The Real History Behind Anne Boleyn’s Ghost | After Dark

I’m from San Francisco, CA. In late November of 1978 I went to visit my roommate who was in London for three months with an international accounting firm. I visited Hampton Court during the week in late November. Almost no one was there. I walked through the gallery she mentions. At one point I looked out a window, was it the rose garden? And just happened to think what it must have felt like to be one of those condemned Queens. All of a sudden I had the most horrible feeling of despair and finality- like nothing I’ve ever felt before and I KNEW it was not me. 45 years have passed and I will never forget it. I do believe in ghosts now. It might have been Katherine Howard-don’t know just hope they find peace someday

It's incredible how a single event can ripple through the centuries. Anne Boleyn's ghost is such a testament to her enduring impact on Britain's cultural memory.

My mother was obsessed with Anne Boleyn and I grew up knowing her story. It is what gave me my love of history. A few years ago I visited Hever Castle which is beautiful by the way. There is a room there they think was her bedroom. It was the one place where there was a sense of presence..but it wasn't sad and I realised, this at least was a place where she was happy.

I visited Hever many years ago as a day visitor. Fast forward to September 2023 when i got to stay there as a 65th birthday present! Would absolutely recommend it.The grounds at 7.30 in the morning with the mist, a closed castle and just the sound of the birds...absolutely breathtaking & glorious.

Henry wasn't able to get rid of Anne completely, there are still a HA in the great hall of Hampton court, there's her book of hours, and recently a falcon badge has been found Which was Anne's badge

Fascinating. Anne Boleyn is such an intriguing historical figure…she faced a truly horrific situation with such courage. A very brave lady, right to the end.

Tracy Borman is knowledgeable and fun to listen to. Mandy and Anthony had great questions and input. It’s interesting, but on point, that Henry VIII would be unhappy knowing Anne Boleyn was still being talked about centuries on. I’m assuming, with his distorted view and high opinion of himself, that he thought he would be too. And he was right, but not for the reasons he was thinking. I’d be all for more episodes like this. Excellent. ❤HH

Tracy Borman has such an incredible writing style that it seems to grab me and physically place me in the era she's writing about. Although I was familiar with her through the countless documentaries I've watched, however, I didn't expect her books to be so fascinating and thoroughly entertaining. I'm an old guy who prefers old school historians and I'll admit this lady is the real deal. Just finished her book " Private Lives of the Tudors" and I couldn't put it down.

I'm from the US. A year ago I took a tour and saw the Tower and (because of Tracey knowledge mostly on Youtube) stood outside the Jewel House and thought of Anne's end. I also visited Hampton Court and Hever. Thanks for your wonderful knowledge!

I've toured Hampton Court, the Tower, and several other castles and royal palaces, and I, too, remember feeling a deep chill in the Gallery you spoke of. Weird... And, poor Anne Boleyn. The power imbalance is obvious, of course. Henry pursued her, married her, changed his mind, falsely accused her of terrible crimes, had her killed - the first Queen to be executed, and tried to have her 'erased', as you also mentioned. I gather Anne was a pious and strong woman for her time, which is certainly part of her continued appeal, and I know the Victorians took up her cause for her 'wifely devotion'. But Henry's rule, in general, was problematic, to put it lightly. And, those issues went far beyond Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, or any of his wives, as important as they were. I hope they've all found peace after all this time. This was very interesting and fun - thanks for sharing. :)

So Henry had sent for the french swordsman Before Anne was found guilty. I think he had every intention of beheading her regardless of who believed hed never do it.

The Tudors were all vile murderers. I hate Henry. How could he look his daughter in the face, knowing he'd had her mother murdered? Anne had the last laugh though. Her daughter was one of the greatest monarchs. However, what her father had done to her mother, traumatised her so much that she never married.

She had the last laugh….her beautiful, intelligent and witty red haired daughter become one of our greatest monarchs who ruled without the need of a husband at her side. Now that’s what I call ‘girl power’!

My 15th great grandfather, Lord Henry Norris, was also beheaded with Anne, for allegedly commiting adultery with her.

When I was a kid some mates & I were walking past an old church about 12th century, & I looked to my right into the old graveyard & I saw a figure in a white shroud just sitting on a horizontal grave stone and I did an immediate double take and it was gone. I remember it like it was yesterday, another thing that happened to me as a child was in my bed & I felt a cat walking on my sheets & I froze, this happened a few times & when I was older I told my mother & she said it happened to her too, later when she was working as a housing manager for the city council she was managing the council estate where we first lived where this cat thing occurred & it turned out other tenants who lived in this house after us had made similar claims & couldn’t remain there anymore. That freaked me out when I learned about it, it still makes me shiver to this day when I remember laying in my bed frozen with fear. I’ve never heard about animal ghosts before.

As someone who has been enamored with Tudor history for years and years, it makes me so very angry at the way Henry just discarded his wives. Poor Anne. Done to death by a fat, gouty, stinky, mentally unhinged tyrant. At least Anne of Cleve’s escaped him. I would have been relieved he didn’t find me attractive. She got the best deal out of any of his wives. And as for him saying she was ugly! I guess he never looked in a mirror. He was an absolute monster.

Same thing happened to me in the hallway when I went to visit in 2019. I was standing in off to the side of the portrait of Henry VIII and suddenly I felt a chill on my left arm. I asked Katherine if she could give me a sign that she was there. 2 of my cousin were sitting on one of the window sills and just talking amongst themselves. I got goosebumps on just that side of my arm and the coldness went away just as quick. It was September and I was wearing a sweater. I turned to my cousins and lifted my sleeve and showed them. They said they didn't feel any sort of a breeze. I let out a bit of a laugh and told them what I had whispered. I was really happy to have this experience and I can't wait to go back to the UK, visit more places, and go to Hampton Court again. I'm a distant relative of KoA through my grandpa's side, it's from a bastard line and it is so diluted now I guess that we don't count 😂.

I remember being in London in 1978 and visiting the tower and I felt the cool chill of something along the gallery

What an absolutely brilliant episode! I love hearing Tracy Borman speak about history....she is so knowledgeable and entertaining to listen to. Great to see her on this fantastic podcast. I am so eternally fascinated with all things Tudor and am praying for the opportunity to come to the United Kingdom and visit all the places linked to this time in history (particularly Hever Castle and Hampton Court Palace!). I would actually love to see Anne reinterred to Hever Castle...I find it so incredibly sad that her final resting place is where she was executed. Thank you for another excellent look into history Maddy and Anthony...💜💜💜👑👑👑💜💜💜

I want to hear Tracy talk more about the warrant the Henry VIII sent to the Sir William Kingston. I want to hear more of the details, and what really gives her the creeps.