Anne Boleyn’s ghost haunts the Tower of London — these 10 eerie sightings keep her legend alive
The Tower of London is home to dozens of ghost stories, but none are more enduring than those of Anne Boleyn.
Henry VIII’s second wife was executed here in 1536, and ever since, soldiers, warders and visitors have claimed to see her restless spirit.
John West, author of Britain’s Haunted Heritage and many other paranormal books, told Spooky Isles in a 2020 interview: “There’s just so much history there and there’s such a power to the place and an atmosphere. It’s one of the most haunted places in the world.”
Here are 10 of the most chilling times Anne Boleyn’s ghost was seen at the Tower of London.
1. The coldest room in the Queen’s House
Anne was kept in the Queen’s House before her execution.
“People have said the room where she was kept was a lot colder than the other rooms,” John explained, “and there was a smell of perfume in there and there’s been knocks and bangs and groans.”
2. Perfume drifting through the chamber
That strange perfume has often been described as a floral, sweet scent — perhaps a trace of Anne’s presence, unsettling in a place so tied to her downfall.
3. Unexplained knocks, bangs and groans
Some say the noises echo Anne’s grief. Others believe the groans belong to Guy Fawkes, tortured at the Tower decades later.
Either way, they remain one of the Queen’s House’s most unnerving features.
4. The sentry of 1864 collapses in shock
In 1864, a soldier collapsed on duty after encountering Anne’s ghost.“He claimed he’d seen this white figure advancing towards him,” John said. “He shouted out a challenge and it ignored him… he put his bayonet through it and he collapsed with shock and passed out.”
Two soldiers in the Bloody Tower confirmed they had seen the same figure.
5. A headless woman on Tower Green
Anne’s spirit is often tied to Tower Green, where she was beheaded.
One sentry reported hearing footsteps and then seeing a headless woman advance towards him.
“The suggestion is, is it Anne Boleyn? Other people were beheaded, including females, but was it her?” John noted.
6. The time slip of 1972
In 1972, a girl named Joan startled her mother during a tour.
“She said, ‘I don’t believe she was killed with an axe. She was killed with a sword,’” John explained.
Joan then described the executioner removing his shoes and sneaking up behind Anne — a detail she could not have known.
Many believe Joan slipped briefly into the past, witnessing Anne’s execution first-hand.
7. The chapel procession
Anne was buried in the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula.
In the 19th century, an officer on patrol saw a light inside. Climbing to the window, he “saw a procession of figures described as wearing Tudor medieval clothing,” John said.
“They were led by a woman who resembled portraits of Anne Boleyn. Then all of a sudden the light went out and they’d gone.”
8. The crying woman in white
Beefeaters have spoken of a woman in white walking the Tower’s halls.
Though not always identified, many believe this spectral figure is Anne, returning again and again to the place of her death.
9. Anne’s phantom seen in multiple towers
Stories link Anne’s ghost not only to the Queen’s House and Tower Green, but also to the Bloody Tower and Beauchamp Tower.
Her presence seems to move across the fortress — restless and unwilling to remain in one spot.
10. The uneasy silence after dark
Finally, there are the countless unnamed warders, guides and sentries who claim that once the crowds leave, the Tower changes.
A Beefeater once remarked to John West that things happen “when people have gone.”
Anne’s story, told again and again by those who serve at the Tower, refuses to fade.
Is this enough proof that Anne Boleyn’s ghost haunts the Tower?
Taken together, the cold rooms, unexplained perfume, headless figures, soldier sightings and even the chilling “time slip” are enough for many to believe.
Whether you see them as folklore, echoes of trauma or real ghost sightings, Anne’s spirit is part of the Tower’s fabric.
Ghost stories also thrive because Anne Boleyn’s fate was so unjust.
Her execution shocked even Tudor England, and her memory has never rested.
For visitors today, these accounts are not just stories — they are an invitation to imagine Anne still walking the Tower.
Does Anne Boleyn haunt anywhere else?
Yes. While the Tower of London is her most famous haunting, Anne is also linked to other places tied to her life and death:
- Hever Castle, Kent – her childhood home, where she is said to appear by the lake and in the gardens.
- Blickling Hall, Norfolk – on the anniversary of her death (19 May), she is said to ride up to the house in a ghostly coach drawn by headless horses.
- Salle Church, Norfolk – some claim her body, or part of it, was secretly brought here, and her ghost has been reported in the churchyard.
These sightings show Anne’s spirit is not confined to the Tower — she has become a restless figure in English ghostlore, forever wandering the places that shaped her life.
Why Anne Boleyn remains the Tower’s most famous ghost
The Tower of London has seen countless executions, but Anne Boleyn’s story rises above the rest.
Her ghost is not just a haunting — it is a reminder of power, betrayal and tragedy.
For tourists, walking through the Queen’s House, Tower Green or the chapel is to step into a world where history and haunting overlap, and where a queen wronged by her king refuses to be forgotten.
Watch Tower of London Ghost interview with John West
Have you ever encountered Anne Boleyn’s ghostly presence at the Tower of London? Share your experience in the comments!
