A historical figure has found herself ‘caught on camera’ in a castle. The medieval princess is known for her legendary escape and has been spotted several times before now. Here’s the most recent account:
A famous haunting spectre has found itself ‘caught on camera’ in a castle right here in Britain by an unsuspecting tourist.
The picture taken shows a cloaked white figure stood in a doorway’s shadow, believed to be a famous ghost. Spookily, it’s exact location is linked to the historical Empress Matilda’s 12th century escape during a siege. The daughter of King Henry I, Matilda, is believed to have been the muse for hit-series character Rhaenyra Targaryen, the fictional queen of the Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon. The picture was taken by a backpacker in St George’s Tower as they attended a daytime tour of Oxford Castle.
Over time, there have been various sightings of the iconic figure, along with stories passing of her spirit continuing to walk the halls of the historic Oxford city site. The eerie photo said to be of Matilda was taken by an Australian tourist called Lewy Jones who was visiting the medieval castle to sight-see as part of his gap year.
The photographer admitted to capturing the picture on accident during his descent of the tower – when she appeared in broad daylight. On the way up to the tower, Lewy shared that he had looked into the room and, at first, it was empty.
But the ghostly white figure he captured is said to share striking similarities with the historic depictions of Matilda’s escape. Said to have climbed down from the tower window, Matilda legendarily skated across the frozen River Thames in an attempt to evade her captor.
Lewy Jones said: “The photo was actually accidentally taken on my digital camera while we were climbing back down the stairs from the tower. I hadn’t noticed this photo until we returned home and I was browsing pics from the day.
“It appears to show a cloaked figure in a white dress in the doorway. The spooky bit is that I am quite certain that the room was completely empty with no white dress as me and my cousin had poked our heads in the doorway during the climb up”.
Oxford Castle has stood for over 950 years – first acting as a vital fortress during Middle Ages conflict, it was then repurposed into a prison during the 17th century. The castle became home to several ghost stories, including one of Mary Blandy – sentenced to death for murdering her father via poison in 1752. The ghost of a potty-mouthed monk and the spirt of a small girl have also been spotted in its crypt.
In an attempt to find answers to explain his unbelievable photo, Lewy asked: “I am wondering if anyone from Oxford, or who is familiar with the castle, can help explain my spooky photo. I don’t really believe in ghosts but this has always given me the heebie-jeebies. What makes my skin crawl is how eerily similar the various artist depictions of Empress Matilda’s escape from Oxford Castle and Prison are to my photo.”
In response, the General Manager of Oxford Castle and Prison, Adam Makinson, said: “It has long been known for its ghostly legends, with countless guests and staff reporting unexplained encounters over the years. The story of Empress Matilda’s daring escape has fascinated historians and ghost hunters alike, so it’s always intriguing when new evidence emerges.
“We believe the site could be one of the UK’s most haunted buildings and we’re looking forward to sharing experiences like Lewy’s with our guests when we launch a new exhibition later in the year.”
