Feathered guardians Six ‘protect the nation’

According to legend, the “kingdom and the Tower” will fall if the six resident ravens ever leave the fortress.

One often quoted version is: “If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it.”

Another version predicts that the White Tower, the castle at the heart of the tower, will “crumble to dust” if the ravens leave.

Charles II is said to have first insisted that the ravens at the tower be protected, and that six be kept there at all times.

But according to Chris Skaife, the raven master, keeping them there only dates back to around 1880.