Govind Tekale
A sea of red ceramic poppies has once again transformed the grounds of the Tower of London, as the historic fortress commemorates the 80th anniversary of VE Day. This installation, titled “Tower Remembers,” features nearly 30,000 handcrafted poppies cascading across the White Tower lawn in what appears as a symbolic wound—a powerful visual reminder of lives lost during the Second World War.
Historic Installation Returns with New Purpose
The ceramic poppies, created by artist Paul Cummins and stage designer Tom Piper, echo the memorable 2014 “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red ” installation. However, while the previous display included 888,246 poppies—one for each British and Colonial life lost in the First World War—this year’s installation focuses specifically on the Second World War, with the poppies on loan from Imperial War Museums.
The installation opened on 6 May 2025 and will remain until 11 November, spanning significant dates including VE Day (8 May), VJ Day (15 August), and culminating on Armistice Day.
The Tower’s Own War Wounds
Few visitors realise the Tower itself bears physical and human scars from the war being commemorated. During the Blitz, between September 1940 and May 1941, the Tower was directly hit multiple times. On 23 September 1940, a high-explosive bomb destroyed part of the Old Hospital Block. More tragically, on 5 October 1940, another strike demolished the North Bastion, killing Yeoman Warder Samuel Reeves and resident Lily Frances Lunn.
These direct connections to the war make the Tower not merely a backdrop for remembrance but a genuine site of wartime sacrifice.
Royal Presence Marks Opening
Queen Camilla placed the final poppy during the installation’s opening ceremony, drawing public applause amid the wider VE Day commemorations (see HRP’s press release) (Historic Royal Palaces). Her Majesty’s participation underscored the monarchy’s continued role in national remembrance events.
Poet Laureate’s New Work
Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, was commissioned to create a new poem specifically for the installation. Titled “In Retrospect ,” it reflects on the poppy’s dual nature as both fragile and enduring:
“Such flimsy, wavering plants; we painted their flowers the colour of blood and punched dark holes in their heads as if bullets had passed through…”
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The poem casts the poppy as both “soul” and “flagging red alert,” encouraging shared responsibility for remembrance rather than relying solely on symbols.
Inclusive Remembrance
Historic Royal Palaces has made significant efforts to ensure the installation is accessible to all visitors. A British Sign Language digital guide is available free for BSL users, while audio tours narrated by Yeoman Warders and curators provide context for the installation and the Tower’s 1,000-year history .
Schools are also catered for with educational resources exploring VE Day, VJ Day, and the contributions of Indian Army regiments, all aligned with national curricula.
From Charity to Commemoration
Unlike the 2014 installation, where poppies were sold at £25 each—raising over £15 million for six service charities including the Royal British Legion, Help for Heroes, and Combat Stress—the 2025 poppies remain on loan from the Imperial War Museums and are not for sale.
This shift from fundraising to pure commemoration reflects a focus on collective remembrance as the generation that fought in the war fades into history.
Preserving Living Memory
With the last WWII veterans now in their late 90s, the IWM’s Sound Archive has accelerated efforts to record first-person testimonies. The archive currently contains over 33,000 hours of interviews, including hundreds from WWII veterans (Tripadvisor).
Commonwealth Sacrifice Remembered
The installation also acknowledges the global nature of the conflict. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission commemorates 667,086 Commonwealth military deaths in WWII , including 383,898 from the UK and Crown Colonies. Of these, 264,443 were UK personnel: 50,758 from the Royal Navy, 144,079 from the Army, and 69,606 from the RAF.
A Space for Reflection
Historic Royal Palaces has positioned the Tower as “a shared space for reflection” and “beacon of resilience,” emphasising its dual role as fortress and living memorial. Similarly, the Imperial War Museums frame this display within a broader VE–VJ Day 80 programme , spanning commemorative events at all five IWM sites, from the London Churchill War Rooms to Duxford’s airshow.
The Tower Remembers installation provides a powerful visual marker of the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe, inviting visitors to pause and consider both the broad sweep of history and the individual lives commemorated by each ceramic flower.
