(gentle music) Besides being a palace and a fortress, the Tower's mighty walls meant it soon became the most notorious prison in the land. Over nine centuries, everyone was held here from gunpowder plotter Guy Fawkes to Nazi leader Rudolf Hess. But the Tower's first prisoner was a Norman bishop, Ranulf Flambard. Flambard was described as eloquent, intelligent, and handsome. Medieval bishops were some of the most powerful people in England, and Flambard wormed his way into the position of top advisor to King William II. But he does sound like a nasty piece of work. He abused his position. It's said that he skinned the rich and ground down the poor. (soft string music) When a new king came to the throne in 1100, Flambard was stripped of his position and led in chains to the Tower. Now you might think they're being kept prisoner in the Tower of London must have been a dreadful experience, but not necessarily so. This wasn't an ordinary prison for criminals. It was a prison for important enemies of the state. You could expect to be looked after rather well. This medieval chronicle tells us that Flambard, for example, fared sumptuously when he was in here, and every day, he was given a splendid table. That's a feast for himself and his keepers. (cheerful music) And on the feast of Candlemas 1101, he arranged a special delivery to his cell. Oh, goody! It's my wine. (crows cawing) Flambard invited his guards to join him for a particularly good dinner. He got them so drunk that they all passed out, and then he put his plan into action, because what was inside the barrel wasn't in fact wine, it was a rope that he was now going to use to escape. Now, this wasn't the most swashbuckling of escapes. Flambard did go down his rope with his bishop's crosier in this hand, (laughs) but silly guy forgot his gloves and his hands got all rubbed raw. Ouch! (groaning) And when he got to the bottom, the bishop realized that his rope was too short. That made medieval chronicler tells us that the portly bishop lay bruised on the ground, groaning piteously. But the main thing was that he was out and his accomplices took him away by boat. So Bishop Flambard was the first prisoner of the Tower of London, and he was also the first to prove that the security at the mighty fortress wasn't always quite what it should have been. Over the years, thousands of prisoners have been held here, but just 40 have escaped these walls. (cheerful music)
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