Tower of London: Public to vote on baby raven's name

Fans around the world are being asked to vote on a name for the female chick

The Tower of London is celebrating the end of its longest closure since World War Two by asking the public to name a raven chick.

Born in March, the young corvid will be named either Florence, Matilda, Branwen, Bronte or Winifred.

The unnamed chick and her brother Edgar - named after writer Edgar Allan Poe - will take the Tower's number of resident ravens to nine.

Ravenmaster Chris Skaife said he was "delighted" to have two new chicks.

The legend of the ravens says that if the birds leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall, with King Charles II thought to be the first monarch to demand their protection.

The unnamed chick pictured with her brother Edgar - named after writer Edgar Allan Poe, famous for his poem The Raven

The raven chicks were born in March to the Tower's resident breeding pair, Huginn and Muninn.Their birth came two months after the Tower's 'queen' raven, Merlina, went missing and was presumed dead.

"We're delighted to have two new chicks joining the raven community here at the Tower," Yeoman Warder Chris Skaife, said.

"There's a lot of pressure when picking names for these famous feathered residents, so I hope that people around the world will help us to name our newest addition, and come and see them in person as they settle into their new home."

Ravenmaster Chris Skaife: "We're delighted to have two new chicks joining the raven community"

The public will choose between a number of historically significant women in naming the raven, with pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale and the legendary literary Bronte sisters among them.

Visitor income at the Tower has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, but the attraction is ready to open its doors again on 19 May with a number of safety measures in place for visitors.

The winning name will be announced as part of the reopening.