Windsor Castle is well known throughout the world as one of the most haunted of all the royal residences.
Despite more than 25 reported experiences with ghosts over the years, there is one particular antlered spirit that really creeps out the monarchy as it is said to appear when a Queen or King is about to die.
When you think back across royal history, Windsor Castle is one of the key players as the construction was started back in 1070 and has been used by almost every monarch since Henry I, reports MyLondon.
It is well-known that the Berkshire castle is the favourite home of The Queen and she has lived there permanently since early 2020. But if spooky stories are to be believed, she is not the only famous figure inhabiting it.
While the best ghostly tales feature famous kings and queens reappearing centuries after they died, there are many others that are just as enthralling.
One such example is the story of Herne the Hunter, an antlered figure who is said to ride a horse, torment cattle and rattle chains. It is believed his spirit appears in Windsor Great Park when the king or queen is close to death, or when the nation is in peril.
The legend of Herne the Hunter follows that he was a keeper in Windsor during the reign of King Richard II. After a serious hunting injury involving a stag, he was treated by having the animal's antlers attached to his head until he returned to health.
Herne was rewarded by the king for his bravery but other huntsmen were jealous and decided to accuse him of theft and black magic.
He was soon sacked and was found hung the next day. The other hunters thought they would soon come into the king's favour, but this never happened so they decided the best course of action would be to apologise to the ghost of Herne.
The king soon grew tired with the lack of hunting success and so the men who had accused Herne revealed what they had done to the king. Richard II felt betrayed as he had believed the stories and fired his friend.
While taking a walk in Great Windsor Park it is said the ghost, complete with antlers, appeared before him and said the lack of deer was down to him and if the traitorous huntsmen were punished he would return the deer to the woods.
Herne's story is hugely interesting and there are numerous tales of historical kings and queens also appearing at Windsor. While the Queen herself has confessed to seeing the ghost of Queen Elizabeth I, it is the story of King George III that will tug at your heartstrings.
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Towards the end of his reign the king became so mentally ill that he was confined in this room for long periods of the day. Witnesses describe seeing a figure “Looking longingly out of the window.”
When he died and was still lying in state at the castle, guards reported that they had seen him standing by his window.
The story goes that the soldiers were passing the king’s window on their duties when the commanding officer saw the distinctive figure of the king standing in his usual place, watching the parade.
Instinctively he gave the order "eyes right," and as they swung around each guard saw the figure and watched as the late king returned their salute.
