The visit starts at the West gate (the usual main entrance into the Tower) at 9.30pm on the dot: do not be late, as if you’re not waiting to be ushered in, you’ll be stuck outside the gates and there’s no-one around to admit latecomers.

At 10.05pm, you are escorted out again (because obviously all the gates are locked up) and you leave at the West gate as well.

Because the Tower itself is closed to visits, there are none of the usual facilities (no toilets are open, no refreshments etc) and you can’t go wandering around either.

You don’t really get time to chat to your guide – my daughter wanted to find out if the Beefeaters were still entitled to eat beef from the monarch’s table, but the timings are very precise, so if you’ve got a string of questions, you’ll need to head back for a normal daytime visit.

Photography during the ceremony is not allowed (and if you need any encouragement to follow the rules, I remind you that almost everyone else you see inside the Tower during the ceremony is armed!)

You’ll be told when to put phones on silent and away, although it’s fine to take photos beforehand, and there’s a pause at the end to snap a few shots of the illuminated White Tower.

To book tickets to visit the Tower of London for a daytime visit, check here for discounted entry

PIN FOR LATER: THE CEREMONY OF THE KEYS WITH KIDS

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