As Princess Diana’s Spirit Haunts Royals in ‘The Crown’ a Palace Employee Recalls Real-Life Encounter With Ghosts
Prior to the release of the sixth and final season of Netflix’s The Crown, it was reported that after the series’ depiction of the princess’s death, there would be a ghost sequence of Diana’s spirit visiting her ex-husband and Queen Elizabeth II.
Now, someone who used to work for Britain’s most famous family is revealing that ghosts haunting the royal households is nothing new. Here’s what they’ve actually seen and heard. Plus, which royal residence has been described as an “eerie house.”
King Charles’ former butler recalls hearing a ghost in one royal residence
Grant Harrold was King Charles’ butler from 2004 to 2011. During his time working for then-Prince Charles and his wife (formerly Camilla Parker Bowles) Harrold’s duties included not only that of butler but also valet, house manager, and driver. Because there have long been rumors that some of the royal castles and palaces are haunted, Harrold was asked if he ever witnessed anything strange or unexplainable when he worked for the monarch.
Speaking on behalf of Slingo, he said: “In one important residence of the royal family, there is a well. The well is now covered up and you can’t see it anymore. But 100 years ago, it was in use and there was a fire at this property, and a little boy apparently fell down the well during the fire. He sadly drowned and he was buried in one of the local church yards. Since then, there have been stories that his ghost haunts the cellar, which used to be the well.
“I remember when I used to go down to the cellar, things would move. You would have bowls and chairs that would move. One day I went down with a housekeeper, we turned off the lights and we could hear a little boy giggling. It’s safe to say there are ghosts within royal residences to this day.”
Harrold continued: “In many residences and houses I’ve worked in, things have happened that you can’t explain. I remember staying in a house in Scotland and I was working upstairs in one of the rooms. I went out to get something from another room, I came back in and all the chairs were moved on top of the table. I was the only one in the house. There have always been lots of things like that happening from time to time. I also remember staying at Highgrove one year and one of the police officers saw a ghost-like figure walking across the grounds. Luckily I never saw anything like that.”
Did Queen Elizabeth or King Charles believe in ghosts?
Prince William was once informed that his country home in Norfolk, Anmer Hall, is haunted. The Prince of Wales reportedly took the news in stride by responding: “No old hall would be complete without a ghost, would it?”
But what about his father and late grandmother, did they even talk about if they believed ghosts were lurking inside their homes?
“It was never something they spoke about,” Harrold said before adding: “But Balmoral was said to have ghost happenings, as well as the other residences. I was told that Queen Elizabeth was in the library one evening and one of the corgis could sense something around the curtains next to the window. I can’t imagine the late queen being phased though. But Sandringham was where her late father died, and I have found Sandringham to be an eerie house. It would always feel a bit strange when wandering around in the night. It has a lot of history behind it and it’s had a lot of royal deaths there. George VI died there, as well as George V and even the Duke of Clarence. So, it’s hardly surprising there have been paranormal sightings.
“I’ve also worked at the Castle of Mey in Scotland alongside the king. People have said they have seen ghosts there and people would tell ghost stories a lot of the time. I didn’t see anything myself, but it wouldn’t surprise me. The first night I stayed there, the staff hid a mannequin behind my door to give me a fright — and it worked! Personally, I don’t think the late queen would have believed in ghosts but with King Charles, you never know. He’s quite an open person, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he did.”
