Inside The Tower Of London | Series 8 Preview (5)

It’s June 2024 at the Tower of London, and Series 8 begins as the nation prepares to mark a landmark anniversary: 80 years since the D-Day landings of 1944, a pivotal moment that helped change the course of the Second World War.

At the heart of the commemorations, Tower Deputy Governor Debbie Whittingham is leading the organisation of a major remembrance service on Chapel Green - a national moment of reflection timed to coincide with royal events in Normandy, where the King and Queen are paying tribute.

With enormous pressure to ensure the service is both poignant and historic, Debbie has a special idea: a lone bagpiper to perform the haunting lament that echoed across the beaches on D-Day.

For the Tower’s own veteran community, the occasion is deeply personal, and Yeoman Warder Paul Cunliffe shares the story of his father’s service during the landings. As King Charles delivers his speech in Normandy, the piper begins the Tower’s moving service, watched by a crowd gathered to honour the sacrifices of 1944.

The new series also continues its exploration of the Tower’s extraordinary history. Chief Historian Tracy Borman turns her attention to one of the fortress’s most famous former prisoners, adventurer and courtier, Sir Walter Raleigh. Despite his exploits across the globe and favour with Queen Elizabeth I, Raleigh spent 13 years locked in the Bloody Tower under her successor King James I.

Tracy delves into the mystery surrounding his grisly end and the fate of his severed head, which legend claims was carried by his grieving widow until her own death. As the Tower community looks back on national history, it also faces change of its own. After seven years of service, Debbie prepares to retire from her pioneering role as the Tower’s first female Deputy Governor.

Her final official duty is to oversee the annual Constable’s Reception, a spectacular evening of military music and ceremony. Surrounded by Yeoman Warders, colleagues, and friends, Debbie bids farewell in an emotional send-off, marking the end of one chapter at the Tower and the beginning of another.

Inside The Tower Of London returns Thursday 29th October at 8pm on 5.