Screaming Spectre
Katherine Howard Miniature Portrait Holbein
Perhaps one of the most famous ghosts of Hampton Court Palace is that of Katherine Howard’s screaming spectre. Katherine Howard, Henry VIII’s 5th wife, whose extra-marital dalliances led to her arrest and confinement in her apartments at Hampton Court Palace, discovered that her husband was near by in the Chapel. Katherine escaped her captors and ran screaming through the gallery in a final attempt to plead for her life. She was quickly restrained and dragged back to her apartments only to face the executioner’s block on the 13th February 1542 at the Tower of London. Not quite six years before, her cousin Anne Boleyn had faced the same terrible fate. Katherine’s ghost is said to replay this final desperate plea for mercy by returning to the gallery. Witnesses have claimed to have heard spectral screams coming from the ‘haunted gallery‘ and have felt uneasy in this area of the palace.
Having walked down the ‘Haunted Gallery’ I have to say there is an eerie feeling about that area!
Kathryn Howard is one of my favourite wives! Even though i have not been to Hampton Court Palace, i believe Kathryn’s ghosts lingers because of something she may need to tell someone. A message or maybe unfinished business.
katern howard ghostmaybe its true. just maybe. you know what i think. some people have heard a woman screaming but havent saw anything that her. but others might just heard the rumors and went to visit and though they heard it.
Although I have never visited Hampton Court, I believe all of Henry VIII’s wives are ghosts apart from Anna of Cleves. I believe Katherine Howard will forever be pleading for forgiveness for I think her unfinished business is for Henry to give her mercy – however, if these ghosts are real (which in my opinion they are) then Katherine will never receive the mercy she is owed as she is at Hampton Court and Henry is at Windsor.