BIOGRAPHY
A powerful communicator with one thousand years of British history at her fingertips.
- Author
- Motivational Speaker
- Presenter & Voice-Over Artist
Moira Cameron served for 15 years as the first female Yeoman Warder (or Beefeater) of the Tower of London. She joined the Body of Beefeaters in 2007 after a distinguished 22-year career in the British Army and retired in 2022. During her tenure she welcomed millions of visitors to the Tower and participated in many formal activities, such as guarding the Crown Jewels, The Lord Mayor’s Show, and duty at the gun salutes for royal birthdays and deaths. Her knowledge spans 1,000 years from William the Conqueror who built the Tower in 1078, to Henry VIII and his six wives, to Queen Elizabeth II. Moira also produced and sang in the first-ever variety show at the Tower. It featured performers from the West End starring alongside Tower staff and raised over £12,000 to restore the Chapel in the White Tower. Born in 1964, she grew up in Furnace, Argyll on the west coast of Scotland, and joined the Army at the suggestion of her mother, who thought she 'needed to see the world'.
While informally known as Yeoman Warder Cameron, her full title was Yeoman Warder of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Member of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard in the Extraordinary (“His” Majesty’s since September 2022). She now works as an author, motivational speaker and presenter, and supports numerous charities, including The Kit Wilson Trust for Animal Welfare. She enjoys travel, theatre and sampling whisky from her native Scotland.
Army Career
Moira joined the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC) in 1985 at the age of 20 and trained as a Data Telegraphist with the Royal Corps of Signals before transferring to the Royal Army Pay Corps (RAPC) in 1988 to train as a Military Accountant. In 1992, WRAC and RAPC were replaced by the Adjutant General's Corps and she worked her way through the ranks of Staff and Personnel Support Branch, completing 22 years army service in June 2007. Having served in England, Northern Ireland, Germany, Norway and Cyprus - receiving her Long Service and Good Conduct Medals in 2000 - she ended her Army career as Warrant Officer Class 2, holding the post of Superintendent Clerk in 145 (Home Counties) Brigade in Aldershot.
First Female Yeoman Warder
On January 3, 2007 BBC News reported that the Tower of London intended replacing a retiring Yeoman Warder with a woman and the following week Moira was paraded in front of the world's media. An advertisement had previously been placed in Soldier Magazine and though she was not the first woman to apply for the job of Yeoman Warder, she was the first to pass the interview process. In July 2007 Moira began working at the Tower of London and on Sept 3, 2007 she donned the blue and red working dress and was once again unveiled to the world's press, garnering significant national and international media.
While she was welcomed by a vast majority of the Tower’s staff, a Yeoman Warder was dismissed in 2009 after being found guilty of gross misconduct for bullying. This did not deter her and she went on to serve until autumn 2022, by which time she was delighted that three other female Yeomen Warders had joined the ranks in recent years. To celebrate her arrival Beefeater Gin released a special pink variety. Moira is also known to millions of travellers as one of the larger-than-life faces welcoming visitors arriving at Heathrow in BAA’s Welcome Campaign. She was also featured in episodes of Channel 5’s popular “Inside the Tower of London”, which showed her on duty and in her home at the Tower.
Now after a lifetime of service to her country she relishes the idea of sharing her experiences, knowledge and insights as she enjoys a much deserved (and early) retirement.
She Has Also Featured In:
- First Women photographic exhibition. Currently on tour in the UK
- Spoken at International Conferences in Hawaii, China, Mexico and has represented London and the Tower of London at numerous culture and tourism events across Europe and the UK
- Speaking on national news about charity events she works with
- Guinness World Record holder as first female Beefeater
- Read an interview with Womanthology here
