Prince William and Kate Middleton might spend most of their time at Adelaide Cottage, their home in Windsor, but they also own a country house called Anmer Hall. Located in Norfolk, it was said to be a wedding gift to the couple from Queen Elizabeth II, and along with being a relaxing country retreat, the property apparently also comes with a resident ghost.
Paranormal historian Richard Felix told Hello! magazine's A Right Royal Podcast that Princess Kate and Prince William's Georgian home is haunted by the ghost of a Tudor-era priest who was murdered for his beliefs.
“When the Prince and Princess of Wales moved into Anmer Hall—it’s more or less on the Sandringham Estate—there was a ghost there of a Catholic priest that lived there and was hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason," Felix told the podcast.
The historian added that the ghost "returned to his home,” with all signs pointing to Saint Henry Walpole, a Jesuit priest who was executed in 1595, as William and Kate's resident ghost. His family owned Anmer Hall, and according to the Express, Walpole's ghost "is reported to have been seen in the gardens and it is said when the Norfolk winds blow, you can hear him calling."
The tale was corroborated by Felix, who added, "Although he was executed in York, [Kate and William] actually heard his voice. And they have seen the ghost of what they say is a priest, wandering around Anmer Hall,” the paranormal expert said.
And while the Prince and Princess of Wales were given a heads-up about the specter ahead of time, apparently they weren't too bothered by the ghastly tale. “Before the Waleses moved in, they were warned about the ghost, and the comment was—I presume it was from Prince William—he said, ‘No old hall would be complete without a ghost, would it?’" Felix told the podcast.
Prince Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, has also admitted that her house might have a ghost, claiming to Hello! that Queen Elizabeth's last two corgis—who now live with Ferguson at Royal Lodge—"bark at nothing" making her wonder if Queen Elizabeth's ghost is "passing by."
While it sounds terrifying to the average person, the historian explained that it was quite run-of-the-mill for the royals. “They live with their ghosts because people do,” Felix said in the documentary The King of UFOs. “Most people aren’t afraid of ghosts when they are in their houses—they just accept them.”
As for Halloween, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are currently on a school half-term break, so perhaps they're getting up to some mischief with their ghostly pal in Norfolk this week (or at least saving him some candy).
