Catherine Howard and the Haunted Gallery
Catherine Howard, fifth wife of Henry VIII, died on 13 February 1542. A story about her running down a gallery at Hampton Court Palace gave the Haunted Gallery its name, and visitors and staff there report chills and sightings.
Wikipedia gives Catherine Howard's death as 13 February 1542. She was England's queen between July 1540 and November 1541, the fifth wife of Henry VIII. Her father was Lord Edmund Howard, she was a first cousin to Anne Boleyn, and her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk, placed her in the household of Anne of Cleves, Henry's fourth wife. There Henry took an interest in her. They married at Oatlands Palace in July 1540, 19 days after his marriage to Anne was annulled. Henry was 49 and Catherine 17.
Wikipedia's article on Hampton Court Palace says a legend claims that she slipped away from her guards for a short while, ran through the Haunted Gallery to plead with Henry for her life, and was caught again. History Hit says her ghost is reported to repeat that painful walk along the corridor, over and over, and that some visitors feel a sudden chill there. It also says some staff have reported sightings late at night.
Royal Central says visitors often report feeling strange, cold or dizzy in the room. It cites Historic Royal Palaces as saying that two women on different tours fainted at the very same spot in 1999, both on one day, in the Haunted Gallery.
"1523 – 13 February 1542) was Queen of England from July 1540 until November 1541 as the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a first cousin to Anne Boleyn (the second wife of Henry VIII), and the niece of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk. Her uncle secured her a place in the household of Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, where Catherine caught the King's interest. They were married in July 1540 at Oatlands Palace in Surrey, just 19 days after the annulment of his marriage to Anne. Henry was 49, and Catherine, 17."
- The Royal Ghosts of Hampton Court Palace, Royal Central
- Terrifying ghosts said to haunt English historic houses, History Hit
- Hampton Court Palace, Wikipedia