The Ghost of Empress Matilda - Oxford Castle

For those of you thinking of visiting Oxford, I thought that you might be interested to learn a potted history of one of the inhabitants of the Oxford Castle and Prison. The site spans from 10th century to today although in recent years it has been turned into a (very nice) hotel and restaurant retaining many of the original features, including the high, narrow corridors which prisoners had to take to get into their cells. I have had a tour of the (now hotel) and seen original features. The cells have become hotel rooms; they use two cells per hotel room, but the original cell doors remain.

The ghostly white figure of Empress Matilda is reputed to be the most 'seen' ghost in the whole of England. So.................


Empress Matilda, who was she? Matilda was born in 1101 and was the only surviving legitimate child of King Henry I. At the age of 12 she married the German Emperor, Henry V; he was 32; they had no children. After his death, Matilda returned home and needing an heir to support her claim to become Queen, she married again and this time bore 3 sons. However, when her father died she was in Anjou and Maine with her husband, Prince Geoffrey, and was not able to take up her rightful position on the throne and so her cousin Stephen was crowned. Matilda however, wanted that crown and so eventually she staged a coup and so began the Civil War when she was eventually able to capture Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln in February 1141. She was declared Queen, 'Lady of the English'. However, she had alienated people and never became Queen, her succession came in the form of her son, who would become Henry II in 1154.

During her fight for supremacy against Stephen she was imprisoned in Oxford Castle and in 1141 she made a daring escape with the help of three loyal footmen. Dressed in white she scaled the building and escaped across the frozen River Thames on horseback. Those who saw her and her helpers said that they looked like ghosts.

She died at Rouen on 10th September 1169.

For whatever reason, Empress Matilda has chosen Oxford Castle to be her 'home'. So, next time you're in Oxford do go and say 'hello' to her................