On Sunday 19th June 1966, the Rev R W Hardy and his wife visited the Queens House whilst on holiday from British Columbia, Canada. Around 5pm Rev Hardy was taking photographs of the interior of the building and after they were developed he discovered a strange hooded figure on his photograph of the Tulip Staircase. At the time the photograph was taken (between 5.15pm and 5.30pm) his wife was standing with him and confirmed there was nothing on the stair. The staircase itself was closed with a rope and ‘No Admittance’ sign.
The original film negatives were examined by experts at Kodak and no evidence of tampering or manipulation was found. Rev Hardy had taken the picture on a Zeiss Ikon Contina camera with an Anastigmat lens and skylight haze filter. He was using K2 daylight film. The camera was handheld but resting on a ledge and the exposure was estimated to be just over 1 second. Attempts were made to recreate Hardy’s photograph in similar conditions, but they were not fully successful.
On 24th June 1967 members of The Ghost Club conducted a séance by the staircase, attempting to contact the spirit Hardy had captured.
This photo isn’t the only evidence of ghostly activity at the Queen’s House. It’s been said that unexplained figures have been seen on occasion in the vicinity of the staircase, and disembodied footsteps have also been heard. The 400-year-old building is credited with several other apparitions and phantom footsteps even today. Recently, a Gallery Assistant was discussing a tea break with two colleagues when he saw one of the doors to the Bridge Room close by itself. At first he thought it was one of the lecturers. “Then I saw a woman glide across the balcony, and pass through the wall on the west balcony,” he said. “I couldn’t believe what I saw. I went very cold and the hair on my arms and my neck stood on end. We all dashed through to the Queen’s Presents Room and looked down towards the Queen’s Bedroom. Something passed through the ante-room and out through the wall. Then my colleagues all froze too. The lady was dressed in a white-grey colour crinoline type dress.”
Other paranormal activity in the Queens House include the unexplained choral chanting of children, the figure of a pale woman frantically mopping blood at the bottom of the Tulip Staircase (it’s said that 300 years ago a maid was thrown from the highest banister, plunging 50 feet to her death), slamming doors, and even tourists being pinched by unseen fingers
