By: Maranda Wabik
Royal History, , , , ,

A Very Royal Haunting: The Ghost of Queen Anne Boleyn

For today’s post I would like to do a short discussion of the story of Anne Boleyn’s ghost.    This is a subject that should not surprise my regular readers, as I have written about Anne many times, and have mentioned that she is my all time favorite queen!   In that way this post brings together two of my favorite subjects, royal history and the supernatural.   

I have had people who are not as interested in paranormal events as myself ask me how a spirit could remain earthbound for centuries.   The truth is a spirit remains earthbound in the first place because of some form of unfinished business, or in some cases because of trauma so bad they do not realize they are dead!   In the case of a haunting that lasts for hundreds of years, it would stand to reason that either their unfinished business was never settled, or alternately that they actually enjoy being earthbound!   It would make sense that those who are earthbound for a very long time become accustomed of it, and since they are often famous (either in life, or have become so in death) they feel loved by the living who visit places to communicate with them.

I think this may largely be the case of what happened with Anne Boleyn.   If she does, in fact, still haunt places in the present day (and plenty of people have claimed to experience her presence still) then I feel it is probably a case of her enjoying having people visit her at her final resting place (and place of death) the Tower of London, and at her family home, Hever Castle (in Kent).   She is said to still roam the halls of both of these castles.   I would personally love to have an encounter with her, or simply pay my respects and let her know she is remembered (although I am sure she knows given how many people visit her)!

Another reason she could be still felt, or even be seen, at these places is that it could be what is called a residual haunting.   Basically this is when the spirit has moved on, and found peace or been reborn, but due to the level of trauma experienced by that soul in that place a piece of them remains.   This usually takes the shape of a scene replaying that took place at the location, and a residual cannot communicate with the living, since it is more like a ghostly movie imprinted upon the location instead of an actual soul trapped on earth!   In the stories I have read about sightings of Anne at the Tower and Hever, I think the case can be made for this either being a traditional haunting, or a residual one.

It makes the utmost of sense that the traumas experienced by prisoners in the Tower would keep part of their presence their residually long after they have moved on.   I think this is why there are so many instances of hauntings at that place!   I am certain some of the ghostly presences are in fact still trapped there, and I hope that they are there because they feel loved by the visitors, and not because they can never move on.    

I would love to hear your thoughts on the hauntings of Anne Boleyn, and whether you have ever been to either location.   I would also love to know whether you believe in the supernatural!   In any case I hoped my lovely readers have enjoyed my thoughts on the ghost of Anne Boleyn.   Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a lovely ghostly image of Anne.   I found the image on leppardra.deviantart.com

Further Reading