PALACE GHOST STORIES

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1926, Page 1

PALACE GHOST STORIES

A QUEEN SITS UP IN HER COFFIN.

In reviewing “Reminiscences: Social and Political.” by Roma Lister a writer in a London daily says that Roma Lister, descended from a younger branch of the Ribblesdalo familyis one of the best known of tho British community at Rome, and her memories cover the last 40 years.

Her hook is crammed with good stories of notable people from Queen Victoria to Signor Mussolini, and is particularly rich in its ghost tales. As a child she was taken io visit Queen Victoria: We had tea and really delicious bread and butter. After tea I was hustled into another room, where a little later there entered a shore dignified little lady in black—the Queen. She told me l was a dear little thing and that she knew my mother quite well. When she was staying in Copenhagen she heard of a ghost, that of Queen Juliana of Denmark, which is said to lmunt the Ohristianbourg Palace. She is said to come with her Court to inspect every newly-appointed lady-in-waiting on the first night of her service. So accustomed are the servants to this that the lady is never expected to appear at dinner that evening: she is generally in bed with hysterics. KING EDWARD VII. A strange anecdote concerns tho coronation of King Edward VIE: Tie spoke of the curious prediction which a palmist- had made to him that he- would never he crowned. T believe the King afterwards said this came true, because the Archbishop stumbled at the exact moment when lie was placing the crown on the King’s head. So, as his Majesty used to say, “ I caught the crown and put it oft Myself.”

Tho following story was told the author by Prince Henry of Prussia, who was staying at the Swedish Court after the death of Queen Josephine. Her body had been placed in a eliapellc ardente (lying-in-state chapel) reached by' a long corridor from an ante-chamber. In the ante-chamber sat one of tho King’s A.D.C.s. He sat reading, when he heard slops in the corridor. He started up. A lady came in. She .was dressed in black with a, long veil, and he saw it was a lady-in-waiting, who had been a. personal friend of the Queen. The lady passed swiftly through the (Joor and entered the eliappello ardente. COFFIN CONVERSATION. Some time passed and the watcher grew nervous, lie went to tho door of the chamber and pushed it open. Tho four great candles burnt steadily and by their light ho saw the body of the dead sitting up in her coffin in her robes of royalty. By her side knelt the lady, her friend. The two were ■speaking together. 'The candle light shone on the closed eyes and cadaverous face of the dead Queen, whose dead whose lips moved, answering the questions of her devoted friend. The A.D.C. staggered back in terror, but then, bracing himself, went back to the room just as the clock struck 12. Tlicre was no one there, and ilie body lay motionless in the coffin. The King was told, and then showed the A.D.C. a telegram lie had just received announcing the death of the ladv-i 11-waiting whose ghost had been seen.

These memories are not to be missed by wise people.