King’s mythical raven suffers grisly death at the Tower of London
One of the king’s ravens at the Tower of London met a grisly end when he caught his head in a cage and was killed by his fellow birds.
Gripp was one of three of the ‘much loved’ creatures who have perished at the tourist attraction over the last three years.
King Charles II is said to have decreed that if the ravens ever leave the Tower then the kingdom and the monarch will fall, and six must be present in the stronghold at all times.
While the birds are carefully looked after and replaced in accordance with the myth, mishaps have accounted for some of their number over the years.
Erin and one-year-old Rex died of unknown causes in August 2022 and September 2024 respectively, according to information released by Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), the independent charity which runs the Tower.
Rex, whose name means ‘king’ in Latin, was named in honour of King Charles III, who is said by the Ravenmaster Yeoman Warder Michael ‘Barney’ Chandler to regularly check up on the birds.
Gripp met his end in July 2023 after catching his head in a cage.
Fortunately, the trio’s demise does not spell the end of the kingdom as envisioned in the myth said to stretch back more than 350 years.
Releasing the information, HRP said: ‘Rex was born in 2023 but sadly passed away last month. We plan to introduce a new raven soon.’
A breeding pair, Higinn and Muninn, were in residence for parts of 2021 and 2022 but at present there are no nesting ravens at the tourist attraction.
Newcomers will have a pampered life compared to the wild.
Around £6,600 a year is spent on the birds’ maintenance, which includes food, veterinary care and ancillary costs.
What are the names of the Tower of London ravens?
Visitors to the world famous attraction can spot Jubilee, Harris, Poppy, George and siblings Edgar and Branwen.
The latter pair were born at the Tower in March 2021.
Past residents include Muninn, who flew off to Greenwich and was eventually caught by a resident with the advice from a Ravenmaster.
George was dismissed for damaging TV aerials and Grog was last spotted outside an East End pub.
Upkeep is the responsibility of the Tower’s Ravenmaster and keepers who know the birds individually and get to know their habits and idiosyncrasies.
The large crows, which are lodged on the South Lawn, are intelligent creatures who can mimic sounds, play games and solve problems.
At twice daily mealtimes they feed on a diet of mice, chicks, rats and assorted raw meats — with a special treat of biscuits soaked in blood.
What is the myth of the Tower of London ravens?
Legend has it that Charles II insisted that the crown and Tower would fall if the ravens left. His order is said to have contradicted the wishes of his astronomer, John Flamsteed, who complained about the birds getting in the way of his work at the observatory in the White Tower.
The prize-winning blogger David Castleton states the myth of the ‘hopping, croaking and mischievous birds’ cannot be traced back earlier than 1944 but draws on ‘earlier folklore and deeply held archetypes.’
Former Ravenmaster Chris Skaife drew a similar conclusion in a first-person account of his work for Metro.co.uk.
He admitted: ‘Legend reminds us that if the ravens should ever leave the Tower, it will crumble into dust and the Kingdom will fall.
‘I’ll tell you a little secret: the truth is that the raven myth probably isn’t that old. But we Yeoman Warders at the Tower take good care of the ravens nevertheless, protecting them like they were our own.’
Past mishaps involving the ravens include a fox killing two of the creatures before they were put to bed in May 2013.
Another, named George, was fired in 1986 after breaking too many television aerials while Grog was last sighted outside an East End pub in 1981. Muninn took flight to Greenwich before being caught by a member of the public after seven days on the run.
Skaife told the person how to use pieces of chicken, a blanket and gloves to catch the escapee, saying: ‘The Tower of London and the monarchy depends on you right now sir.’ The resident duly obliged.
Grisly endings aside, the ravens have longer healthier lives on average than those in the wild. The average lifespan of their feral kin is 12 years, while those at the Tower often reach their mid-20s and longer.
A spokesperson for HRP told Metro: ‘We are sad to confirm that raven Rex died at the Tower of London recently.
‘Ravens Gripp and Erin have also died in recent years.
‘All three were much-loved members of the Tower’s resident raven community, cared for by the Tower’s Ravenmaster and his team.
‘We still have a full complement of six ravens at the Tower, and plan to introduce another to the group in due course.
‘The ravens themselves are very well looked after by the Ravenmaster and his team and receive regular veterinary check-ups.’
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