Is there a ghost in Kate Middleton and Prince William’s country house?

When Kate Middleton and the Prince William they married, in 2011, Queen Elizabeth II gave the couple Anmer Hall, a Georgian-style house on the royal Sandringham estate. In the years since, the newlyweds have transformed the house into a country oasis, adding a conservatory, a state-of-the-art kitchen and even some beehives. However, according to the paranormal historian Richard Felix, the house also had a ghostly guest. In an episode of the podcast Hello! A Right Royal Podcast Felix explained that, when they were about to move, Kate and William were informed that the spirit of a murdered Catholic priest had returned to that (his) old house.

“The ghost that haunted that house was that of a Catholic priest who lived there and who had been hanged, speared and quartered for high treason and who, for some reason, had returned to his old home,” Felix said. “Before the couple moved in, they were warned about the ghost and the comment, I presume from Prince William, was: ‘No old hall would be complete without a ghost, would it?’”

Although Felix did not specify which Catholic priest he was talking about, it is likely that he was referring to Henry Walpole, a Jesuit who lived at Anmer Hall in the 16th century. In April 1595, he was executed after refusing to take the oath and submit to Elizabeth I’s supreme authority over religion. In 1970 he was canonized and a church near Norfolk was named after him.

When the time comes to celebrate Halloween with their three children – the Prince George, Princess Charlotte and the Prince Louis – it’s likely that William and Kate will choose something quieter than ghost stories. In an Instagram post from last year, Carole Middleton, Kate’s mother, said how much she loves celebrating this holiday: «Halloween is a highlight of autumn for me. I still remember the fun and scares of my childhood, the chance to dress up, decorate pumpkins and go trick-or-treating,” she said. “I also grew my own pumpkins this year, so I can’t wait to decorate them with my loved ones.”