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The ghost of Hampton Court?
By David Harding, Metro Last updated at 00:00am on 19.12.03
Could this be the Hampton Court ghost?
To the sceptic it may simply look like a fuzzy CCTV image of someone in a long coat walking through a doorway.
Experts say the long-coated figure could be the best proof yet found that things really do go bump in the night... and the day too.
The mystery surfaced two months ago at the 16th-century palace, once home to King Henry VIII.
Security staff heard alarms ringing near an exhibition hall, indicating fire doors had been opened. But on investigation they found the doors closed.
Perplexed, they examined CCTV footage, and that is when it got spooky.
The cameras showed the heavy doors popping open but no one there. Then, suddenly, the long- coated figure appeared and slammed the doors shut.
The guards were told the same thing happened at the same time - about 1pm - the day before.
To add to the mystery, the doors also flew open at the same time the very next day. But the ghostly figure has been spotted only once.
The suspected spook has not just been sighted by CCTV. Australian tourists also claim to have seen a ghost near the exhibition area. The palace, in West London, has ruled out its guides as suspects because they do not enter that part of the building.
Psychologist Dr Richard Wiseman said the spectre, nicknamed Skeletor, might prove to be a significant discovery.
'It could be the best ghost sighting ever,' he said. 'I haven't seen anything that would match that at all.'
Reader views (25)
im a sceptical believer,i will discount everything until ive nothing left to come back with-then i may believe the supernatural is involved.i can see any one of a thousand excuses for this grainy film to be a forgery,its just superstitious poppycock.
- rita parcell-miller, miloton keynes england, 24/09/2011 23:28
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Myy school went to hamton court todayy and we didn't see any sign of these 'ghosts' tbh i think this is rubbish and someone is just playing a joke !! 
<3<3<3 (fb me)
- Layla Burnn x, Horsham :), 25/05/2011 20:26
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HELLO GHOSTIE WATCHERS! I have never been to Hampton Court in London but as a ghostie fan,investigator & believer,I just can't decide on this above photo from what I can see in that image! It certainly looks like a real person but also looks like someone in another dimension too. I can't see the ladders, projectors etc some said they can see in this particular photo but if it's a fake by tricksters then I salute them for such professionalism! If he's a real spirit then I'd like to meet him! Happy ghost hunting!
- Floppy! (Female), Worcestershire. UK., 19/05/2011 13:11
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I was doing a bit of night fishing on the river thames on hampton court, it was about 1.00am and my two freinds were asleep, I was awake watcing my fishing rod when I looked to my right and saw as clear as anything sitting about 10 feet away down to my right a little boy about 9 years old,with blonde curly hair and dressed in victorian clothes just sitting there and watching me, I got a bit freaked out by this and got up very slowly and abandened my fishing rod to get back up the river bank and under the covers of which my freinds had wrapped around them. This was the one and only time I have ever 100% seen a real ghost no doubts about it. the little boy may have once drowned in that part of the river who knows. sometimes I wished now that I would have spoken to him as I think that he wanted to talk to me. But I was just little bit to shocked at the time, I was only trying to catch some fish!
- simon, london, 22/04/2010 05:03
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i think it is fake becuse it could be somone who works there and last time i went there they were all in medival clothes ,and you can go there at night and i bet there would be nothing !!!!!!
- Emily, london, 24/03/2010 12:58
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is the Hampton Court Palace really have a ghost because i am getting scared because i will go there with my school trip ok bye
- Irdina, malaysia, 22/01/2010 16:25
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there has been heard that the ghostly figures name is Skeletor im a fan pf ghosts and catherine screams in the haunted gallery,look up on the web hampton court 4 ghosts!! they are called, grizzly ghost, sceletor,sybil and arbella!! i have been to hampton court but have seen no ghost like that no screaming ither i have been in the haunted gallery but seen no sighn or ghost
- Toby Randall, UK northampton, 31/12/2009 09:44
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I stayed at Hampton Court (Landmark Trust ) a couple of years ago and it is a beautiful place (even more so when you can explore after hours on your own). On arrival, I was told when I collected the key 'the place is haunted' ( I believe my reaction to this was fairly dismissive), but on the first night my parents awoke to the sound of dragging chains and horses hooves which sounded like they were coming from the yard below.
The following day whilst exploring the yard we noticed a grille in the wall and a sound recording being relayed of....guess what? Yep, dragging chains and horses hooves. Hmmmm........
That saying, there were a couple of strange events that I haven't been able to explain away or dismiss as easily: one was a chronic decaying tooth/bad breath smell that awoke me once or twice each night (which wasn't mine I hasten to add!) and a very chill feeling that I picked up near the chapel; and to which I later learnt my Mum and Daughter also felt at the same spot. Why there and nowhere else I haven't the foggiest.
If you can stay there, do, it's a wonderful experience... and no I don't work for the Landmark Trust!
- Cynical Gal, Essex UK, 13/10/2009 21:39
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I visited Hampton Court several times while I was living in London. I actually saw about 4 different ghosts at the Palace (one in the Tennis court seating, one in a corridor outside the little giftshop near the kitchens, one walking around a covered section of a courtyard in the back quadrant of the Palace and the one in the Gallery often referred to as being one of Henry VIII's wives. I actually spoke to her. She isn't who everybody thinks she was. She was just a little servant girl that was killed nearby and yes she is pretty terrifying the first time you see her - she has a terrible bloodcurdling scream. None of them scared me because I've been a medium since I was about 4 years and have seen plenty of ghosties - especially in the UK. You guys are absolutely loaded with them. However this one does look like a fake! Ghosts don't actually look like that and besides the technology to capture their images hasn't been developed yet.
- Annie, Brisbane, Australia, 30/07/2009 15:28
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This was proven fake, it was just a guy in a costume, dont believe everything you see.
- Evan, Winston Salem USA, 25/07/2009 21:22
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That is soo fake you can easily tell i dont even know why people believe that stuff....i mean seriously in the top right corner you can see a projector that is the only reason why that looks so 'ghostly' to everyone !!!
- Kayla, Adelaide Australia, 21/07/2009 06:11
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I was just visiting the palace. I had heard that there were ghosts in the gallery but upon entering one small room, The hair stood up on my neck and I could not go in it. I tried to go in, but I felt something was in there. It was very sinister...especially the closet. I was later told that there is a spot where 12 people have fainted outright, but they won't say where it is. It's the same place every time.
- Carol, Ocean NJ USA, 09/07/2009 09:25
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spooky
- Emily, london, 05/07/2009 09:04
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There have been several ghost sightings at Hampton Court Palace. Why consentrate on this one?
- Aidan Birkin, Conisbrough, England, 01/06/2009 19:47
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There will have to be something more concrete than that to convince me. It looks like a man dressed up; pure and simple. I can't see what all the fuss is about. Cold spots! Unearthly singing! Sorry but I'm a sceptic through and through.
- A. Morgan, Australia, 28/04/2009 03:43
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You'll find out that the picture taken in the upper right hand corner is actually an employee who later admitted to playing a practical joke. See for yourself--the professionals did.
- Sophie Anderson, Portland, OR U.S.A., 12/03/2009 05:44
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People should beleve it! its true i promise
- Danielle, Haverhill, England UK, 08/03/2009 09:09
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Hi i am in year 7, and we are learing about ghosts. When my teacher showed my the video clip i was terrified! This is amazming! You should put a CCTV camra by the doors that opened and every room to see if there are any ghosts! If you see somethink suspishious you should send a copy of it to th new
- Ellen, England Hayes, 06/03/2009 08:21
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As a child I stayed at Hampton Court. A relation lived in the grace and favour flats. I was left in no doubt about the haunting and apart from placing Mrs Shackleton's bread in her basket, the whole place was anything but normal. J G Smith
- john G. Smith, gateshead, 07/02/2009 12:21
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Aura - pass me some of that what you have been smoking please!
- Beavis, Durham UK, 24/10/2008 07:41
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There is defiantly something very unearthly about The Hampton Court Palace, I have no doubt that there are ghosts inhabiting the palace. The Hampton Court Palace is pretty close to my university and on a day off I decided to visit. When I went into the chapel and the gallery it was very creepy, suddenly cold is some palaces. As I was walking out of the Gallery my friends and I heard very sinister screams! But no-one was there...I couldn't tell if someone was playing a joke but it was extremely scary! I m not 100% sure about this siting above...however the figure does not seem to look human to me. Its very sinister.
- Priya, London, 02/04/2008 14:53
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My school went to hampton court and we saw a cloak in the gallery, it matches the one on the computer, it was scary.
- Thomas, cambely, 07/11/2007 20:49
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There are many spirit dimensions at Hampton Court, the unearthly singing is part of what may have happened there. People shouldn't look up at the sky for the spirit world as it isn't there, but all round us in another time dimension.
- Aura, Salisbury, UK, 07/11/2007 16:24
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I lived with my young son and some of his friends in a grace and favor house in Hampton Court several summers ago. We did not see any ghosts, but heard unearthly singing in the night, had cold spots where NOBODY, not even adults would dare to venture. It is a very spooky, albeit beautiful place.
- Mo Henry, Los Angeles USA, 13/09/2007 23:27
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If you look closely there is a ladder with a foot on top of it which was probably used to open the doors.
- Jack, Swanage, 06/09/2007 19:00
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