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A woman is to overturn over 500 years of tradition by becoming the first-ever female Beefeater at the Tower of London, the Sun newspaper reported Wednesday.
Beefeaters, a familiar sight to tourists in their red and gold uniforms, guard the tower, where the British crown jewels are kept, but also act as tour guides.
Up to now, the 35-strong group, also known as yeoman warders, has been all-male but now the authorities have broken with tradition.
"The Tower of London is in the process of appointing its first female yeoman warder," a spokeswoman for Historic Royal Palaces, which runs the tower, told the Sun.
"The successful candidate is currently serving in HM Forces and will join her new colleagues in the yeoman body at the Tower of London in summer 2007."
Beefeaters, who have to live at the tower, are former members of the armed forces who have served for a minimum of 22 years, the paper added.
Their nickname is thought to date back to the days when the yeoman warders were given a daily ration of meat.
The unnamed woman will earn 24,000 pounds (36,000 euros, 47,000 dollars) a year, the Sun said.
kah/rl
Britain-tourism-history-offbeat
AFP 022306 GMT 01 07
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