For the first time in 500 years, the famous Beefeaters of the Tower of London are facing mandatory job cuts or redundancy as the administration is forced to cut costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The iconic Beefeaters was formed in 1485, and it is the first time in history that job redundancy was implemented in the wake of difficult economic times.
Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that manages the Tower of London, told European media sources that it is reducing costs after experiencing a deficit of more than $112 million this year.
Due to the pandemic, the Tower of London, as well as other tourist and historical sites in the UK, is managed by Historic Royal Palaces, has closed down for more than three months.
The charity said they had spent more than $57 million on paychecks in the past year. That was a year of no pandemic, and tourists were abundantly visiting the UK.
The Queen sat behind a gold desk wearing a massive diamond hat telling beefeaters “times are tough”. https://t.co/buq8IMP7Hn
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) July 20, 2020
The Beefeaters
According to international news sources, two Beefeaters have voluntarily accepted the redundancy. These two beefeaters are the ceremonial guardians of the Tower.
However, there are more non-voluntary job cuts that are likely to happen as the charity attempts to decrease wage costs.
There are currently 37 beefeaters in the Tower of London.
Employees of the tower reportedly received a 20 percent salary cut even before July.
The Beefeaters have long been standing in the Tower of London after its formation by the late King Henry VII in 1485.
Back in the olden days of prince and princesses, the Beefeaters are called the Yeoman Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace. Some of them are called Members of the Sovereign’s Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary.
They are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London who are responsible for looking after safeguarding the British crown jewels. They also safeguard the prisoners of the tower.
During this modern era, when the Tower of London has been a lurking ground for travelers, the Beefeaters also conducted guided tours of the Tower. The guided tours were said to be done since the Victorian era.
Not Just The Tower Of London
It is not just the Tower of London that is experiencing job cuts but also other palaces managed by Historic Royal Palaces in London and in Northern Ireland.
According to the charity, layoffs are being conducted because they do not expect that tourist numbers will bounce back to at least the 2019 data.
The management said they now project making less than $14 million this year, which is an all-time low compared to the $125 million they have projected earlier this year.
The Tower of London recorded only about 800 visitors per day, which is also drastically lower compared to the 15,000 visitors they welcome during the same period of summer in the past.
Because social distancing protocols are in place, the Tower of London can only accommodate about 1,000 people at once.
John Barnes, chief executive of Royal Palaces, said they rely on tourists for at least 80 percent of their income.
He noted that the closure of 6 tourist sites they have has already caused a “devastating” financial blow to their finances and that they are expecting it to continue for the rest of the year.
He is also urging the public to support them by visiting the historical tourist destinations.
More updates in Europe here: the UK suspends Hong Kong extradition treaty, stoking China tensions
