10 Creepiest Hauntings At Hampton Court Palace
1. The Screaming Queen
The screaming queen is believed to have been Catherine Howard, Henry VIII’s fifth wife and second one to be beheaded. She was married to him in July of 1540 when she was just a teenager. Only one year into their marriage, rumours circulated that she was being unfaithful and Henry had her beheaded.
Though some records state that her final hours before her execution were dignified, Catherine allegedly broke free from the guards and ran along what is now named the haunted gallery, screaming for the king to change his mind. She couldn’t reach Henry in time who was at prayer in the chapel and she was ultimately killed.
Of all the ghosts to wander the palace, Catherine Howard is the most regularly seen. Her ghost still walks about the gallery, repeating her heartbreaking final moments over and over again. Occasionally, the blood-curdling screams she voiced before her execution can be heard. There was also a postcard in the 1900s that appears to show a ghost, who many believe is Catherine.