The Ghost of Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn was famously beheaded on the orders of her husband Henry VIII. Why? Well, she failed to give him a son, rumors began to swirl around her at court, and there were even rumors of her witchery. Tragically, she was taken away from her daughter, imprisoned, and then beheaded. Unsurprisingly, this enigmatic woman’s renown has continued well after her death in the form of many ghost sightings, even those that describe seeing Anne without her head.
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Before we dive into why exactly Anne Boleyn and her after-death haunts, I’d like to explore some of the rumors of her witchiness that may explain why her ghost looms in the minds of even modern Britians. One of the biggest reasons so many were wary of her was her thirst for knowledge and power - thirsts respected in men at the time but feared in women. King Charles V of Spain was allegedly the first one to call Anne a witch, claiming she bewitched the king in order to win his hand. From here, the rumor spread and swirled through courts around Europe.
Despite her belief in God, and no substantial claims she meddled in magic, one of the crimes she was tried for witchcraft. Many of the details have been lost to time, but the gossip of her witchery has furthered her infamy in the ghost world.
Unsurprisingly, Anne is one of the many ghosts that roam the Tower of London. She is often seen walking the Tower Green. However, this is hardly the most interesting sighting of Anne, although it may be the most popular place to see her ghost.
One of the most famous sightings of Anne occurs at Blickling Hall, which is said to be haunted by her year-round but something interesting happens on May 19th. Anne was executed on May 19th, 1536. She was quite young on her death (depending on records of her birth, between 25 and 35) and left behind the future Queen Elizabeth without a protective figure. Needless to say, May 19th is an important day at Blickling Hall. On this day, it is said a ghostly carriage pulled by headless horses and driven by a headless coachman arrive at the Hall, followed by a headless Anne who is said to roam the grounds she once called home without her head as she mourns her death. Interestingly enough, her headless ghost never enters the home.
Some rumors from the above add more detail to the already ghastly parade. Instead of merely headless, Anne’s ghost reportedly holds her own severed head in her lap. The head is even more ghastly against the ethereal white of the ghostly gown she wears.
Her lone figure is also often seen standing at the window in the Dean's Cloister at Windsor Castle.
Anne seems to flit between locations as she did in life - with calculation, flourish, and the ability to leave a swirl of rumors and unsurty in her wake.
The above image is in the public domain and entitled "Henry's reconciliation with Anne Boleyn", etching, published by Cunningham & Mortimer, 1842.