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Royal Christmas at Haunted Sandringham House

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Every year the British Royal family celebrates their Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England. Stories say that the place is particularly haunted during the Christmas season both for the royals and their servants.  

One Christmas in 1996, the footman, Shaun Croasdale made his way down to the wine cellar to pick out some wine for the royals that had come to celebrate Christmas at Sandringham House. With wine bottles in his hand, he suddenly saw one of the favorite servants of the late Queen, Tony Jarred. 

Perhaps this is nothing to worry about, except that Tony Jarred had died the previous year after almost 40 years in service for her majesty. The footman dropped the bottles and ran screaming from the cellar. No one was really surprised at this however, as it was Christmas time, and Sandringham House is notoriously haunted every year. 

Ghost of Christmas Pasts at Sandringham House

England has its fair share of ghostly history and Christmas time is no different. Each year, English haunted buildings come alive with stories of ghosts, spirits and shadows of the past. From extravagant castles to medieval manor houses, spooky apparitions haunt the grounds and make their presence known during the winter season.

Many people believe that these ghosts are lords and servants who once inhabited these old buildings, now returning during Christmas to either fulfill a task or simply bring good cheer and memories to those they left behind. Moreover, Christmas ghost stories have become a beloved pastime among many Brits who can be found throughout England’s haunted buildings searching for their own spooky mysteries.

Sandringham House, located in Norfolk, England, is the private residence of the British royal family and has been since 1862. Every year, the Queen and her family spend Christmas at Sandringham House, a tradition that dates back over a century.

In the later years though, it has also been known as an annual haunting, starting most often at Christmas Eve and lasting for a few weeks.

History of Christmas at Sandringham House

The tradition of spending Christmas at Sandringham House began in the late 19th century, when Queen Victoria’s son, King Edward VII, purchased the estate. Since then, the royal family has spent every Christmas at Sandringham House, with the exception of a few years during World War II.

The Queen and her family typically arrive at Sandringham House a few days before Christmas, and spend the holiday period together. The festivities include a number of traditions, such as the exchange of gifts on Christmas Eve and a formal dinner on Christmas Day.

Christmas at Sandringham House Today

Today, Christmas at Sandringham House is a highly anticipated event, both for the royal family and for the public. Members of the royal family attend a Christmas Day church service at St. Mary Magdalene Church, which is located on the Sandringham estate. Crowds of well-wishers gather outside the church to catch a glimpse of the royals as they arrive and leave.

In addition to the church service, the Queen and her family participate in a number of other holiday traditions. These include a Christmas Eve dinner, where the family exchanges gifts, and a Boxing Day pheasant shoot.

Ghost Haunting SAndringham House

So who is it actually that haunts Sandringham House, even in the place of the royals?

The Victorian residence has been said to have some sort of poltergeist-like activity, especially in the servant quarters of the house where blankets are pulled off the beds. They hear mysterious footsteps in the dead of night and the doors are closing and opening by themselves. 

The most haunted place is the sergeant footman’s corridor where the maids only go in pair or groups. The lights turn on and off and there have also been said to be a heavy and haunted breathing from the empty rooms in the service corridors, and at one point, servants were refusing to go into certain rooms as they thought the heavy breathing was the ghost of a former footman. 
Christmas cards move around and are thrown all over the floor on Christmas Eve. 

Even the Royals have Noticed the Hauntings

It is not only the servants that have said they have felt the haunting presence, but even the King himself is said to have noticed. 
Ken Stronach, the valet of King Charles said in an interview that:

 “Everyone believes there are ghosts because so many have -experienced them, ¬ including Prince Charles. There are old parts of the house where nobody wants to go or be alone,”

The valet also talked about an incident in the mid 80’s where they also had an experience of a drop in temperature and that they both were convinced that someone was there in the room with them. 

The uncle of Prince Phillip, Prince Christopher of Greece claimed to have seen the head and shoulders of a woman in a mirror when he was staying in Sandringham. Later he saw a portrait of the woman that he claimed it was of. Her name was Dorothy Walpole, and has been called the Brown Lady as she has been frequently seen haunting her old home in Raynham Hall in Norfolk. 

Read More about: The Lady in Brown at Raynham Hall

The Haunted Library Making Sure Staff is Working

Also the library in the house is said to be one of the more haunted rooms in the house. A servant was once napping in the room when being woken up by the books flying off the shelves. The hands of an old clock are also said to be moving by themselves, not following the time at all. 

Queen Elizabeth had an Exorcism?

One of the more surprising things that happened though, is when the late Queen Elizabeth II had a ritual in one of the rooms because of the ghosts they believed resided in there. 

The room in question belonged to the Queen’s late father, King George VI on the ground floor they used for him before his death, and it was said it was so haunted that the staff refused to work there. 

According to reports, a person came to hold a service to, as quoted, “not exactly of exorcism, but bringing tranquility.”
The service was to hola a congregation where they took the Holy Communion and said some special prayers. 

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Nightmare before Christmas: The history of festive ghost stories

Christmas at Haunted Sandringham – Paranormal

The ghostly history of Sandringham House where the Royal Family will be spending Christmas – MyLondon

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The Time Travelling Ghost Haunting Château de Versailles

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Château de Versailles in France is known for being the peak of decadence, royalty and luxury. But it is also known for being one of the more haunted places in France, and even has a potential time traveling story.

Château de Versailles, the stately French palace on the outskirts of Paris, is said to be one of the most haunted places in France. 

The Palace is a formal residence to the royal family of France that was built by King Louis XIV about 19 km west of Paris. It started out as a small hunting lodge in 1623, but it kept expanding until it was the luxurious palace we know of today. 

With Château de Versailles’ dark history and numerous reports of mysterious sightings and eerie phenomena, this magnificent building has become a haven for paranormal investigators and ghost hunters alike.

The Story of Louis XIV’s Ghost

It’s rumored that the ghost of Louis XIV, the Sun King who oversaw much of Château de Versailles’ construction, still haunts the halls. He loved this palace so much that he even moved the French Court and Government into it in 1682 from the Louvre Palace. 

Witnesses say that his specter can be seen in his favorite chambers and garden pathways, wearing a traditional robe de chambre and capotain hat. The sound of horses galloping on unseen paths have been heard too, dead silent at midnight – a ghostly reminder of Louis’ presence in the form of what some believe to be his funeral procession.

Mysterious Sightings of Marie Antoinette’s Ghost

One of the more famous ghosts in the world must be that of Marie Antoinette, who in her afterlife, also has a lot of rumors around her. She is mostly known for quoting that the people should eat cake instead as they didn’t have any bread. This is false as she never said this. It is also said she is haunting the rooms of the Versailles palace. But can this also be false?

It is widely believed that the ghostly figure of former Queen Marie Antoinette can often be spotted walking near the Grand Trianon and inside of the palace. Even more chilling, some have heard her sobs echoing throughout the empty halls in the dead of night. 

Others claim to have seen a woman wearing her famous white dress, complete with a white rose in her hand, sauntering along the grounds of Château de Versailles.

The Ghost of the Petit Trianon

The most famous haunting is of the Petit Trianon, the grounds outside the palace. Or is it really a ghost story as one of the theories is that it was actually a time slip. The story was written down and published in 1911 that fueled the rumors that a ghost was haunting the Château de Versailles. 

Two English women visited the palace as they traveled through France on a hot August day in 1901. Miss Moberly was a headmistress of St Hugh’s College for women in Oxford while Miss Jourdain was a former student of hers who was now her assistant. 

As they were having a pleasant trip through the gardens they asked for directions from two men they met dressed in green coats and three cornered hats with spades in their hands. Strange, but perhaps not too strange at an old palace. But the two women suddenly started to feel a strange sensation and growing distress as it was something they couldn’t quite pinpoint. They also passed a Chinese kiosk on their way. 

Photo by Leah Kelley on Pexels.com

They then encountered a woman wearing an old dress and a white hat while she was drawing in the garden. The women were overwhelmed by the experience, and they returned to Paris, agreeing that the place was definitely haunted. 

Another theory was that they had experienced some sort of time slip or time travel. One of the proofs they presented was their own ignorance over the palace and garden at their visit. But when they looked at plans for the Trianon, they found that there indeed had been a Chinese kiosk there in 1774.

Unseen Spirits in the Hallways at Night

In the darkness of the night, some visitors have reported hearing strange noises and feeling a mysterious presence when walking along the Château de Versailles dimly lit hallways. One such story is about an unseen spirit that supposedly haunts the palace’s famous Hall of Mirrors or in the gardens of Petit Trianon. Witnesses like cleaners, guides and visitors have claimed to see dark shadows lurking in the corner of their eyes or feel a chill whenever they step foot into this eerie place.

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Unveiling the Dark History of the Tower of London and its Ghosts

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Uncover the hidden shadows of England’s majestic Tower of London, home to stories of more than one ghost haunting the rooms, the hallways and the prison cells from many dark parts of England’s history.

Shrouded in centuries of fear and mystery, the ancient walls of the Tower of London on the north bank of the River Thames, hide within them a plethora of ghost stories that have been passed down through generations. 

From secret passageways to encounters with mysterious apparitions, visit the legendary Haunted Ghosts Tower to uncover its dark history and uncover its spine-tingling tales of beheaded royals, tortured prisoners and missing princes as well as menacing forces following the guards.

The History of the Tower of London

Since its inception in 1066, the Tower of London has served as a royal residence, prison, armory and execution site. The White Tower gave the castle its name and was built by William the Conqueror in 1078. It was a symbol of the oppression over London after the new Norman ruling class.

Over the centuries it has seen kings and queens come and go, watched prisoners be tortured and witnessed countless executions within its walls. It ended up being a symbol of royal power and one of the most secure fortresses in the country. It is not only a stronghold of history but also an enduring source of horror stories that continue to haunt us today.

The Tower of London is known for its grisly past, having been the home to many famous and infamous prisoners until 1952. These included some of England’s most treasured monarchs, such as Anne Boleyn who was beheaded on May 19th 1536 and Sir Walter Raleigh, imprisoned in 1603 by King James I. 

Other more notorious prisoners held at the tower were Guy Fawkes and conspirators involved in the Gunpowder Plot, who were later hung, drawn and quartered.

Ghosts in the Tower of London

The Tower of London is reportedly one of the most haunted places in England, possibly due to its long and dark history. Ghostly figures are said to wander the dungeons, some even claiming to have seen Anne Boleyn’s headless ghost roaming its corridors. 

Lady Jane Grey

One of the most recorded ghost sightings is that of Lady Jane Grey, a young girl who was crowned Queen for nine days before she was imprisoned and eventually beheaded at the ripe age of 17.

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey: An often spotted ghost in Tower of London is Lady Jane Grey. This is an oil painting by Paul Delaroche, completed in 1833, which is now in the National Gallery in London. It was enormously popular in the decades after it was painted

She was originally put as a queen to prevent the Catholic Mary Tudor from sitting on the throne. She first came to the Tower for her coronation, but was soon back as a prisoner. Mary I was ready to spare both her and her husband’s lives if they converted to catholicism. Lady Jane, a devout protestant refused. She was executed on 12 February in 1554 on Tower Green. 

She is seen as a lonely ghost, wandering the battlements of the Tower. Her husband, Lord Guildford Dudley is also supposedly haunting the place. He can be seen in Beauchamp Tower, sitting in his cell and crying in the middle of the night. 

Ghost of Henry VI

Henry IV was the only English monarch to have been crowned King of France as well and he inherited the Hundred Years War from his uncle. He was crowned king of England at only nine months, the youngest person to have succeeded the English throne. 

This was also the start of The War of Roses, a series of civil wars and Henry VI was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1465, reinstated as king in 1470, but then imprisoned again in 1471.

Henry VI died that year, possibly killed on orders from King Edvard IV who took his crown. 

Henry VI: Depiction of Henry enthroned, from the Talbot Shrewsbury Book, 1444–45. Although the official death was that he died of melancholia, however, many think he was assassinated in The Tower of London.

Strange legends started to form around the late king after his death and he was hailed as a martyr and a saint that had done plenty of miracles. It is also said that he is one of the ghosts still haunting the tower.  

It is said that he is seen at the last stroke of midnight in the Wakefield Tower, where some say he was praying when he was stabbed to death. 

Margaret Pole

Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury was a powerful woman who was one of the few of the House of Plantagenet to have survived the Wars of the Roses. 

She was tried and sentenced to death to be executed whenever the king wanted. She spent two and a half years in the Tower of London as a prisoner before her execution happened in 1541. 

Margaret Pole claimed her innocence until her last hour. This poem was found carved on the wall of her cell:

For traitors on the block should die;
I am no traitor, no, not I!
My faithfulness stands fast and so,
Towards the block I shall not go!
Nor make one step, as you shall see;
Christ in Thy Mercy, save Thou me!

Margaret Pole: This is an Unknown woman, formerly known as Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, by unknown artist, given to the National Portrait Gallery, London in 1931. Margaret Pole led an especially bloody execution in the Tower of London.

The execution is said to have been bloody and grisly and the proud lady refused to kneel on the scaffold as that was for traitors, and she was none. The executioner had to chase her around as she tried to run and hacked her to death. She is now thought to be one of the many nobles that are haunting the Tower of London with her screams echoing on the Tower Green.

The Many Ghosts of Anne Boleyn

Many believe that the ghost of Anne Boleyn haunts the Tower of London due to her untimely demise. She married Henry VIII and altered the British church forever when she did so as the king had to divorce his original queen and wife for it. They were only married for three years though and she was unable to give him any sons. What she did though was give birth to what would be Queen Elizabeth I that would be one of the longest regents in the country.

During King Henry VIII’s reign, she was famously arrested, accused of treason and beheaded in 1536 at the Tower and has since become one of the most famous people in England’s history. 

Haunted: The ghost of Anne Boleyn are said to be haunting, not only the Tower of London, but have been seen on several locations. Here is a painting depicting Anne Boleyn imprisoned in the Tower.

Anne Boleyn is supposedly a very busy ghost and she is said to haunt not only the tower but Hever Castle, Blickling Hall, Salle Church as well as Marwell Hall.

In the Tower of London she supposedly haunts the chapel of Church of St Peter ad Vincula in the tower where she is buried. She is also said to walk around the White Tower and on the Tower Green where she was held captive until her execution. 

Her ghost is often spotted wearing a gray dress and walking with her head tucked under her arm—mirroring how she was killed. According to legend, if you see her apparition it means that death is soon to come.

The Mystery of the Missing Princes

One of the greatest mysteries in English history remains unsolved—the fate of the two young princes whose uncle, Richard III, had them sent to the Tower of London in 1943 where they were never seen again. 

The Murder Mystery of the Tower of London: King Edward V and the Duke of York (Richard) in the Tower of London by Paul Delaroche. The theme of innocent children awaiting an uncertain fate was popular amongst 19th-century painters.

They were the sons of the late King Edward IV and were 9 and 12 years old when their father died and they were sent to the Tower of London. They grew up in great political turmoil during the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars of two branches of a family were fighting for the seat of the throne. 

During their disappearance many assumed that Richard III was responsible for their murder, although this has since been disproven, or at least, bare little hard evidence to. But the most talked about theory is still that they died or were murdered pretty soon after they disappeared. To this day no one knows what happened to them, giving rise to a host of different theories about the missing princes.

Many of the paranormal activity and ghost sightings have been connected to the two missing princes, and many believe they are some of the ghosts that never left the tower at all. They are seen holding hands and wearing nightshirts in the White Tower as well as playing and giggling on the battlements. 

Sir Walter Raleigh

Other ghosts that are said to haunt the Tower is that of Sir Walter Raleigh who were imprisoned in the tower once for a secret marriage and the second time for treason. The second imprisonment ended in an execution and his ghost is said to haunt the Bloody Tower where he was held. 

The Ghost in the Bloody Tower: Many of the prisoners were political prisoners, often charged of being traitors. Sir Raleigh just before he was beheaded – an illustration from circa 1860.

The Ghost of Sir Walter Raleigh is also said to be seen along the battlements who is now known as Raleigh’s Walk

Arabella Stuart and the Unknown Ghosts

The Gray Lady is an unidentified ghost as well, but she is haunting the Queen’s House of the Tower and her presence is only seen by female visitors. This place is also where the ghost of Arbella Stuart is seen after she was either murdered or refused to eat at all. 

Lady Arabella Stuart: She was at one time considered heir to the English and Scottish thrones, though she did not aspire to them. She died of self-inflicted starvation in the Tower of London, in 1615.

Other unnamed ghosts that have been reported on are the White Lady whose presence is made known by the smell of cheap perfume that has made visitors sick. 

The Legendary Guy Fawkes

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

Fawkes led the infamous Gunpowder Plot with a group of English Catholics that planned to kill the Protestant King James by blowing up the parliament. They were found out though and the plot failed and Fawke was arrested and sent to the Tower. 

After torture, possible “on the rack” a famous torture instrument in the Tower, he gave in and told them all about their plan and named his accomplices as well. 

Interrogated and Tortured: Guy Fawkes 1570-1606 interrogated by James I 1566-1625 and his council in the King’s bedchamber, from Illustrations of English and Scottish History Volume I (1884).

For his execution in 1606 he was dragged from the Tower to Westminster to have the last sight be the building he tried to destroy. He was the last to die and had to watch his accomplices be hanged. He begged forgiveness of the King and the state as he walked to the scaffold. He was hanged and his body parts were distributed to the four corners of the kingdom as a warning sign to others that had their mind on treason. 

Guy Fawkes are also one that are said to haunt the grounds and some claim to hear his screams from where he supposedly was tortured. .

The Animal Ghosts

Can animals become ghosts? According to the lore in the Tower of London, there are plenty of them. Having exotic animals like lions, pumas, tigers and elephants were something the rich often were gifted and a popular thing to have in your home to show off your wealth and power. 

The most famous animal ghost in the Tower was a grizzly bear that supposedly charged at a guard around the Jewel Room who died of a fever two days later. There have also been spotted a Black Bear near the Martin Tower in 1816. 

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Tower of London – Wikipedia

Tower of London Ghosts | Haunted London | Authentic England

The 13 Ghosts Of The Tower Of London

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The Red Man haunting the Jardin Tuileries in Paris

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In the beautiful Gardens of Tuileries outside of the Louvre in Paris there is sometimes spotted a Red Man. This is thought to be the ghost of Jean l’Ecorcheur, an assassin to Catherine de Medici who ended up being assassinated himself.

The Tuileries Palace was a royal palace directly in front of the Louvre Palace before it was burnt down in 1871 by the Paris Commune, a French revolutionary government that seized power between March to May that year. 

It was built by Queen of France, Catherine de Medici in the 1500s after her husband died to have space for a large garden. Today, the only thing that remains of it is the Tuileries gardens that covers the ground around the Louvre until the Seine and the Place de la Concorde, and if we are to believe the legend, the ghost of the The Red Man. 

Read More: Check out all ghost stories from France

It is in this stately garden that reports that go over centuries tell about the ghost of a red clothed man appearing throughout history to the visitors. And if we are to believe the legend, the ghost belongs to one of the assassins to the Queen of France.

The Tuileries Palace: Was a royal palace the royal family lived in next to the Louvre Palace. It was burned down by revolutionaries and legend has it that one of those working for the royal court cursed those living inside of the palace as long as it existed. Here the burning of the palace is depicted.

Queen of France Catherine de Medici

One of the people who are supposedly haunting the Louvre was one of the henchmen belonging to Queen Catherine de Medicis who ruled as queen in France from 1547 to 1559 at a time when the country was at constant edge because of brewing civil and religious wars. 

Although her husband, Henry allowed her almost no political power or influence as his queen, she found her own way and is regarded as one of the most powerful and influential women in Europe. 

Catherine De Medici: The Queen of France were a highly controversial queen during her reign, but managed to be a strong political figure in a time of unrest. Portrait by Germain Le Mannier.

She was also known for being interested in the occult, especially because she had problems conceiving in the start, something people attributed to witches among other things people found “unnatural” in a woman. She was also linked to being the creator of the Satanic Black Mass, teaching her son in the Dark Arts as well as being Italian. 

The Butcher Jean the Skinner

Who can this The Red Man be? What we know is true however, was that Catherine had a political agenda and needed people to put that agenda into life. But to act on the Queen’s behest came with great danger. 

The most famed legend of the identity of the The Red Man is about a man named Jean. Jean l’Ecorcheur was a butcher living in the palace and Catherine de Medici’s hired assassin to kill on her demand, both for political as well as various occult reasons according to the legends. Through his work as a butcher as well as assassin, Jean l’Ecorcheur earned his charming nickname, Jean the Skinner or the Flayer. 

Acting as the Queen’s henchmen, he also knew about her and the royal family’s secrets, which were plentiful and the Medici family was known to be a scheming family as well and Catherine de Medici had more enemies than most. Because she feared he would spill these dark secrets, she had him murdered before it happened. There are also rumors that she did it because he tried to quit or make her pay up. Nevertheless, he died a bloody death, but it wasn’t the end of him.    

He was according to legend killed by a man named Neuville in the Tuileries garden where he lived in a hut. Neuville left the corpse in the garden, but when he returned, he was gone. 

The Curse on the Royals of The Tuileries Palace

Catherine de Medici was according to popular belief a spiritual woman with a strong belief in the occult and she went to her astrologist Cosme Ruggieri who had a vision. In the vision the astrologist claimed that Jean would haunt the garden and had cursed all those living there. 

Legend has it that The Red Man rose from the dead and cursed all the French Royals who lived in the palace that were the cause of his death. After this they say many of them died under mysterious circumstances they blamed on Jack the Skinner’s ghost and curse and he was reportedly seen before many deaths almost like a dark omen. 

After this he became known as the Red Man, or the L’Homme Rouge of the Tuileries and if we are to believe the legends, he is still dressed in red and haunts the Tuileries Garden. 

Many claimed to have seen the Red Man before King Henry IV was assassinated on 14th of May in 1610, when Louis XIV died of gangrene in 1715. 

The Red Man was also seen before Louis XVI was executed by the guillotine as a traitor in 1739 during the French Revolution. 

The Lady in waiting for Marie Antoinette supposedly saw The Red Man a few days before the Tuileries Palace was stormed in 1792 in the Salle des Gardes and there is even a written account of it:

“Marie Antoinette’s women were sitting in the Salle des Gardes, when they became suddenly aware of the presence of a small man clothed from crown to heel in scarlet, who looked at them with such unearthly eyes that they were frozen with terror. They rushed to the apartments of the Madame la Dauphine and related their adventure.”

Fleeing the Palace: The Royal Family saw a lot of unrest over the generation, none greater than the many French Revolutions. Louis Philippe and the French royal family fleeing the Palace of Tuileries during the French revolution of 1848

Even Napoleon Bonaparte claimed to have seen what could have been him several times during his reign as the head of the state in France, before the battle of the Pyramids, the Battle of Wagram at his coronation and lastly at the battle of Waterloo. And although he wasn’t really a part of the royal family, he did reside in the palace as the king of some sort. 

However, in many sources they claim that The Red Man was acting more like a warning omen about danger to come than a vengeful spirit after his revenge. 

The Last Sightings of the Red Man

Written accounts went on for ages until the Tuileries Palace burned to the ground in 1971. Twelve men were ordered by Jules Bergeret to pour petroleum, tar and turpentine and light the palace on fire, burning it to the ground. And with tearing the once royal palace, did they perhaps succeed in breaking the curse of Jean the Skinner?

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Red Man: The Tuileries Palace Ghost – Geri Walton

Paranormal Paris: The Legend of the Red Man of Tuileries Palace

Phantom of the Queen’s Assassin

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A Royal Haunting at Christmas

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Every Christmas, the royal ghost of Anne Boleyn is said to visit her childhood home as a spirit.

One of the more famous ghosts that know how to travel, is the ghost of the infamous Anne Boleyn. Most known for the wedge between the State of England and the Catholic Church in the time of the Tudors. The peoples perception of her at the time was awful, and it would be understandable if she felt some sort of resentment or sorrow for how her life ended, even in the afterlife.  

A Well Travelled Ghost

Anne Boleyn: The ghost of the former queen has been spotted many places in the UK after her death.

As ghost sightings go, perhaps the Tower of London is a more well known place for ghost sightings of her, as this was the place she was held imprisoned and executed. But it is far from the only place paranormal sightings of the former Queen have been spotted in the UK. She has also been spotted in Windsor Castle, Hampton Court and Rochford Hall to just name a few. But in the spirit of Christmas, we are going to have a look at where the royal ghost spends her Christmases in the afterlife. 

Every Christmas she is said to make an appearance at Hever Castle, at least it is now expected. Christmas was supposedly her favourite time and Hever Castle was her childhood home with good memories. And contrary to how her ghost is seen at other locations, headless and darkly dressed for instance, it is said she is seen as more happy and content when spotted here.

Christmas at Hever Castle

The castle was built in 1270 in the rural part of Kent, and although relatively small compared to many other castles we can see in England, it came to play a big part in England’s’ history as it was the seat of the Boleyn family. This is also the place where Anne and Henry first met, when he was still married to Queen Catherine of Aragon, and had an affair with her younger sister, Mary. 

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She is often reported to be seen under a big oak tree that stands on the castle ground. This is the place Anne and Henry spent a lot of time courting. Although the ending for the couple was one of the most dramatic break ups in British history, the courting seems to have been genuine. Henry is said to have written her at least seventeen letters, begging her to be his, and the length he went to marry her, spoke to how much he wanted her in his life. 

The Tragic Ending

Hever Castle: This is the childhood home of Anne Boleyn and were she is seen every Christmas. It is now open to public.
Photo: Hever Castle, Kent/ijclark

Although they did get together in the end, their match was a very unpopular one. In order to divorce the queen, he had to part with the Catholic Church, and Anne was in the public eye a witch, a heretic and a seducer that was a danger to the empire and papal law. They never had a son, but their child Elizabeth the first turned out to be one of England’s longest reigning queens. 

But after several miscarriages, never ending gossiping and pressure from all sides, their love turned sour and in the end, Henry found another one and decided to get rid of Anne, in a most dramatic way. On the charges of treasury and adultery and incest with her brother, she was sent to the Tower of London and sentenced to death. On May 19th in 1536, she was executed by beheading at the Tower. 

Popular Sightings

With a such an accessible place with such a famous ghost, the reports about sightings has been plentiful. Like in 2015, when a tourist at the castle captured something on camera he was certain had to be the former queen by the fireplace.

The Ghost: Liam Archer captured this photo in 2015, convinced it was the ghost of the queen.
Photo: Liam Archer/Daily Mail

‘I believe there is something important historically inside the fireplace she wants me to recover.’, Mr Archer that took the picture told the papers at the time.

Who is to say for what reason Anne has to haunt her childhood home, let alone England as a whole? In any case, her imprints on the course of the history, religion and the royal line, was irrevocably shaken by her life and work.

It has also been said she has been seen walking across the beautiful bridge on the premise that crosses River Eden, perhaps on her way home to the place of her happy and innocent childhood.

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Anne Boleyn’s ghost captured on camera at Hever Castle

Ghost of Anne Boleyn at Hever Castle

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The Mantelgeist of the Fortress

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Because of the cold winter with no food, people starved to death, even inside the castle walls. And ever since then, the ghost of the queens chambermaid still haunts the castle, known as the Mantelgeist.

The Queen: Left alone in the castle begging for food, Queen Margrete I of Norway was left.

It was a hard winter in medieval times in Oslo in Norway, a place known for its cold and harsh winters. So far north, the cold was biting, sparing no one. The plague had returned to the country again, and the King’s coffins were empty.

There was nothing to buy food with and people fell dead were they were standing either by starvation or the cold. Not only by the deadly plague that killed every one it touched, but the hunger as well was a silent killer.

Norway was a much different country than today, yes it was in the middle ages, but even by medieval standard, the country was poor, uneducated, and ravaged by hunger, weather and wars. Even the royals didn’t escape the plagues clutch.

A hard winter in the 1370s, there was not much food at the Akershus fort, were the queen resided. King Håkon IV Magnusson was king, and the queen was Margrete I, the one that were going to rule all of Scandinavia. But before that, she would go through her hardest winter.

The Cold Winters in the North

There were only decades since the Black Death had put the country in ruins. No another plague was at it and even behind the heavy doors at the fortress the repercussion of the killing plague hit them.

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The queen sat alone at the fortress as her husband was away. Pregnant, hungry and desperate. In a letter, she detailed that she and her servants no longer could sustain themselves on the food available. She asked a prayer, begging the King her husband make sure she got credit at a tradesman so that she could manage through the winter with the rest of the court. The nation was in her hands, that’s how bad it was.

The Starved Chambermaid

Queen Margrete made it through alive. As the queen she was, she got the food. Not everyone was that lucky. One of her chambermaids are supposed to have died of starvation that winter. A servant that was much closer to the queen than many, that dressed her and took care of her every need. No she will never leave the fortress.

It is said that she still wanders through the fortress, through the Margrete hall in particular, were she ended her days that cold winter with no food. Her ghostly figure enters in a long robe, thereby the name Mantel, meaning robe or cloak. When she turns to those in the room, she has no face, only a blank surface stares back.

We have no name to the poor girl at the fortress. She is only called the Maiden at the fortress or the Mantelgeist. And that is how she will spend the remaining years, nameless and faceless.

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