Tower of London ‘queen’ raven missing, feared dead

Ravens have been a mainstay of the Tower of London – England’s most famous execution site – for centuries.

It was built in the 1070s by William the Conqueror as a castle and fortress and later became a place for royalty to store weapons and jewelry. To this day, the Crown Jewels are kept on site, protected by a garrison of soldiers.

Merlina, a 14-year-old raven at the Tower of London, is feared dead.

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But it also has a dark and bloody past, having been a prison for several hundred people, including Elizabeth I, Anne Boleyn and Guy Fawkes, and the place of execution of Henry VI.

In the 1600s, Charles II decreed that six of the birds had to live at the tower at all times or else the kingdom and the tower would fall. The tower will now be left with seven of the smart birds – Jubilee, Harris, Gripp, Rocky, Erin, Poppy, and George – as they keep a spare to keep him.

The spokesperson told CNN that Merlina is a “unique” bird who has a “close connection” to Ravenmaster Christopher Skaife – whose job it is to care for the birds.

Merlina and the Ravenmaster are said to have a “close bond” – which makes it unusual for her not to have returned.

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The crow played tricks with him, the spokesperson said, and always returned to his nest at the tower at night after roaming freely.

The spokesperson said they believed she was probably dead as it was not normal that she had not returned.

Merlina was also a distinctly independent bird, only teaming up with a male last year, the spokesperson added.

“Since joining us in 2007, Merlina has been our undisputed leader of the roost, the queen of the tower crows.

“She will be sadly missed by her fellow ravens the Ravenmaster and all of us in the Tower community,” the spokesperson added in a statement.