A Disturbance at Sandringham House

The modest little royal digs at Sandringham House, by all accounts adrift with ghosts and spirits at Christmastime

As all no doubt are aware, telling ghost stories at Yuletide is an ancient tradition which we have inherited from England.  The fact is that ghosts seem oft to make their presence felt at Christmas. 

Some say it is because our thoughts harken back to loved ones no longer with us; others aver that it is because the holiday coincides with the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year when the worlds of the living and the dead are closest.  Or perhaps it is simply because, like old Uncle Scrooge, we all have had too much mince meat and hot toddies and our senses play tricks on us. 

Regardless, ghosts do seem to cluster close around the season—perhaps even more so than at Halloween.

For example the Queen’s residence at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England, has long known to experience poltergeist activity that begins activity from Christmas Eve, as well as other fey encounters. The estate has been occupied since the Elizabethan era, but it was in 1771 that architect Cornish Henley cleared the site to build Sandringham Hall. The hall was modified during the 19th century by Charles Spencer Cowper, a stepson of Lord Palmerston, who added an elaborate porch and conservatory.  Today it is the private domain of Queen Elizabeth II and not considered public Crown property, as many royal residences are.

The spectral activity at Sandringham House manifests strongly in the servants quarters and the unseen spirits would seem to have a particular dislike for Christmas cards. The cards are frequently scattered, thrown and generally moved around.  In addition, blankets are pulled off of beds and something very creepy breathes down the necks of the maids who serve the royal family.

“The Guardian Angel” which watches over Sandringham House; hopefully it is not a Weeping Angel though.

There are old parts of the mansion, little used, that nobody wishes to go alone in.  According to one account, Prince Charles and his valet once went exploring in an old wing of the palatial building in search of old prints.  They suddenly both felt very cold and had the feeling that somebody—or something—was following them.  Neither saw anything, but the experience was quite unnerving.

The library of the House is regarded as one of the most haunted rooms of the rambling manse. A napping servant was once awakened to the sight of books flying off the shelves. The hands on an old clock in the room often move by themselves as well.

The chamber maids believe that the most frightening spot in the house is the Sergeant Footman’s corridor on the second floor. They are so terrified of this part of the palace that they only clean that area of Sandringham in pairs or groups.  According to reports, light switches are turned on and off, footsteps are heard walking down the corridor, and doors are heard opening and closing. They also report hearing a terrifying noise like a wheezing sound that, “resembles a huge, grotesque lung breathing in and out.”

With as long a history as Sandringham House has had, it is believed a number of ghosts haunt the building at Christmas.  Members of the royal family died there in the nineteenth century and more recently one of Queen Elizabeth’s loyal retainers, Tony Jarred, the Queen’s favorite steward, died there in the cellar in 1996. Rumor has it that the Queen herself has seen Jarred at Sandringham, although as usual with the Royal Family, no one will speak publicly about it. Nor is Jarred the only ghost Her Majesty has seen in her long life.

Kate Middleton, the popular Duchess of Cambridge, has been duly warned about the ghosts that haunt Sandringham House at Christmas.

The haunting of Sandringham is reported to begin on Christmas Eve and endures for about six to seven weeks, after which the spirits seem to become dormant until the next Yuletide. This year should be especially interesting, since Kate Middleton will be spending her first Christmas at Sandringham House. Bonny Kate has been duly informed about the Christmas ghosts there and also been advised to not make any jokes about ghosts to the Queen, who apparently takes her royal hauntings quite seriously.
 

For more true haunting tales, see Strange Tales of the Dark and Bloody Ground and Ghosts and Haunts of Tennessee.  Both best read by a roaring fire with duly spiked eggnog on Christmas Eve.

Strange tales of unexplained phenomena and paranormal activity in the Mid-South.

Ghosts and Haunts of Tennessee. True haunting tales of the Mid South