With the days growing shorter and the spooky season upon us, we’re stepping outside our comfort zone to bring you some History Heroes ghost stories! Step into England’s royal past this Halloween and uncover the true stories, and reported ghosts, of England’s KINGS & QUEENS at the Tower of London.
As night falls, the iconic and reportedly haunted Tower of London pulses with history… from Lady Jane Grey and her tragically short 9-day reign, to Anne Boleyn and her beheading by Henry VIII. We’re excited (and a little spooked!) to dive into these stories.
Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey is said to be one of the many ghosts of England’s Kings and Queens. Her short reign has become one of England’s most haunting legends. Born into a noble family in 1537, Lady Jane Grey was highly educated and fluent in Greek and Latin. She was also extremely committed to her Protestant faith.
When King Edward VI was dying in July 1553, courtiers worried that his Catholic half-sister Mary would undo their Protestant religious reforms. So they persuaded 16 year old Jane, Edward’s cousin, to accept the crown. For 9 days, she was Queen of England, but public support swung hard towards Mary Tudor. Mary and her supporters overthrew the young Lady Jane Grey. They imprisoned her in the Tower of London. On the 12th of February 1554, she was executed. Reportedly, in her last moments Lady Jane Grey remained calm and read from her prayer book as she was killed.
For centuries, stories have circulated of her ghost wandering the Tower of London at night. Some say Lady Jane Grey appears each year on the anniversary of her death, before vanishing into the stone walls. Others have claimed to see her within the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, where she lies buried. People have even claimed to see her ghost on Christmas Eve in a carriage, holding her own severed head in her lap!
Find Lady Jane Grey’s History Hero card in the History Heroes CHILDREN Card Game.
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn is another of the ghosts of England’s Kings & Queens. She caught the eye of King Henry VIII and became his second wife in 1533. She gave birth to a baby girl, who would later become one of the most important monarchs in England, Elisabeth I. But, like Henry VIII’s first wife, Anne Boleyn failed to produce a male heir, prompting her fall from King Henry VIII’s favour. In May 1536, Anne Boleyn was arrested on charges, including adultery and treason, and taken to the Tower of London to be executed.
Like Lady Jane Grey, many describe Anne Boleyn’s courage and composure as she knelt at her execution. And, like Lady Jane Grey too, Anne Boleyn’s story remains a tragic and important one in English history. Her spirit haunts key places from her life. Anne Boleyn’s ghost has been spotted at Hever Castle, Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London.
At Hever Castle, Anne’s childhood home, some visitors have described a ghostly figure walking the grounds. Legend has it that every Christmas Eve, Anne Boleyn’s ghost appears on the bridge that crosses the River Eden on these grounds. Anne was as extraordinary in death as she was in life. Her History Heroes Joker fact: some say in life Anne Boleyn had 11 fingers!
Find Anne Boleyn’s History Heroes card in the brilliant History Heroes Board Game: A Race in Time History Board Game: A Race In Time.
The Princes in the Tower
The very young Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, are said to be ghosts of England’s Kings & Queens too. They were brothers and the sons of Edward IV. After their father’s sudden death on the 9th April 1483, the twelve-year-old Edward was declared king, But his uncle seized power instead and became King Richard III. The two young boys were moved to the Tower of London, and were never seen again.
To this day, no one really knows what happened to them. Many believe they were murdered, possibly on Richard III’s orders, to secure his claim to the throne. Another of our History Heroes, William Shakespeare, believed this to be the case! Others have suggested the princes died of illness or were spirited away in secret. Centuries later, in 1674, workers remodelling the Tower of London uncovered the skeletons of two children beneath a staircase. They are believed to be the remains of the princes. They were reburied in Westminster Abbey, where an urn reads ‘… we were stifled by pillows…’
Visitors at the Tower of London have reported spotting the Princes in the Tower and wandering the around the historic site, holding hands.
Find the Princes in the Tower’s History Heroes card in the History Heroes CHILDREN Card Game.
Ghosts or legacies?
These stories endure not JUST because they are peppered with ghosts, but because they remind us that the past is not just a series of dates, events and names. It is a tapestry of very human lives. Some of England’s Kings & Queens died young, others reigned for decades, but all of them were living people, who made their mark on the course of history.
History Heroes wishes everyone a Happy Halloween!
Explore some of our best-selling games:
History Heroes KINGS & QUEENS Card Game
History Heroes CHILDREN Card Game
History Heroes LONDON Card Game