Lisburn Army veteran Ryan becomes Tower of London's newest Beefeater: 'It's a boyhood dream come true'

He’s become the newest Beefeater, the iconic guards who have proudly protected the medieval battlements of the Tower of London for almost 1,000 years.

Properly named Yeoman Warders, the Beefeaters were formally created by Henry VII in the 15th century, but can trace their lineage back to hardy souls who defended the palace during the reign of William the Conqueror.

Guardians of the Crown Jewels and Royal bodyguards, these days the Beefeaters are also a link to the past and a tourist draw – part of the pageantry, pomp and circumstance of British history.

But they’re a tough crowd to join; there’s only 35 men in the garrison, all of whom have to be retired members of the British armed forces with at least 22 years service, who reached the rank of warrant officer or equivalent, and hold the Long Service and Good Conduct medal.

In Ryan’s case, he served with the Royal Irish Regiment for 10 years, before transferring to the Royal Regiment of Artillery for a further 12 years.

During his army days, he undertook operational tours in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Afghanistan.

And he already has practice standing watch over Royal residences, as after his 22 years of service he became a Castle Host at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens – the King’s official residence in Northern Ireland.

That role saw him conduct tours of the State Rooms and share stories of the castle’s royal and political heritage, experience which the new Yeoman Warder Brown will be able to bring to his duties at the Tower.

As Ryan put it: “It’s an honour and privilege to be a member of the Yeoman Body.

"There is so much more to the role than you can imagine.

"This is the fulfilment of a boyhood dream.”

All Beefeaters and their families live and work at the Tower, so he’ll be joined at the Royal landmark by his wife of 23 years, Lesley.

Over the next few months, Ryan will be tasked with learning ‘the story’, as the script for the famous Yeoman Warder Tour of the landmark is known, before leading his own tours of the palace to its 3m annual visitors.

He will also take on 21 separate duties conducted by the Yeoman Warders each day, including the ancient Ceremony of the Keys - the formal locking up of the Tower, which has taken place every single night for 700 years.

And the Lisburn man will be sporting the latest look for Beefeaters, as last year both of their famous uniforms were updated with the cypher of King Charles.

Tourists typically see the Yeoman Warders wearing their blue undress uniform, used for everyday duties around the Tower and issued in different weights for summer and winter.

Their scarlet and gold ceremonial uniform is only word for state occasions, such as when the monarch attends the Tower or during large formal ceremonies the Beefeaters are required to attend.