Royal Marine Veteran and Polar Explorer Takes Up Tower Duty

Barry Gray, a former Regimental Sergeant Major in the Royal Marines who is one of a very small number of people to have skied Solo and Unsupported across the Antarctic continent, has joined the ranks as the Tower of London’s latest ‘Beefeater’ recruit.

He joins 34 other Yeoman Warders who live and work at the Tower, alongside his family.

YW Barry Gray served for 26 years in the Royal Marines, deployed on operational tours to Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Having always had a spirit for adventure and a love of the outdoors, Gray trained other Royal Marines in Mountain and Cold Weather training as part of the Mountain Leader Branch, eventually becoming the Chief Instructor of this specialist group in 2007.

He retired from the Royal Marines in 2016 to focus on limit-testing expeditions around the world, including skiing solo and unsupported 730 miles to the South Pole in 2018-19 in just 38 days, and running his own leadership business.

YW Barry Gray has spent most of his life calling the South West of England home, most recently living in Yelverton on the edge of Dartmoor National Park with his wife Claire, with whom he shares three children – Steven, George and Mia.

The role of Yeoman Warder, popularly known by the nickname ‘Beefeater’, originates from the band of warders who guarded the Tower of London and its prisoners from the reign of William the Conqueror in the 11th century. The Yeoman Warders as they exist today were officially created in 1485 by Henry VIII as an extension of his personal protection, and to this day continue to hold a traditional ceremonial role as Extraordinary Members of The King’s Bodyguard.

Today they help to bring the Tower’s history alive for millions of visitors each year, carrying out ceremonial duties and leading their famous Yeoman Warder tours.

Applicants for the role of Yeoman Warder of His Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, must have served at least 22 years in the armed forces, hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal, and have reached the rank of Warrant Officer or equivalent, before being selected for interview and a rigorous selection process. 

YW Barry Gray says:

“It is such a great feeling to get stuck into my new role at the Tower of London. I’ve had many adventures throughout my life in the Royal Marines and beyond, but this is a definite life highlight! I have been made to feel so welcome and look forward to being joined by my family in the coming months.”

Over the coming months, YW Barry Gray will learn the 21 separate duties conducted by the Yeoman Warders each day, including the ancient Ceremony of the Keys which has taken place every night without fail for at least 700 years.

He will also devote much of his time to learning ‘the Story’, the 8,000 word script of the famous Yeoman Warder tour which must be learned verbatim before he will be permitted to lead his own tours of the Tower of London. 

DID YOU KNOW? Yeoman Warder facts

• As of March 2025, there are currently 35 Yeoman Warders at the Tower including the Chief Yeoman Warder and Yeoman Gaoler.
• There are two uniforms for the Yeoman Body.  On a typical day, visitors to the Tower will see the Yeoman Warders wearing their blue undress uniform, of different weights for summer and winter. The famous scarlet and gold Ceremonial Uniform with red stockings and white ruff is only worn for state occasions; for example, when the monarch visits the Tower or for any state occasion that the Body attends.
• The sovereign’s initials have appeared on uniforms worn by Yeoman Warders since 1570, and the Blue Undress uniform was updated just before the Coronation in 2023 to bear the new cypher of King Charles III, as a continuation of this tradition.
• The full job title is “Yeoman Warder of His Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London”, but they are often known by the nickname ‘Beefeater’, the origins of which are lost to myth and legend. The most likely explanation is that Yeoman Warders were given a daily ration of meat for their duties. Records show that in 1813 the daily ration for the thirty men on duty was 24lbs of beef, 18lbs mutton and 16lbs of veal!