This is the oldest place of Christian worship in London, being part of the White Tower whose construction began in 1078. It is pure Norman (Romanesque), with a rare barrel vault and massive columns. The sanctuary is open to the nave, not the usual arrangement. A gallery runs around the nave above, and here William the Conqueror himself and his successors worshipped while in residence at the Tower.
Over the centuries numerous historic events have taken place within the walls of this chapel, primarily relating to England’s sovereigns. Knights of the Bath chosen by medieval kings kept vigil here all night. In the year 1399 some fourteen noblemen were so honoured by King Henry IV. A bit earlier, in 1381, the year of the Peasants’ Revolt, the mob dragged Archbishop Sudbury from here and beheaded him on Tower Hill. Ninety years later the body of Henry VI was placed in the Chapel of St John the Evangelist after he was murdered while at prayers in the Wakefield Tower. In the turbulent times of the Tudor monarchs the body of Elizabeth of York, queen to Henry VII, lay in state in this chapel. And here in 1553 the innocent Lady Jane Grey prayed during the nine days before her execution.
The following year Mary Tudor was betrothed by proxy here to Philip of Spain. The Chapel of St John the Evangelist, located in the innermost part of a fortress and reserved for royalty and a privileged few, has been preserved for over 900 years in nearly perfect condition. Long used simply as a storeroom, it is once more a place of Christian worship. It is open to visitors daily.