- published: 26 Apr 2016
- views: 8099
Coordinates: 51°30′29″N 0°4′34″W / 51.50806°N 0.07611°W / 51.50806; -0.07611
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space known as Tower Hill. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. The White Tower, which gives the entire castle its name, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078, and was a resented symbol of oppression, inflicted upon London by the new ruling elite. The castle was used as a prison since at least 1100, although that was not its primary purpose. A grand palace early in its history, it served as a royal residence. As a whole, the Tower is a complex of several buildings set within two concentric rings of defensive walls and a moat. There were several phases of expansion, mainly under Kings Richard the Lionheart, Henry III, and Edward I in the 12th and 13th centuries. The general layout established by the late 13th century remains despite later activity on the site.
London i/ˈlʌndən/ is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who named it Londinium. London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century, the name London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core. The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region and the Greater London administrative area, governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly.
London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. It is the world's leading financial centre alongside New York City and has the fifth-largest city GDP in the world (and the largest in Europe). London has been described as a world cultural capital. It was the world's most visited city during 2011 and London Heathrow is the world's busiest airport by number of international passengers. London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe. In 2012 London will become the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.
Let me take you to Trafalgar Square
Let me take you there
Every street?s a fashion catwalk, everyone?s debonair
Let me take you to Piccadilly guess it leads somewhere
Tower over centuries, tower over London
Tower up and frankly I?m amazed
What?s done cannot be undone, not here not in London
What?s done can never be erased
So, tower up, it?s those little things
Make life interesting, tower of London
Tower up wasting time
Your?s and mine, tower of London
Let me take you to St.James?s Square
Let me groove you there
Diplomats get target practice in the open air
Psychobillies scream blue murder then they hit Mayfair
Tower over centuries, tower over London
Tower up and frankly I?m amazed
What?s done cannot be undone, not here not in London
What?s done can never be erased
So, tower up, it?s those little things
Make life interesting, tower of London
Tower up wasting time
Your?s and mine, tower of London
London hey, London, hey
So, tower up, it?s those little things
Make life interesting, tower of London
Tower up wasting time
Precious time, tower of London
Tower up I?ll meet you there
I?ll be there tower of London
New York don?t make me laugh