Throughout The Prince and the Pauper, we get a glimpse of what royal life is like. One of the biggest changes for Tom was getting used to all the people whose soul goal is to help you as the prince/king. We continue exploring that in the Chapter 30 Historical Tidbit…
YEOMEN OF THE GUARD
Keep reading or watch the video below to learn more.
Tom is started to get used to the royal treatment after spending so much time trapped in the palace:
“It came to be a proud pleasure to march to dinner attended by a glittering procession of officers of state and gentlemen-at-arms; insomuch, indeed, that he doubled his guard of gentlemen-at-arms, and made them a hundred. He liked to hear the bugles sounding down the long corridors, and the distant voices responding, ‘Way for the King!’ ” (p. 177)
Who were the Yeomen of the Guard?
- The personal bodyguard of the king/queen of England
- Created in 1485 by King Henry VII
- Originally responsible for the king’s safety at home/away or on the battlefield
- Originally, there were 50
Their Responsibilities
- Mainly protection
- Lined the hallways whenever the king moved from one room to another
- Carried torches for the king
- Advising the Officer of the Kitchen about when to prepare the king’s meals
- Monitoring during meal times
- Tasting the king’s food
- Collect food/drink for the king at night
- Stab the mattress with a dagger
- Carrying royal coffins
- Participate in royal coronation processions
Their Uniforms (modern-day)
- Tudor-inspired
- Gold-embroidered: Tudor rose, shamrock, and thistle, motto ‘Dieu et Mon Droit’ and initials of monarch
- Red tunics
- Red knee breeches
- Red stockings
- Sword
- Long poles
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References
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Yeomen-of-the-Guard
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeomen_of_the_Guard
https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-Yeomen-Of-The-Guard/
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