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The people who received the invitation had to have felt special. I know I would, especially

for an event at such a historic place as the Tower of London. Something to remember about

the Tower of London is that many, many centuries ago, it was also a zoo. That started way

back in 1235, when Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II gave England's King Henry III three lions.

I imagine it was the 13th century equivalent of having a nice sports car in your garage,

or a closet full of exclusive designer shoes. Either way, Henry didn't complain. Over

the years that followed, more and more exotic animals were added, including an elephant

and a polar bear. Now, as you might imagine, this was pretty exciting for the people of

London, who came in droves to see these wild beasts for themselves. Generation after generation

grew up thinking of the Tower of London as home to a whole menagerie of wild creatures,

which is why an 1856 invitation to attend a special ceremony was so exciting. They called

it the annual ceremony of washing the lions. And as far as records tell us, it had been

...