The Ghost of Anne Boleyn at Hampton Court

Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, was beheaded on May 19, 1536, after being convicted of treason, adultery, and incest—charges almost certainly fabricated by those who wanted her removed. Her ghost, unsurprisingly, has never rested. Of all the locations where Anne’s spirit has been reported, Hampton Court Palace remains the most active.

Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn was perhaps the most controversial queen in English history. Henry VIII broke with Rome and established the Church of England to marry her after she refused to become his mistress. Their marriage produced Elizabeth, who would become one of England’s greatest monarchs.

But when Anne failed to produce a male heir and Henry’s attention wandered, her enemies moved against her. She was arrested, tried on charges that the historical record suggests were false, and executed with a French sword on Tower Green.

She was approximately thirty-five years old. She had been queen for less than three years.

Hampton Court

Hampton Court Palace was one of Henry’s favorite residences, and Anne spent time there during their brief marriage. It was at Hampton Court that she awaited her coronation and celebrated her pregnancy. The palace holds memories of her years of triumph before her catastrophic fall.

The first reports of Anne’s ghost at Hampton Court date from shortly after her death. Guards and servants reported seeing a woman in white in the corridors and galleries. The figure matched descriptions of the executed queen.

The Apparition

Anne’s ghost is most commonly reported in certain areas of the palace. The Queen’s Apartments, where she would have lived, produce regular sightings. The Clock Court and the haunted gallery that bears her name are also active.

Witnesses describe a woman in white, sometimes headless, sometimes intact. She drifts rather than walks, moving through doorways and along corridors. She does not interact with observers and seems unaware of them—suggesting a residual haunting rather than conscious visitation.

Some witnesses have reported a feeling of intense sadness in her presence. Others have heard crying or pleading, as if the ghost relives her final pleas for mercy.

Famous Incidents

In 1864, a sentry posted at the palace reportedly charged at a figure in white that refused to halt. His bayonet passed through the figure, and he fainted from shock.

In 1901, a group of visitors reported seeing a woman in period dress walk through a wall. When they investigated, they discovered that a doorway had existed in that location during Anne’s time.

In 2003, security cameras at Hampton Court captured footage of a figure in period dress near a fire door. The footage attracted worldwide attention, though skeptics suggested it might show a living person in costume.

Other Locations

Anne Boleyn’s ghost is reported at several other locations. The Tower of London, where she was imprisoned and executed, produces the most dramatic accounts—her headless figure has been seen walking there on the anniversary of her death.

Hever Castle, her childhood home, hosts her ghost on Christmas Eve. Blickling Hall in Norfolk, another family property, reportedly sees Anne’s ghost arrive in a coach driven by headless horses.

But Hampton Court, with its memories of her brief triumph, seems to hold her spirit most persistently.

Assessment

Anne Boleyn’s ghost is one of the most frequently reported royal apparitions in England. Whether these sightings represent a genuine spirit seeking justice, collective imagination shaped by historical drama, or something else entirely, Anne has achieved in death the fame that eluded her in life.

She walks still through the corridors of power, perhaps seeking the husband who loved and then destroyed her, perhaps simply replaying the moments when she was queen of England.