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The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the Middle Ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner – the king or a nobleman – was not in residence. The Constable of the Tower had a unique importance as the person in charge of the principal fortress defending the capital city of England. Today the role of Constable is a ceremonial one and mainly involves taking part in traditional ceremonies within the Tower as well as being part of the community that lives within its perimeter. The office is currently held by General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC, who assumed the post on 1 August 2009. On 20 July 2012, the Constable welcomed the Olympic Torch to London at the Tower one week in advance of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, as part of the Olympic torch relay.〔(London2012 )〕 He is the 159th Constable; although the precise number of Constables is uncertain, but 159 is the number arrived at after an estimate during the last century. Under the ''Queen's Regulations for the Army'', the office of Constable is conferred upon a Field Marshal or a retired General officer for a five-year term.〔''The Queen's Regulations for the Army'' (Ministry of Defence): Chapter 9, Annex B.〕 At the conclusion of the Constable's Installation ceremony, the Lord Chamberlain symbolically hands over the Queen’s House to the Constable. He in turn entrusts it to the Resident Governor, who is responsible for the day-to-day running of Her Majesty’s Palace and Fortress, the Tower of London. == History == The office of Constable of the Tower is one of the oldest in England, dating back to within a few years of the Conquest, and has always been one of great honour and dignity. In the past, this appointment has been held by eminent prelates of the Church, prominent politicians and distinguished soldiers. The first Constable, Geoffrey de Mandeville was appointed by William the Conqueror (AD 1066-87) in the 11th century. Formerly, in the absence of the Sovereign, the Constable would have been among the most powerful men in London. Today the Constable retains the right of direct access to the Sovereign. Since 1784 the Constable has always been a senior military officer. During the medieval period the Constable ran the Tower which included building maintenance, soldiers' pay and, as the Royal menagerie was housed in the Tower, supervision of the 'Keeper of the King’s Animals'. He was also ultimately responsible for the prisoners kept there. The first known prisoner was the Norman Bishop Ranulf Flambard in 1100, and the London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray were the last official prisoners, for a few days in 1952, for refusing to do their National Service. They were sent to the Tower as it was the barracks of the 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) to which they had been assigned. The Constable’s responsibility for prisoners was made clear in the words with which he was entrusted with them: “You are to guard them securely in the prison of our said tower in such a way that you shall answer for them body for body ... Fail in no part of this on pain of forfeiture of life and limb and all property you hold in our realms.” Until the expulsion of the Jews in 1290, the Constable was responsible for the regulation of London's Jewry. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Constable of the Tower」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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