The Ghosts of Buckingham Palace

Whether a London local or a tourist, you have undoubtedly heard of the royal monarchy’s official residence: Buckingham Palace. It is not just an iconic site but a living testament to the history of the British monarchy, as renowned as Big Ben, Tower Bridge, and the monarchy itself. Situated between Green Park and St James Park, this extravagant building is home to world treasures, secret tunnels, buried bombs, probably some ghosts, and the King of England.

Queen Victoria (at 18 years old) was the first monarch to take permanent residence in the palace. Before her reign, Buckingham Palace was Buckingham House. It was initially constructed in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham, then purchased by King George III in 1761, and in 1825, it underwent a massive renovation for the 775 rooms, making it the Palace that we are familiar with today. Having withstood the testaments of time for 300-plus years, the Palace has seen everything from the blitzkrieg to corgis. However, a building with such a deep and rich history, including the reign of Queen Victoria and the blitzkrieg, is bound to have a dark side, too. 

It feels right to discuss Buckingham Palace's hauntings in the spirit of the season. Two notorious and elusive figures, both of whom had perished on site, are rumoured to have romped the palace's wings. The elder of the two ghosts is a priest in a brown cowl with chained restraints, who paces the rear terrace. A medieval monastery was on the site at some point, so the priestly ghost must have predated the Palace for centuries. The monastery was gifted to the monks by William the Conqueror in the 11th century. The monk apparition likely died in a punishment cell and continues to search for repentance, now being witnessed by several Palace authorities. It is still uncertain who this monk was or exactly how he died, but he seems unthreatening and polite for a poltergeist. 

The other ghost is Major John Gwynne, previously the Private Secretary of King Edward VII, who shot himself after the repercussions of his divorce in 1915. He was shunned by higher society due to the scandal in his marriage and became unable to cope. He took his life in his first-floor office of Buckingham Palace, which is said to evoke an unsettling feeling now. So much so that even the staffers still do not want to enter the room. Some have reported hearing a single gunshot behind those closed doors, but this ghost seems docile aside from their agonising existence. 

The death of Major John Gwynne was not the first grievance on site. In 1861, Queen Victoria became widowed and retreated from the public eye, leaving her residence for Windsor Castle. In the years that followed, the Queen continued to dress in sombre black, perpetually mourning the loss of Prince Albert. In her absence, Buckingham Palace was rather neglected and shuttered, paralleling the decline of the monarch’s well-being. 

Despite the few tragedies and friendly enough hauntings of Buckingham Palace, the site is worth the visit for its breathtaking gardens, historic changing of the guard’s ceremony, and ornate architecture. Just be wary if you choose to go on a tour; you might get a hitchhiking ghost to follow you home!

Sources:

“Fascinating Buckingham Palace Facts.” The London Pass®, londonpass.com/en/things-to-do/buckingham-palace-facts. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024. 

“Who Built Buckingham Palace?” Royal Collection Trust, www.rct.uk/visit/buckingham-palace/who-built-buckingham-palace. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024. 

Sonja. “Buckingham Palace  .” The Little House of Horrors, 14 Sept. 2022, thelittlehouseofhorrors.com/buckingham-palace/. 

John Gardiner (2006). The Victorians: An Age in Retrospect. A&C Black. p. 142. ISBN 978-1-8528-5560-4.