Moira Cameron Moira Cameron is a Yeoman Warder of the Tower of London , England . She is the first woman to ever hold the position . In 2007 , after a 22 year career in the British Army , Cameron became one of the 35 resident Warders in the Tower of London , commonly known as the Beefeaters . Originally prison guards , the Yeoman Warder ' s position dates back to 1485 . It is now a largely ceremonial role , with responsibility for conducting guided tours and generally looking after public visitors to the Tower , as well as conducting certain other duties both inside and outside the Tower . Personal life . Born in 1964 , Cameron 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 ' . At the time of joining the Yeoman Warders , Cameron was single , having decided not to have children while in the Army . As part of her job as a Yeoman Warder , she lives in the Tower of London in a subsidised apartment . In February 2011 , Cameron was made a patron of The Kit Wilson Trust for Animal Welfare , an animal welfare charity based in East Sussex . Career . British Army . Cameron joined the Women ' s Royal Army Corps ( WRAC ) in June 1985 at the age of 20 . She was 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 , and in 2000 Cameron was awarded her Long Service and Good Conduct Medal . In 1992 , WRAC and RAPC were replaced by the Adjutant General ' s Corps , and Cameron worked her way through the ranks in its Staff and Personnel Support Branch , completing 22 years service in the army in June 2007 . Having seen service in England , Northern Ireland and Cyprus , Cameron ended her Army career at the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2 , holding the post of Superintendent Clerk in the 145th Infantry Brigade in Aldershot . Yeoman Warder . Cameron officially became the first ever female Yeoman Warder in July 2007 but didn ' t get to wear her uniform until 3 September 2007 . Cameron is one of 37 Yeoman Warders based in the Tower of London , a position which dates back to 1485 . Styled as Yeoman Warder Cameron , her full and proper title is Yeoman Warder of Her Majesty ' s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London , and Members of the Sovereign ' s Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard in the Extraordinary . Camerons ' duties are mostly connected to the Tower , but can involve some outside ceremonies . Within the Tower , Cameron ' s role is to take care of public visitors to the Tower and perform guided tours , guard the Crown Jewels , perform the Ceremony of the Keys and look after the Ravens of the Tower . Outside the Tower , Warders duties are to attend the Coronation of the Sovereign , lying - in - state , the Lord Mayor ' s Show , and other state and charity functions . As a Yeoman Warder , Cameron has two tailored to fit uniforms , the Scarlet ceremonial dress , and the ' undress ' blue uniform for day to day duties . On 25 November 2009 , two Yeoman Warders were dismissed after being found guilty of gross misconduct for bullying Cameron due to her gender . Three Warders had been suspended , and one was subsequently re - instated following the month long investigation , with his role ' unproven ' . One of the three also received a police caution for defacing Cameron ' s Wikipedia biography . First female Yeoman Warder . The post of Yeoman Warder had never specifically been barred to women , although due to the rules governing women in the British Army , it was only in the modern era that women were able to have a career able to meet the entry requirements . To apply for the job , applicants had to be aged between 40 and 55 , have completed at least 22 years service in either the Army , Royal Air Force or Royal Marines reaching the rank of Warrant Officer or Senior Non - Commissioned Officer ( NCO ) , and have been awarded the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal . It was announced on 3 January 2007 that an unnamed female would be replacing a retiring Yeoman Warder in September 2007 , with WO2 Cameron , still in the Army at the time , publicly named as this replacement eight days later . Cameron had long been interested in the job of Yeoman Warder , and applied to an advert placed in Soldier Magazine in Summer 2006 . Cameron was not the first woman to apply for the job of Yeoman Warder , but she was the first to pass the interview process , beating five male candidates for the vacancy .