LONDON (AP) — If ancient prophecies are correct, Michael “Bernie” Chandler has just taken the most important job in Britain.
The 56-year-old former Royal Marine is the new Crow Master at the Tower of London, responsible for looking after the 1,000-year-old fortress’s feathered guardians.
Legend has it that if the crow leaves the 11th-century tower on the banks of the River Thames, the White Tower will fall and the Kingdom of England will fall. In the 17th century, Charles II was informed of this prophecy and decreed that at all times he must have six ravens in the Tower.
“We take that responsibility very seriously,” Chandler said. “And now that I’m Ravenmaster, I have even more responsibility on my shoulders.”
“I don’t know if it’s true or not, because the number has never been less than six, and it won’t happen while I’m here,” he said of the prophecy. he said.
Chandler, who will officially take up his post on Friday, is one of the Tower’s famous Yeoman Warders, part of a force founded in the 15th century. The guards, also known as Beefeaters, are all military veterans, wear distinctive black and scarlet Tudor uniforms, and perform a hybrid role of providing security, leading tours of the tower and carrying out ceremonial duties. I will fulfill it.
He leads a team of four other Beefeaters who look after the tower’s seven ravens (six ordered by Charles II and one in reserve). They are Jubilee, Harris, Poppy, Georgie, Edgar, Branwen and the newest rex, named in honor of Charles III’s coronation last year.
The jet-black bird is a familiar feature of this landmark, which has served as an armory, palace, prison, zoo, and more recently as a tourist attraction.
Built by William I after the Conquest of England in 1066, it served as the king’s residence for hundreds of years, but is better known as a prison.
The Tower is where Edward IV’s sons, the Princes in the Tower, were imprisoned in 1483 and are said to have been murdered by their uncle Richard III, and where Henry VIII married his second wife. It is also where Anne Boleyn was executed in 1536 after getting tired of her. . Other famous inmates include Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth I. Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliament. and Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler’s deputy.
Today, nearly 3 million tourists visit each year to soak up its thousand-year history and see the glittering Crown Jewels housed in its towers.
Although the official title of Ravenmaster is only 50 years old, the role is much older, and Chandler is the sixth holder of the post. He is responsible for the health and welfare of the birds, which typically roam freely around the tower grounds during the day and sleep in cages at night.
Duties include maintaining the birds’ enclosures, arranging veterinary visits, feeding them the raw meat diet they prefer, and giving them occasional treats of hard-boiled eggs or blood-soaked biscuits.
“That’s a carrion bird,” Chandler said. “They’ll eat almost anything.”
The birds’ wings are clipped to keep them from flying away, but sometimes they do. Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that manages the tower, said the crow, known as Grog, took flight in 1981 and was last seen outside the Rose and Punchbowl pub in the East End.
Chandler is forever fascinated by highly intelligent birds, which are said to be as smart as a 7-year-old. Asked his favorite, he named the mischievous poppy. He jumped on the grass under the white tower, and when I offered him a dead mouse as a snack, he eagerly accepted it.
He says the bright-eyed crow is “probably one of the most intelligent animals out there.” Sometimes we can be too smart for our own good here. But for me, that’s the charm. ”
Chandler served in the Royal Marines for 24 years in Afghanistan and around the world, taking courses in bird handling and undergoing other formal training for his role. But “all the courses in the world are no substitute for actually being here, being among the birds and knowing their habits,” he says.
“You never know what they’re going to do,” Chandler said. They are all completely different in personality. Some people play with the ball, others don’t. What makes this job so interesting is that it is unpredictable.
“They’re always trying to get us,” he said fondly. “They know what we’re going to do.”