ANDREW MATTHEWS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images; Historic Royal Palaces
King Charleshas inspired the naming of a new raven chick at theTower of London.
The new arrival, who was born at the end of March, is called Rex.
Rex is Latin for “king” and has traditionally been used for the monarch dating back to the 12th century.
In a press release, Historical Royal Palaces said they felt the name was “appropriate” for a Towen raven born in the year of King Charles' coronation.
“The name Rex also echoes the new cypher of King Charles that appears on the uniforms of Yeoman Warders [who guard the Tower of London] and above the entrance to the Jewel House — home to the Crown Jewels — at the Tower of London,” the release read.
The Imperial State Crown, which King Charles, 74, wore during his historic coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6, is kept at the Tower of London in the Jewel House.
The monogram shows the crown above his first initial “C” intertwined with an “R” for Rex, with “III” inside the “R.” The emblem replaced the lateQueen Elizabeth’s “ERII” insignia following her death on Sept. 8, 2022.
The raven is called Rex.Historic Royal Palaces
Historic Royal Palaces
Raven Rex was part of the Tower’s raven breeding program and will join six other ravens at the ancient landmark, according to the release. The other ravens are called Jubilee, Harris, Poppy, Georgie, Branwen and Edgar. Rex is the half-brother of Edgar and Branwen, who were born in 2021.
“They are fed a variety of raw meat each day, plus an egg once a week and blood-soaked biscuits as a special treat,” the release continued. “They spend their days getting up to mischief at the Tower, playing games, mimicking sounds, ‘cawwing’ from the rooftops, and even poaching the occasional sandwich from an unsuspecting visitor!”
Yeoman Warder and Ravenmaster Chris Skaife said, “We’re delighted to be welcoming another new chick to join the raven community here at the Tower in this historic coronation year. Visitors can expect to see Rex out and about around the Tower of London this summer.”
The Tower of London is home to the Crown Jewels.Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Yui Mok - WPA Pool/Getty Images
“We’re going to settle him into his own enclosure,” he said. “He’ll stay in there in quarantine for a couple of weeks so he can get used to the environment and the sounds and the smells around him here. We’re going to eventually get the raven out once we’re happy that he’s settled so he can enjoy the Tower of London.”
In the video, Rex could be seen being fed in his enclosure, while one of the other ravens, Poppy, even came to check him out more closely.
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Skaife added that the other ravens are “really curious” but they’ll “get used to it.”
Per the release, it’s thought that King Charles II was the first to insist that the ravens of the Tower of London be protected. “The King was advised that if the ravens left the Tower then the Kingdom would fall — an alarming sentiment for a recently restored monarch — and the legend has been kept alive ever since,” the release added.
“I’m very touched. It’s very nice,” Charles said at the time. “I have a lump in my throat, it must be a frog. I shall battle even harder now.”
source: people.com
