Tower of London’s “Queen” Raven Missing and Feared Dead

THE TOWER of London’s “Queen” Raven is missing and feared dead, after nearly 14 years of living in the historical British landmark.

Named Merlina, the “Queen” raven is one of six birds that traditionally live in the Tower of London. According to an old superstition, if the Tower is one day without its birds the country shall fall.

Staff at the London tourist attraction say that Merlina, who “ruled the roost” of the Tower’s ravens, has not been seen in several weeks and is feared to be dead. When the pandemic caused the site to close to visitors, workers expressed their worry that the ravens were flying across the city to scavenge for food. Merlina was beloved by staff and visitors at the Tower and was known for her fondness for eating crisps scattered by tourists.

Charles II was the first ruler to decree that ravens must be kept in the Tower of London at all times, and when their number fell to just one bird in the 1940s PM Winston Churchill ordered that the flock – known in plural form as an “unkindness” of ravens – be kept to a minimum of six. A breeding programme in rural Suffolk is currently working to boost the number of birds at the landmark.

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