The Ghosts of Windsor Castle

Monarchs, Royalty and Unknowns Haunt the Castle and its Grounds

Jul 1, 2007

Phenomena include sightings, sounds and being touched. Two of the castle's haunters have also been witnessed at the Tower of London.

William the Conqueror began the building of Windsor Castle in 1075 after the Norman Conquest which culminated in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The castle was nearly destroyed during the civil war of the 1600s. While the castle served as a prison, it was also a safe haven for the Royal family for a long time. During the reign of King George IV in the nineteenth century, it was transformed into a palace. In 1917, King George V adopted the castle’s name as the Royal family’s, replacing the old one, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. From that time, the name of the monarchy would be the House of Windsor. Windsor Castle survived the bombs of two world wars. Today, Queen Elizabeth II goes to church in its St. George Chapel.

The Otherwordly Royal Residents of Windsor Castle

The most frequently seen specter is Herne the Hunter whose ghost has been seen by hundreds of people in Great Windsor Park. According to legend, he was a royal huntsman who was framed by those who were jealous of his relationship with the king. He felt disgraced and hanged himself. His ghost is seen astride a phantom black steed, often accompanied by spectral baying hounds.

Henry VIII haunts the Deanery Cloisters. People heard his footsteps and groans. Anne Boleyn, one of his wives, whomhe had executed, has been sighted in the Dean’s Cloister. Both Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn haunt the Tower of London. Henry VIII’s daughter, Queen Elizabeth I has been seen in the library and roaming from room to room.

Charles I’s specter has been seen in the Canon’s House and the library. King George III had his moments of insanity and was detained in a room. People have seen his sad face looking out of the window I that room.

William of Wykeham and Sir George Villiers, the First Duke of Buckingham, are also haunters.

Unknown and Unnamed Specters Haunting Windsor Castle and it’s Grounds

The Deanery is haunted by a boy who yells that he doesn’t want to go riding. Footsteps are also heard there and many believe they are his. Children playing in the Norman Tower’s Prison Room have seen the ghost of a man. Adults felt him brush by them.

A kitchen in the castle is home to a spectral man and a horse. The room was once part of the cavalry stable. The ghost of a young girl standing by an evergreen tree has been sighted here.

Phantom footsteps are heard in the Curfew Tower. Once, its bells rang by themselves and the temperature grew colder.

A visitor saw a new group of statues near St. George’s Chapel one night. They were dressed in black. One was crouched and the others stood. One of statues was wielding a sword. When asked about the tableau, a sentry replied he knew nothing about the new statues. When the visitor returned to the scene, the statues were gone.

Two Grenadier Guards saw the ghost of one of their members who committed suicide while on duty on the Long Walk.

The World’s Greatest Ghosts, Nigel Blundell & Roger Boar, (Berkley Books, 1988)

The copyright of the article The Ghosts of Windsor Castle in Ghosts & Hauntings is owned by Jill Stefko . Permission to republish The Ghosts of Windsor Castle in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.