Tower of London — 900 Years of Royal Execution Leave Royals Still Walking the Battlements

The Tower of London, constructed by William the Conqueror in 1078 and used as a royal palace, prison, and place of execution for nearly nine centuries, is considered one of the most haunted buildings in England. Among its reported spectral residents are several of England's most famous historical figures, including two of Henry VIII's executed wives. Anne Boleyn, beheaded at the Tower in 1536, is the most frequently reported apparition. Witnesses including Yeoman Warders have described seeing a female figure in period clothing near the Chapel Royal of St. Peter ad Vincula, where she is buried. A sentry who encountered the figure in the 1860s was court-martialed for leaving his post before his account was corroborated. Other reported apparitions include Lady Jane Grey, seen particularly on anniversaries of her execution; Thomas Becket, who allegedly appeared during construction of the Waterloo Barracks; Sir Walter Raleigh walking along the battlements; and the two young Princes, Edward V and Richard Duke of York, who disappeared within the Tower in 1483 and have been reported holding hands in the Bloody Tower. The most disturbing account came from a soldier who reported seeing a shape move out of a cannon on Tower Green, materializing as a white cylindrical form before lunging at him. The Tower continues to be garrisoned by Yeoman Warders who live within the grounds and regularly encounter unexplained phenomena including cold presences, disembodied footsteps, and objects that move without explanation.