But who are they and what is their role?

They are the Beefeaters who work at the Tower of London.

If you're wondering what exactly it is that they do - we've got you covered.

What does a Beefeater do?

Back in Tudor times they used to guard prisoners in the Tower of London and protect the famous Crown Jewels.

Nowadays, Beefeaters are used as tour guides and have become an attraction in their own right because of their colourful uniforms and unique traditions.

Every night, at precisely 9.53pm, they take part in the Ceremony of the Keys when the Queen's keys are examined and put away safely.

Why are they called 'Beefeaters'?
No one is entirely sure exactly how they got their name.

The most popular theory is based on an old agreement where they were granted the right to eat as much meat as they wanted when having a meal with the King!

LONDON BRIDGE 

Several bridges named London Bridge have spanned the River Thames between the City of London and Southwark, in central London. The current crossing, which opened to traffic in 1973, is a box girder bridge built from concrete and steel. It replaced a 19th-century stone-arched bridge, which in turn superseded a 600-year-old stone-built medieval structure. This was preceded by a succession of timber bridges, the first of which was built by the Roman founders of London.
The current bridge stands at the western end of the Pool of London and is positioned 30 metres (98 ft) upstream from previous alignments. The approaches to the medieval bridge were marked by the church of St Magnus-the-Martyr on the northern bank and by Southwark Cathedral on the southern shore. Until Putney Bridge opened in 1729, London Bridge was the only road-crossing of the Thames downstream of Kingston upon Thames. London Bridge has been depicted in its several forms, in art, literature, and songs, including the nursery rhyme "London Bridge Is Falling Down", and the epic poem The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot.

The bridge connected Iron Gate, on the north bank of the river, with Horselydown, Lane, on the south – now known as Tower Bridge Approach and Tower Bridge Road, respectively.^[8] Until the bridge was opened, the Tower Subway – 400 m to the west – was the shortest way to cross the river from Tower Hill to Tooley Street in Southwark. Opened in 1870, Tower Subway was among the world's earliest underground ("tube") railways, but it closed after just three months and was re-opened as a pedestrian foot tunnel. Once Tower Bridge was open, the majority of foot traffic transferred to using the bridge, there is no toll to pay to use it. Having lost most of its income, the tunnel was closed in 1898.^[14]

The high-level open air walkways between the towers gained a reputation as a haunt for prostitutes and pickpockets; as they were only accessible by stairs they were seldom used by regular pedestrians, and were closed in 1910.^[15][16] The walkway reopened in 1982 as part of the Tower Bridge Exhibition.

  The Yeoman Warders were formed after the 1485 Battle of Bosworth on the order of King Henry VII, according to the Royal Family website.

It's the UK's oldest extant military corps, and the oldest of the royal bodyguards.

   To wear the famous red and gold uniform, a prospective Yeoman Warder must have at least 22 years' service in the British armed forces, ranked as a warrant officer or senior non-commissioned officer. Candidates must also hold a Long Service and Good Conduct medal.

  The Tower of London was established around 1078 by William the Conqueror -- the first Norman king of England. Now it's a tourist hotspot that saw more than three million visitors a year until the coronavirus lockdown forced it to close for almost four months. It reopened on July 10.Beefeaters live on site at the Tower of London and provide guided tours of the fortress, which has stood in the city for more than 900 years.
      London Bridge is one of the most popular areas in London for its wealth of historic sites, impressive modern landmarks, as well as its strong reputation for great food and drink. On the famous south bank of the River Thames, London Bridge is easy to get to and easy on the eye with its cobbled streets, winding alleys and river banks, making its urban landscape one of the best in London.

 From Tower Bridge (often mistaken for London Bridge) to the delicious Borough Market, or even the spooky London Bridge Experience and wartime HMS Belfast, there are many things to do in the London Bridge area. 

Olaf II of Norway, King of Norway from 1015 to 1028, led military campaigns to unite Norway into one kingdom. One of these campaigns was a sea-based attack in 1014 that pulled down one of the wooden bridges. Two other wooden bridges were built and subsequently destroyed during this turbulent time in England's early history.
One of the more grisly periods of the bridge's history was at the southern gateway between 1305 and 1660, when it was customary to display the severed heads of traitors--impaled on pikes and dipped in tar to preserve them against the elements.

The head of William Wallace, a Scottish knight and landowner who led the Wars for Scottish Independence, was the first to appear on the gate. Other famous heads on pikes included those of Jack Cade in 1450, Sir Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher in 1535, and Thomas Cromwell in 1540. A German visitor to London in 1598 counted over 30 heads on the bridge. The practice was finally stopped in 1660, following the Restoration of King Charles II.

By the end of the 18th century, the old London Bridge needed to be replaced. It had fallen into severe disrepair and was blocking river traffic. Designed in 1799 by Scottish engineer John Rennie, the "New" London Bridge was completed in 1831.