Queen Anne Boleyn is a figure that still haunts British and world culture. She has been extensively portrayed through theater, television, film, fiction, and numerous biographies.
She has become one of the most enigmatic historical figures and it seems that historians and history-keen folks can’t get enough of her.
Believed to be one of the most traveled ghosts in history, there are numerous accounts reporting the sighting of her spirit.
Sadly, she is not seen in all her beauty and glory, but the way she looked after Henry VIII beheaded her for not being able to give him the heir he wanted.
Anne Boleyn, Henry’s second queen
Besides haunting our imaginations and interest, her ghost is said to haunt many places in the United Kingdom.
Blickling Hall
Blickling Hall, Aylsham, Norfolk, England. Photo by DeFacto CC BY-SA 4.0
Blickling Hall in Norfolk was a birthplace of Anne Boleyn. It is believed that in 1536, when the news of Anne’s death reached Blickling Hall, four headless horses were sighted dragging a beheaded body across the town.
The Living Room. Photo by Martin Pettitt CC BY 2.0
Nowadays, Anne’s ghost reportedly appears on May 19th every year, riding in a carriage driven by a headless horseman and carrying her own head in her lap. The carriage is said to noiselessly approach Blickling Hall along the driveway — then disappears upon reaching the house.
Tower of London
Tower of London
The Tower of London was a place of Anne Boleyn’s tragic death. It is now a location where her ghost is reputed to frequently appear as a reminder of the gruesome act. She has been seen in the White Tower, Chapel of St. Peter and Vincula where she was first buried in an arrow case, in the Green Tower, and the Queen’s House.
The peaceful looking Tower of London
There are many accounts of her appearance and the most famous one dates back to 1864 when General Dundas claimed to have seen her hovering over the ground, dressed in white. He charged at her with a bayonet but the weapon went straight through her, which is when he realized it was a ghost of the deceased queen.
Hever Castle
Hever Castle, Kent, England.
Hever Castle is the place to watch for Anne’s ghost around Christmas time. She grew up in the castle and Christmas was her favorite holiday, so she symbolically visits her childhood home every year at the same time. She might be spotted either under the oak tree where she and Henry VIII spent happy pre-marital time together, or walking across the Eden Lake bridge.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle – Changing of the Guards.
Windsor Castle is world’s oldest occupied castle and home to the Queen. This apparently does not deter the spirit of Anne Boleyn from wandering through the hallways on occasion.
There are a couple of photographs in which the she can allegedly be spotted. In one of the eeriest stories, a witness claims to have seen the ghost frantically running down the hall with her screaming head under her arm.
Lambeth Palace
Lambeth Palace. Photo by JaT CC BY-SA 3.0
It is believed that Anne’s trial took place in Lambeth Palace before she was convicted and taken on a barge back to the Tower of London for execution.
Read another story from us: The Creepiest ‘Ghost’ Picture People are Still Arguing About
There are many sad stories about the queen who pleads for her life and mercy. If you believe the tales, she can still be heard moaning and crying and her cries echo through the dark undercroft.