Merlina, a popular crow in the Tower, has been missing for several weeks.
LONDON – Merlina, the ‘Queen’s Crow’ of the Tower of London, is missing and presumed dead after not being seen for several weeks, said the Historic Royal Palaces.
Legend has it that if there are fewer than six crows in the Tower of London, the “kingdom will fall”, but fortunately there are still seven crows in the tower, despite Merlina’s absence.
“We have some really unfortunate news to share,” said a spokesman for Historic Royal Palaces in a statement. “Our beloved crow Merlina has not been seen in the Tower for several weeks, and her continued absence indicates that she may have died sadly.”
Although crows are often known to roam outside the Tower of London, Merlina has always returned to the Ravenmaster, “with whom she shared a wonderfully close bond,” said the spokesman.
There are now seven crows in the Tower, which is one more than the usual six needed to prevent the kingdom from falling, so there are no immediate plans to replace Merlina.
The authorities are hopeful that a new chick will arrive soon as part of its breeding program and that the crow will “be up to the formidable challenge of continuing” the legacy of the beloved bird.
“Since joining us in 2007, Merlina has been our undisputed ruler of the perch, the Tower Raven Queen,” said the spokesman. “She will be sorely missed by her fellow crows, the Ravenmaster and all of us in the Tower community.”