Moira, the first female Beefeater / Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London...

The guards at the Tower of London are called Yeoman Warders. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners at the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, but in practice they act as tour guides and are a tourist attraction in their own right. There are twelve Yeomen Warders.

While their role is usually confined to the Tower of London, the Yeomen Warders do take part in one State ceremony. At Coronations, they form a guard of honour inside the annexe at Westminster Abbey.

Their nickname is Beefeater. The name Beefeaters is often thought to come from the French word - 'buffetier'. (Buffetiers were guards in the palace of French kings. They protected the king's food.) However, the name Beefeater is more likely to have originated from the time when the Yeomen Warders at the Tower were paid part of their salary with chunks of beef. This took place right up until the 1800s.

The Queen's Body Guard, known as the Yeomen of the Guard is the oldest of the Royal bodyguards and the oldest military corps in existence in Britain.

Watch this video about the first ever female Yeoman Warder (Beefeater) at the Tower of London and learn more about their life.