The museum is housed in a building originally built as army Officers’ quarters. The building still houses the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers’ Regimental Headquarters and the Officers’ Mess, which is used for formal dinners and ceremonial occasions.
Highlights of the museum’s collection include 12 Victoria Cross Medals won by the Regiment, the Uniform and Bearskin of King George V a former Colonel-in-Chief of the Regiment and an Eagle Standard of the 82nd Regiment of the French Line captured by the Royal Fusiliers during the Napoleonic Wars.
The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers was formed on 20th June 1685, when King James II issued a Royal Warrant to raise an infantry force from the existing Tower of London Garrison. The first Commanding Officer was the Constable of the Tower. Their intended role was to guard the Tower of London’s guns. The Fusiliers later fought in Belgium and Spain and then in the American War of Independence.
After being based at the Tower (except when away fighting abroad or garrisoned in British locations) for nearly 200 years, the Royal Fusiliers moved to Hounslow in 1881, leaving only part of their number at the Tower. The regiment returned in 1949 for an 11 year stay. Single soldiers were barracked in the Waterloo Block. Married men and their families lived in houses within the Tower.
After this, the Tower became the home of a Royal Fusilier T A Regiment and continued to be the Regimental Headquarters.
Today garrison duties are undertaken by the Yeoman Warders and by three London District regiments at a time on a rotational basis.
