HAUNTED HISTORY LOOMS
OVER PALACES
LONDON- (September 20, 2004)-
Hampton Court Palace’s resident spirits haunt the sprawling Thames River
estate grounds, giving the historic site the dubious title of one of the
most haunted places in Britain, along with the Tower of London. The deaths
at Hampton Court may not have been as gruesome as their mostly beheaded
counterparts at the Tower, but the tales of their lives and afterlives are
still fascinating.
The most intriguing story at
Hampton Court belongs to Catherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII.
Her infidelity exposed, Catherine attempted to plead for mercy from her
husband; but before she could reach him, she was apprehended by guards and
dragged screaming through what is now known as the Haunted Gallery. To
this day, people still claim to hear her terrified cries and see her
apparition as she runs along the gallery at Hampton Court.
During a theatrical
performance at Hampton Court Palace, a figure dressed as Cardinal Wolsey
was spotted walking through a gateway. However, none of the actors that
evening were portraying the historical figure.
Jane Seymour, the third and
favorite wife of Henry VIII, died at Hampton Court twelve days after
giving birth to her son, who later became Edward VI. She is often seen
along Clock Court or in the Silver Stick Gallery, wearing a white robe and
carrying a candle.
Accounts of the sightings add
a sense of mystery to Hampton Court Palace, which is rich in history in
its own right. Whether strolling through the parks and gardens, walking
leisurely by the river, enjoying a vast array of art or admiring the
unique architecture, you never know what resident from the past may be
waiting around the corner to greet you.
And just down the River from
Hampton Court, visitors to the Tower of London have something else to look
for besides the Crown Jewels or infamous ravens – ghosts! Known to many
as one of the scariest places in the world, the Tower is considered to be
one of Britain’s most haunted spots. Apparitions of those who lived and
died there are said to stroll the cobblestone paths and haunt the stone
turrets and passages.
The Tower of London is home to
some of the most gruesome deaths anywhere. Almost all the victims of the
Tower either mysteriously vanished or "lost their heads" beneath
the executioner’s ax. Many of the ghosts - men, women, children, and
even a troop of soldiers - are seen walking around, standing at different
tower windows or walking through walls.
The ghost most people see is
that of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII. When Anne did not
give birth to a boy, Henry had her beheaded at the Tower in 1536. Today,
her ghost appears headless in a white dress, leading a procession of lords
and ladies from the Queen’s house, near the site of her execution. From
there, the entourage glides up the aisle of Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad
Vincula and vanishes under the chapel altar, the site of her final
resting-place.
Other ghosts that have been
seen are two small boys walking hand in hand at the Tower. When King
Edward V died, his brother Richard took Edward's two sons away from their
mother. The Crown Princes, nine and 12, were taken to the tower for their
protection, according to Richard. They were never seen again; but on more
than one occasion, two small boys dressed in nightgowns have been seen
standing and holding hands before they fade into a stone wall in the
Bloody Tower as silently as they appeared. In 1674, two small skeletons
were discovered in a chest beneath the stairway of the White Tower. It is
assumed that they belong to the two Crown Princes
Not all of these apparitions
remain passive in the afterlife. Thomas a. Becket appeared twice during
construction of the Beauchamp Tower, striking the structure with his cross
and leaving a pile of rubble in his wake. Henry III, whose grandfather was
responsible for Becket’s death, appeased the spirit by building a chapel
within the tower and naming it after the former archbishop.
To date, the grisliest
re-enactment is the beheading of the 70-year old Countess of Salisbury,
‘The Last of the Plantagenets,’ ordered by Henry VIII for political
reasons. She refused to place her head on the block like a common traitor,
so the executioner pursued the Countess wielding his ax and hacking her to
death as she fled. Reportedly, she has been seen fleeing as the
executioner’s ax performs the gruesome task. However, at other times,
the shadow of an ax has been witnessed falling across the site of her
capital punishment.
The Tower is also haunted by
two of England’s most famed star-crossed lovers. Lord Guildford Dudley,
husband of Lady Jane Grey, has been seen weeping in Beauchamp Tower, where
he was imprisoned prior to the execution of his wife and himself. Lady
Jane Grey has been described as a "white shape forming itself on the
battlements."
These are only a few of the
ghosts seen and experienced at the Tower of London and Hampton Court
Palace.
Historic Royal Palaces is a
registered charity, which is responsible for the care and conservation of:
The Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, The State Apartments and Royal
Ceremonial Dress Collection at Kensington Palace, The Banqueting House at
Whitehall and Kew Palace with Queen Charlotte’s Cottage. For more
information about HRP visit www.hrp.org.uk.
