The Tower of London’s new ravenmaster takes charge of the landmark’s iconic flock. You may wonder why he takes this job so seriously. It may determine the future of his country. If an ancient prophecy is right, Michael “Barney” Chandler has just got the most important job in England.The 56-year-old former Royal Marine is the new ravenmaster at the Tower of London, responsible for looking after the feathered protectors of the 1,000-year-old fortress. According to legend, if the ravens leave the 11th-century tower beside the River Thames, its White Tower will crumble and the Kingdom of England will fall. In the 17th century, King Charles II was told of the prophecy and decreed that there must always be six ravens at the tower.
Chandler, who officially took up the post on Friday, is one of the tower’s famous Yeoman Warders, part of a corps founded in the 15th century. Also known as Beefeaters, the warders are all military veterans who dress in distinctive black and scarlet Tudor-style uniforms and perform a hybrid role: providing security, leading tours of the tower, and performing ceremonial duties.
The jet-black birds are a familiar feature at the landmark, which has served as arsenal, palace, prison, zoo and more recently tourist attraction.
Watch him in action!
Photo: Leon Neal / Getty Images News / Getty Images