you look for dead men’s shoes

CATE BLANCHETT as QUEEN ELIZABETH I

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE (2007)

Reused Costumes

Jane Seymour in The Tudors - Season 02

"He, at the same time being a very successful man of the cloth, was also the great politician of his age, really. He was like a chess player, except - it's a very critical game of chess, where if you make the wrong move, it's death, if you make the right move, it's glory. But he served, above all, the king. He loved the king, and the king loved him. But finally, as happened very often in the reign of Henry VIII, things started to go awry." — Sam Neill on Cardinal Thomas Wolsey

If you know anything about Tudor history, you are probably aware of the story where Katherine Howard runs down the corridors screaming for mercy from Henry VIII. One popular depiction of this event can be seen in The Tudors Season 4, Episode 5, titled “Bottom of the Pot.” Where Katherine is played by Tamzin Merchant.

A quick Google search of the story will tell you that when Katherine Howard realized the danger she was in, she escaped her guards and ran down the corridor screaming for mercy from Henry, who was in the nearby chapel attending Mass. However, she was caught and taken back before she could reach him, and that was the last time she ever saw Henry. According to legend, her ghost now haunts that gallery.

(Here are photos of the nearby chapel taken by me)

This story has been told countless of times that at Hampton Court Palace, the corridor has officially become known as “The Haunted Gallery.” It is said that at times a woman dressed in all white can be seen running down the hallway in distress, but when she reaches the end of the corridor, she turns around in shock and disbelief before shrieking in fear.

But what evidence is there for this story? Is it true, or is it simply one of the many tales about the Tudor era created by the Victorians?

Many historians and biographers of Katherine Howard are deeply skeptical of this event. One example is Antonia Fraser, who states that “the original incident is unconfirmed” and argues that “a reconstruction of the first floor of the Tudor palace shows that Queen Katherine Howard could not have reached the Chapel from her own apartment in this manner.”

Another example is David Starkey. In his biography of all of Henry VIII’s six wives, he states: “There was no time for hysterics or for her last, desperate attempt to see him in the chapel gallery. Indeed, when her husband left the palace, she was aware neither of his departure nor that anything was wrong.”

Not to mention this whole event wasn’t ever written about until 1881 by Ernest Law. If the Queen of England was running, screaming, and crying for mercy from the king whilst hundreds of court residents were watching wouldn’t this whole event be national scandal?

So, considering the geographical layout of the palace and the timeline of events, it is very likely that this story is not historically accurate.

However, there are still many visitors who claim to feel a strange energy or experience chills while visiting the gallery. But, when someone has been given information beforehand that a place is haunted, they may be more likely to perceive something unusual. For example, if someone near you says, “I feel something strange over here,” you may become more likely to feel something as well. This is known as behavioral contagion.

My Personal Experience

I visited Hampton Court Palace in March, and personally in the Haunted Gallery I did not feel or see anything unusual. However, I absolutely loved visiting Hampton Court Palace, and I highly recommend it if you ever have the opportunity to go. <3

Here are some photographs of mine!

Cites:

Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII by David Starky

The Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser

RIP SAM NEILL (1947 - 2026)