The Ghost of Anne Boleyn
22 July 2026
Deep Dive
Is the ghost of Anne Boleyn one of the most well-travelled in history? Or is her legend so powerful that it’s inspired the creation of more than just a few myths about her adventures in the paranormal realm? Join Chyaz Samuel as she explores some of the most fascinating tales linked with the ill-fated Tudor Queen, including alleged hauntings at the Tower of London and Windsor Castle, along with other locations that meant a lot to Anne in life.
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Source Shout Outs:
Historic Royal Palaces Articles: https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/anne-boleyn/
https://www.hrp.org.uk/blog/famous-ghost-stories-of-the-tower-of-london/
The Anne Boleyn Files Website: https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/the-ghost-of-anne-boleyn/
Royal Central Article: https://royalcentral.co.uk/features/the-ghosts-said-to-haunt-the-tower-of-london-182579/
BBC Article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/articles/2005/04/02/asop_blickling_hall_ghost_feature.shtml
Artnet Article: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/is-the-ghost-of-anne-boleyn-haunting-historic-u-k-homes-2561841
The Times Article: https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/luxury/article/how-posh-is-your-ghost-times-luxury-gd6c9jpbq
Marie Claire Article: https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/royals/king-charles-once-saw-the-ghost-of-queen-elizabeth-i-at-windsor-castle/
Spirit Shack Article: https://www.spiritshack.co.uk/blog/haunted-places/hampton-court-palace-ghost/?srsltid=AfmBOoo0ACIzPTv1y3SL5763gLLSLk0XP3ShHPbl7Bzky3YDgS7mg-LD
Haunted Rooms Article: https://www.hauntedrooms.co.uk/anne-boleyn-ghost-sightings-pictures
History Hit Article: https://www.historyhit.com/locations/blickling-hall/
Historic UK Article: https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Thomas-Boleyn/
Paranormal Database: https://www.paranormaldatabase.com/reports/anneboleyn.php
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Themes
- Haunted historical figures
- Place memory and landscape
- Fame, myth and storytelling
Questions Explored
Who was Anne Boleyn? + −
Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry the eighth and the mother of the future Queen Elizabeth I; her exact year of birth is disputed in the episode, with historians placing it around 1501 or 1507. She rose at court, was accused of adultery and treason, and was executed by beheading at the Tower of London in 1536. Chyaz Samuel lays out this background in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 95: The Ghost of Anne Boleyn.
Where and when have sightings of Anne Boleyn’s ghost been reported? + −
Chyaz details alleged sightings at the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle, Blickling Hall, Hever Castle, Marwell Hall and Salle Church, and she notes specific dated accounts such as an 1882 Victorian publication, an 1864 Tower sighting and the recurring 19th May apparitions at Blickling Hall. Chyaz Samuel goes into these locations in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 95: The Ghost of Anne Boleyn.
What are the most frequently told sightings at the Tower of London? + −
The episode recounts several Tower stories: an 1882 account of a candlelit procession in the Chapel Royal of St Peter ad Vincula, an 1864 report of a Yeoman Warder recoiling from a white figure resembling Anne, and an 1817 tale of a sentry who allegedly died after seeing her on a staircase. Chyaz Samuel covers these Tower accounts in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 95: The Ghost of Anne Boleyn.
Why is the Blickling Hall story significant in the episode? + −
Blickling Hall is presented as Anne’s likely birthplace and the site of a recurring legend: on the 19th May, the anniversary of her death, witnesses report a coach driven by a headless coachman pulled by six headless horses carrying Anne in white with her head in her lap; some versions name Thomas Boleyn as the coachman and describe George Boleyn’s own ghostly return. Chyaz Samuel lays out the Blickling tale in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 95: The Ghost of Anne Boleyn.
What larger question does the episode explore about these hauntings? + −
Chyaz asks whether Anne’s spirit genuinely moves between sites or whether the force of her fame and the violence of her death have produced a web of myths attached to places that mattered to her in life, suggesting hauntings may also function as metaphors for historical injustice. Chyaz Samuel explores this theme in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 95: The Ghost of Anne Boleyn.
Why do these tales of Anne Boleyn still capture public interest? + −
The episode argues that the combination of Tudor intrigue, a sensational execution, and Anne’s status as a high profile historical figure makes her a natural focus for repeated ghost stories; witnesses and writers have attached apparitions to places linked to her life and death, keeping the narratives alive. Chyaz Samuel discusses why the stories endure in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 95: The Ghost of Anne Boleyn.