Few years ago, it was reported in the media that the Buckingham Palace is haunted by two ghosts. But in reality, there are many more. It was also reported in the media that some former and current royal’s homes in Britain house dark histories, including executions and unsolved deaths. Amongst those houses, Hampton Court Palace is said to be haunted by the ghosts of Henry VIII’s wives and a former servant. Jane Seymour, who died inside the palace after giving birth in 1537, is said to appear on her son’s birthday.
Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII, is also said to haunt the palace with her screams.
Hampton Court Palace was built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in 1514. In 1528, the property was acquired by King Henry VIII, who lived there over the years with his six wives.
In the early 16th century, the palace was expanded and renovated to be fit for a king, complete with lush gardens, banquet halls, and Henry VIII’s state and private apartments. The palace has over 1,390 rooms and is located in East Molesey, Surrey, about an hour outside of London.
Many royals occupied Hampton Court Palace over the years, from Henry VIII to William III and Mary II, George I, and finally George II. George II was the last monarch to use the palace as a royal residence.
In 1838, Queen Victoria opened the property to visitors. This paved the way for what Hampton Court Palace is today: a destination for visitors and tourists from all over the world who come to marvel at its architecture, impressive art collection, and undeniably eerie past.
According to Historic Royal Palaces, a charity that manages Hampton Court, Jane Seymour has been spotted carrying a lit candle on the Silverstick Stairs. The staircase is located close by to the room where Seymour gave birth to Prince Edward and where she died soon after.
Edward would go on to become king at the age of 9. He died when he was 15 following an illness.
Catherine was accused of adultery and treason, and she was arrested at Hampton Court in 1541. According to Historic Royal Palaces, she managed to escape the guards and ran through a hall, screaming for the king to be compassionate, but she was apprehended again and ultimately executed at the Tower of London.
Visitors have reported hearing her screams in the hall, which is now known as the Haunted Gallery.
While ghost sightings inside Windsor Castle, the largest inhabited castle in the world, can be summed up as mere hearsay, no one can deny this royal residence’s creepy history. Windsor Castle is the final resting place of 10 British monarchs, some of whom were beheaded or poisoned.
Creepier still, after King George III descended into madness, he resided at Windsor Castle until his eventual death, and his ghost has been seen peering out from the window of the room where he was held, according to the BBC.
Now the official residence of the monarchy in Scotland, the Palace of Holyroodhouse has quite an eerie history.
Mary, Queen of Scots spent most of her life inside the palace walls, during which time her personal secretary, David Rizzio, was murdered in her private apartments on March 9, 1566, according to the royal family’s official website. Mary’s husband, Lord Darnley, was said to have disagreed with Rizzio’s power over the Queen, and thus orchestrated the assassination which was carried out with more than 70 other men.
According to The Tudor Society, Mary attempted to stop the attack but, being heavily pregnant, was restrained while it was carried out. She later reported that Rizzio was stabbed 56 times.
About half a mile away, on February 10, 1567, Lord Darnley was found dead after his living quarters were destroyed by an explosion. Lord Darnley’s death still remains unsolved, though many suspect Queen Mary and her third and final husband, the Earl of Bothwell, had a part in it, as they were married three months after his death, according to the National Archives.
Sandringham House, where members of the royal family spend Christmas each year, is said to be haunted. According to The Mirror, people working in the home were hesitant to hold a service with Queen Elizabeth II in one of the downstairs rooms where George VI lived during the months before his death.
“Some of the servants had complained that the room was haunted and did not want to work in it,” royal biographer Kenneth Rose wrote.
The Tower of London is the site of some of history’s most infamous deaths, including the 1471 murder of King Henry VI, who was killed while praying in his private chapel, according to Historic Royal Palaces.
The two sons of Edward IV were also presumably murdered inside the Tower of London after they went missing there in 1483. Many believe they were smothered in their sleep by a political rival who wished to be king and saw the boys as a threat.
The Tower of London was also frequently used as a site for the executions of many high-profile offenders. Both Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard, were executed at the tower. Many others were executed there throughout history, a majority of whom were considered enemies of the state and the highest level of criminal.
According to Visit Britain website, the site of Buckingham Palace is where a monastery once stood, and some have reported seeing the ghost of a monk who died in a punishment cell, cloaked in a brown cowl.
Another part of Buckingham Palace’s eerie history was the death of Major John Gwynne, King Edward VII’s private secretary. After Gwynne divorced his wife, he is said to have shot himself inside one of the palace’s offices as a result of public criticism. Palace staffers have reported hearing the sound of a single gunshot coming from inside the office.
Queen Elizabeth II saw ghosts inside Windsor Castle
One of the many fascinating facts about the castle is that it supposedly houses over 25 ghosts. We may expect such a grand residence to house ‘royal’ spirits, especially as quite a few of them are buried within the grounds, but Windsor Castle is considered one of the most haunted places to visit in the UK. Sightings have included Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I, Charles I, and Queen Victoria. Allegedly the late Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, Princess Margaret, often witnessed the presence of these spirits.
One of the favorite ghostly tales centers around Queen Victoria, who, according to British Paranormal, apparently ‘objected’ to alterations being made to the gardens at Windsor by her great grandson, Edward VIII. Edward set about removing spruce trees planted by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. However, the tree removals never took place as, in 1936, workman were plagued by mysterious ‘phenomena’; they also claimed to have seen the ‘ghostly’ figure of the queen herself, stomping towards them ‘waving her arms and moaning loudly’.
