TheWhiteTowerwasstartedin1076andcompletedin1097.Itistheoldestofthetwentytowerswhichusedtostandhere，ofwhichmanycanstillbeseentoday.TheTowerofLondonwasfirstbuiltbyWilliamtheConqueror（whoreignedfrom1066to1087）forthepurposeofpro—tectingandcontrollingthecity.Today，itisoneofthemostpopulartour-istsightsandattractsoverthreemillionvisitorsayear.ItwasoccasionallyusedasaRoyalPalacefortheKingsandQueensofEnglanduntilthetimeofJamesI（whoreignedfrom1603to1625）butisbestknownasprisonandexecutionplace.WithinthewallsoftheTower，princeshavebeenmurdered，traitorstortured，spiesshot，andQueensofEnglandbeheaded.OneofthemostfamousexecutionswasthatofAnneBoleynin1536.ShewasthesecondwifeofHenryⅧ。Hewantedtogetridofherbecauseshecouldnotgivehimason，SOheac—cusedherofadultery.Shewastriedandfoundguilty.Sheaskedtobebe—headedwithasword。ratherthantheusualaxe，whichcanstillbeseenintheTower.TheswordandexecutionerwerebroughtoverspeciallyfromFranceandwithonestroketheexecutionercutoffherhead.TheTowerwasalsothesceneofoneofLondon’Smostfamousmysteries，knownasthemysteryofthePrincesintheTower.KingEdwardIVdiedin1483.Hehadtwosons，EdwardandRichard，andtheelderofthese，Edward，becamekingonhisfather’Sdeath.Ashewasyearsold，hisuncle（Richard，DukeofG1。ucester）becamehisProtectoruntilthetimeofhiscoronation.YoungEdwardlivedintheTower，andtheDukepersuadedEdward’SbrothertocomeandlivethereaswellSOthattheycouldplaytogether.ButthentheDukeannouncedthathewasthenewking，andhe，notEdward，wascrowned，callinghim—selfRichard111.Afterthat.theboyswereseenlessandlessandeventuallydisap—peared.Itissaidthattheyweresuffocatedinbedbypillowsbeingpressedovertheirmouths.ItisbelievedthatRichardorderedtheirdeaths，althoughithasneverbeenproved.In1674，workmenattheTowerdiscoveredtwoskeletonswhichweretakenawayandburiedinWestmin—sterAbbeyin1678.Theboneswereexaminedin1933andweredeclaredtobethoseoftwochildren，roughlytheageofthePrinces.However，thetruefactshaveneverbeendiscovered.Today，thetowerwheretheboyswereimprisonediSknownastheBIoodyTower.