Spiritual cleansing took place at Queen’s country residence

Purchased in 1862 for the future Edward VII, the estate is the royals’ Norfolk retreat where they spend Christmas.

Journalist Meredith Kile wrote that when “staff members were frightened by unexplained paranormal activity, the royal family attempted to rid their estate of any lingering spirits.” High society diarist and royal biographer Kenneth Rose wrote in his journal about a ceremony reportedly held at Sandringham House in 2000.

Mr Rose’s insider knowledge of the aristocracy and other notables was the envy of his contemporaries. When the author passed on in 2014 at the age of 89, he bequeathed the 350 boxes of his journals to Oxford’s Bodleian Library.

He recorded that the ceremony was held after staff complained about strange and unexplained paranormal activity in the room where King George VI passed peacefully in 1952.

The monarch was found by a servant at 7.30 am, having suffered a coronary thrombosis due to a blood clot in an artery, following years of heavy smoking and surgery the previous year. The Queen Mother apparently ordered a “religious cleansing ritual” to rid the room of any possible spirit activity.

“It wasn’t a conventional exorcism,” historian and royal biographer Robert Hardman explained in a recent episode of his podcast Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things.

“There was no dramatic casting out of demons like you see in films. It was said that the room contained a troubled spirit and that the parson was supposed to bless the space.” Kenneth Rose had claimed that Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and her lady-in-waiting, Prue Penn, took part in the ceremony, which consisted of taking Holy Communion and saying special prayers.

“No one was quite sure who the ghost was supposed to be, despite it appearing in the room where George VI had died,” Mr Hardman commented. “Kenneth Rose speculated whether it might be the ghost of Diana, the late Princess of Wales, who had died a few years before.” It is unclear if any of the royals who were present believed in the paranormal.

Mr Hardman thinks their attendance could have been more as a show of support and action for their frightened staff.

“The late Queen had a strong faith, but she was not superstitious,” he insisted. “She did not have time for these wilder theories, but did have a strong sense of the spiritual, as does King Charles.” According to author and Psychic News contributor John West, the King experienced at least one paranormal occurrence at Sandringham.

In his 2022 book Britain’s Ghostly Heritage, John wrote that the then-Prince of Wales had a frightening encounter in a library on the estate, which left him and a staff member fleeing from the room.

John elaborated that poltergeist activity is said to start “every Christmas Eve and continue for several weeks.

Footsteps have been heard in the deserted corridors of the servants’ quarters.” Doors have been known to open by themselves, and lights mysteriously switch on and off. Christmas cards mysteriously moved and bedclothes found in disarray.

“Heavy breathing noises have also been heard in one room on the second floor,” John discovered. “Housemaids working in the house even started to refuse to enter it unless accompanied by another servant.” A female guest said that at 2.00 am one morning she witnessed an apparition of a young boy with a pole who seemed to be attending to lamps from long ago.

The tradition of staying at Sandringham over Christmas and the New Year was started by Queen Elizabeth in 1988 meaning that all her grandchildren grew up holidaying at the beloved home.

Paranormal historian Richard Felix said: “When the Prince and Princess of Wales moved into Anmer Hall – it’s more or less on the Sandringham Estate – there was a ghost there of a Catholic priest that lived there and was hanged, drawn and quartered for high treason.

For some reason, he has returned to his home.” Richard said that when the couple took over the ten-bedroomed Georgian property, they were warned about the apparition, but Prince William simply replied, “No old hall would be complete without a ghost, would it?” Two years ago, PN reported that William is unfazed by co-habiting with ghosts.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are now based at Adelaide Cottage in Windsor, Berks, with their three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. However, Anmer Hall continues to be their private country home.