Two raven chicks have arrived at the Tower of London in accordance with a legend that says the kingdom will fall without the birds.
The five-week-olds named Henry and Poe, who are already almost at full size, are getting used to life in their new surroundings.
They will spend the next few weeks settling in before they venture out of their enclosure and begin to explore the castle and grounds.
Their arrival is symbolic because King Charles II is said to have decreed that if the ravens leave the Tower then the kingdom and the monarch will fall, and six must be present at all times.
The new arrivals come after the Metro revealed last year that one of the creatures, named Gripp, met a grisly end when he caught his head in a cage and was killed by his fellow birds.
Henry and Poe take the total number of the black feathered residents to eight — considered by the Tower to be a safe number.
Ravenmaster Barney Chandler told Metro: ‘I am absolutely delighted with how they’ve settled in.
‘They spent their first two weeks at the Tower in my kitchen, and now that they’re almost fully fledged I’ve moved them into the enclosure where they’ll get used to the sights and sounds of our visitors and the other ravens before venturing out on their own for the first time.
‘It couldn’t have gone any better, they’re siblings so they’re really happy in each other’s company – playing together and exploring their new space, oblivious to the visitors looking on.’
Henry is named after the historic Henrys who have lived at the Tower and Poe after Edgar Allan Poe, who wrote the famous poem ‘The Raven’.
They are members of the crow family, intelligent creatures who can mimic sounds, play games and solve problems.
At twice daily mealtimes the Tower ravens feed on mice, chicks, rats and assorted raw meats — with a special treat of biscuits soaked in blood.
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They are looked after by Barney, a former Royal Marine with 24 years’ service who joined the Tower as a Yeoman Warder in 2009 before spending 14 years on the raven team. He took the top job last year.
Barney has developed a special bond with each of the ravens as he goes about his duties, in which he is supported by four other warders.
Describing what it’s like looking after the chicks, he said: ‘It is an honour, but still quite stressful – the onus is on me to get this right.
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.
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.
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.’
Current Ravenmaster Barney Chandler sees the myth as part of the Tower’s story. He said: ‘I think it’s fabulous, the legend is a part of our history, and when visitors come to the Tower they know the story and look forward to meeting the ravens. It’s great for the Tower, and such a privilege for the raven team to be a part of that history.’
‘I’ve cared for raven chicks before, but this is my first time taking responsibility for them as the Ravenmaster of the Tower of London, a role I took on in 2024.
‘It’s a full-time job with regular feedings around the clock while they’re very young, and they’ve been eating me out of house and home – much like teenagers.’
The need to keep a healthy complement of birds is important because they have suffered fatal mishaps at times.
Three have perished at the tourist attraction over the last three years — including Gripp.
Other 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.
Chris Skaife, the Ravenmaster at the time, 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.
Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity which runs the Tower, has said: ‘The ravens themselves are very well looked after by the Ravenmaster and his team and receive regular veterinary check-ups.’
Do you have a story you would like to share? Contact josh.layton@metro.co.uk