Why did Queen Elizabeth II take part in an 'exorcism' at Sandringham?

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

Royal biographer Robert Hardman revealed the truth behind rumours the late Queen attended an 'exorcism' to banish a ghost from the Sandringham estate on a new Mail podcast.
Hardman discussed the validity of the story alongside his Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things co-host Kate Williams, on an episode exploring the monarchy's belief in the supernatural.
The haunting at Sandringham was first reported by the late Kenneth Rose, a royal biographer and journalist who shared the story in his personal diaries.
Rose claimed that in 2000, staff at the estate were so frightened by unexplained phenomena in the bedroom where King George VI had died in 1952 that they appealed to the Queen Mother.
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Unsure of what to do, the Queen mother allegedly ordered a local parson to perform a 'religious cleansing ceremony' inside the room, inviting her daughter, Elizabeth II, to attend.
'It wasn't a conventional exorcism', Hardman explained.
'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.
'No one was quite sure who the ghost was supposed to be, despite it appearing in the room where George VI had died.
'Rose speculated whether it might be the ghost of Diana, the late Princess of Wales – who had died a few years before.'
Reportedly, the Queen, Queen mother and her lady-in-waiting, Prue Penn, attended the service held in the haunted room.
The parson had pushed for a cleansing ceremony after sensing what Rose said was a 'restlessness' in the space.
The service itself saw the taking of Holy Communion and the holding of special prayers, said to be targeted to dispel the roaming spirit of George VI.
Whether the royals who took part believed the staff's eerie reports remains a mystery.
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The service was likely a pragmatic decision by the Queen mother, to show the servants that they were taking their concerns seriously.
Hardman said it was particularly strange that Elizabeth attended, given her cynicism for this type of 'wilder theory'.
'The late Queen had a strong faith, but she was not superstitious', Hardman said.
'She did not have time for these wilder theories – but she did have a strong sense of the spiritual, as does King Charles.'
Sandringham has a storied history of unexplainable phenomena and ghost sightings.
Paranormal author John West claimed in 'Britain's Ghostly Heritage' that staff reported phenomena including moving Christmas cards, lights turning on and off, and eerie footsteps.
He also alleged that the now-King Charles himself had a frightening encounter at Sandringham as a young man, when he and a member of staff reportedly ran from the library in terror.
In 1996, Shaun Croasdale, a worker at the estate reportedly had an encounter with the ghost of the Queen Elizabeth's favourite steward, Tony Jarred.
The estate at Sandringham has been occupied since the first Elizabethan era but only became associated with royalty after it was bought by Queen Victoria in 1862.
Today, Sandringham covers about 20,000 acres of the Norfolk countryside and is considered a private residence, unlike other estates owned by the crown.
To hear why Princess Diana visited a psychic after her split from Charles, search for Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things now, wherever you get your podcasts.