Last Prisoner In Tower Of London

Imagine being the last person to ever hear those heavy oak doors slam shut behind you at the Tower of London. That solitary distinction belongs to Hermann Goering’s right-hand man, Rudolf Hess, though his story is far stranger than fiction. In 1941, Hess flew a Messerschmitt solo to Scotland on a bizarre peace mission, landing in a field with a sprained ankle and a head full of delusions.

His official Tower residency lasted just four days in May 1941, but it was enough to secure his spot in history as the final prisoner. Churchill ordered him held there under the pseudonym “Jonathan,” a detail that feels almost like a spy novel. After his transfer to the Tower’s less famous cousin, Mytchett Place, the fortress never held another inmate again—a quiet end to a thousand-year tradition.

The Tower’s Glorious (and Grim) Guest List

Before Hess, the Tower hosted a rogue’s gallery of royalty, rebels, and religious martyrs. Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth I) spent two months under house arrest here in 1554, famously scratching “Much suspected, by me nothing proved” on a window with a diamond ring. Sir Walter Raleigh whiled away 13 years in a suite with his family and even planted tobacco in the Tower garden.

The most famous ghosts? Anne Boleyn, who was executed on Tower Green in 1536, and Lady Jane Grey, the nine-day queen. Hess, by contrast, arrived with a personal adjutant, a valet, and a copy of a book on homeopathy. His “cell” was actually a comfortable officer’s quarters in the Lieutenant’s Lodgings—more boutique hotel than dungeon.

Practical Tip: Visiting the Tower Today

If you want to stand where Hess slept, book a Yeoman Warder-led tour—they’re the only guides with access to the private apartments. Go on a weekday at 10:00 AM to avoid the school groups that flood the ravens’ enclosure by noon. Don’t miss the Bloody Tower, but save time for the Royal Beasts exhibit, where you’ll learn that the Tower once housed a polar bear that fished for salmon in the Thames.

For a truly eerie moment, pause at the Traitors’ Gate at low tide. Water trickles through the stone archway just as it did when prisoners arrived by boat, their last view of freedom being that dripping, mossy darkness. Bring an umbrella—the riverside wind is persistent.

Why Hess Was the Last (and Why It Matters)

The Tower’s prison function officially ended in the 1950s, largely because Victorian reforms and modern justice made it obsolete. By the time Hess flew in, the Tower was already a tourist attraction run by the Ministry of Works. Executions had stopped in 1941—the last being of a German spy named Josef Jakobs, shot by a firing squad in a miniature rifle range.

Hess’s four-day stay was a symbolic one, meant to show the world that Britain’s ancient fortress still had teeth. In practice, he was treated more like a VIP guest: offered a hot bath, a newspaper, and a whisky (which he declined). After his transfer to Spandau Prison in Berlin, the Tower’s dungeon doors closed for good.

Fun Little Facts to Impress Your Friends

Did you know the Tower’s ravens must always have six birds on-site, or the kingdom will fall? The current crew includes “Jubilee” and “Branwen,” both rescued from Cornwall. Another quirk: the Tower’s resident Yeoman Warders must have served in the armed forces for at least 22 years and live inside the walls with their families. No exceptions.

Hess himself added a bizarre footnote: during his imprisonment, he claimed to be a victim of poisoning and demanded his food be tasted by a doctor. He later faked amnesia—a trick that fooled psychiatrists for decades. And the plane he flew? It’s still on display at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, its fuselage dented from the crash landing.

Connecting the Past to Your Morning Coffee

Here’s the modern twist: the Tower of London now hosts 35,000 visitors per day in summer, all snapping selfies where prisoners once carved their names. Hess’s living quarters are now a private flat for the Governor, decorated with 18th-century wallpaper and a kettle for tea. The last prisoner’s legacy isn’t a cell, but a lifestyle—one of transitory confinement followed by a nice cup of Earl Grey.

So next time you’re stuck in a meeting or trapped in traffic, remember Hess. He had four days in a 900-year-old fortress, and he spent them arguing about homeopathy and asking for warm socks. Perspective is everything.

Daily Life Reflection

We all have our own “Towers”—deadlines, social commitments, the stack of laundry you’ve been avoiding. The lesson from Hess’s story is to treat those moments not as sentences, but as temporary quarters. Take the hot bath, read the newspaper, decline the whisky if you must. The door will open—it always does.

And if you ever find yourself feeling trapped, just remember: at least no one is feeding you gruel through a hatch. Modern problems, ancient comforts.