Following Richard de Podnecott's attempted robbery of the Chamber of the Pyx in 1303, some regalia were moved to the Tower of London for safekeeping.

The first keeper (however styled) after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Sir Gilbert Talbot, was the last to exercise day-to-day control over the Jewel House.

The arrangement was ended in 1671, when Colonel Thomas Blood overpowered the custodian, tied him up and, with the help of three accomplices, made off with the Crown Jewels.

Drastic changes followed: an armed guard was provided, the collection was put behind bars in a windowless room, and the first guidebook to the Crown Jewels was published, formally establishing it as a visitor attraction.

In 1815, a female visitor (later found insane) grabbed the State Crown and pulled it to bits, causing more than £10 worth of damage.

A rail was installed to keep the public at a distance from the jewels, and the repaired State Crown and Exeter Salt were put in glass cases on revolving tables.

Unfortunately, the new Jewel House building was judged to be a fire hazard, and so a new chamber was constructed on the upper floor of the Wakefield Tower in 1868 by the architect Anthony Salvin.

An underground vault extending out under the lawns in front of the barracks housed the priceless coronation regalia, while the State Trumpets, maces and plate were displayed on the ground floor.

to be able to protect the Crown Jewels against a nuclear attack, and the regalia were in a large star-shaped case designed by the architect Alan Irvine, around which visitors proceeded clockwise under the supervision of wardens.

It occupies almost the entire ground floor of the Waterloo Block (formerly a barracks) and is designed to allow up to 20,000 people a day to see the collection of more than 100 priceless objects and 23,578 diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires.

However, critics derided the experience as "just an exercise in crowd management, beautifully lit and presented but literally mechanistic",[8] a reference to the six-inch-thick, two-tonne steel doors,[9] and the use of a travelator at peak times.

[10] In 2012, the exhibit was given a £2.5 million revamp to include a new introduction area with a video showing the history of the Crown Jewels and explaining how they are used in the coronation ceremony.

Brighter lights were installed to present the jewels in a more natural way, and a new lift provides disabled access to the viewing platform.

[12] The Crown Jewels are protected by bombproof glass, and visitors to the tower are closely watched by more than 100 hidden CCTV cameras.

[15] They are on detachment from the British Army and "operate under orders agreed with the Ministry of Defence to ensure the security of the Crown Jewels".

[16] The 38 Yeomen Warders, ex-military personnel employed by Historic Royal Palaces, also provide security, though their daytime role is more concerned with managing the large number of visitors.

The present body dates from 1485, and they wear similar uniforms to the Sovereign's bodyguards, the Yeomen of the Guard, of which they have been extraordinary members since 1550.

By May 2023, the Keeper was Brigadier Andrew Jackson; he took part in the Royal Procession at the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla, carrying the King's ring.