The pandemic forced the closure of six sites run by Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), and “dealt a devastating blow” to its finances, bosses said.

The pandemic forced the closure of six sites run by Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), and “dealt a devastating blow” to its finances, bosses said. The Tower attracted nearly three million visitors in 2018, making it the UK’s most popular paid for attraction.
HRP confirmed a voluntary redundancy scheme was in place and compulsory redundancies were likely to follow.
The organisation believes it is the first time the guards have faced redundancy since the unit was formed by Henry VII in 1485.

Some of the 37 serving Beefeaters are set to lose their jobs as part of cost-saving measures in the wake of the coronavirus shutdown, according to a statement from Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), which administers the Tower.
John Barnes, HRP’s chief executive, said visitors generate 80% of the organization’s income, and coronavirus measures have dealt a “devastating blow” to its finances.
“We have taken every possible measure to secure our financial position, but we need to do more to survive in the long term,” Barnes said in a statement. “We simply have no choice but to reduce our payroll costs.”