The Coronation Grim Reaper Explained
Thanks to Twitter, millions of us have now seen what looks like The Grim Reaper at the Coronation. This figure is actually a well-known ghost at Westminster Abbey, Father Benedictus.
He does not feature on the official Coronation stamp, but he certainly starred on television.
He was murdered by robbers at Westminster Abbey in 1303, writes Peter Underwood in Haunted London. This footage of Father Benedictus has now gone viral and can be seen on YouTube.
How Father Benedictus Died
According to historian James Clark (Haunted London), the ghostly Father Benedictus died during the reign of King Henry VIII after robbers met him while trying to take the treasures in the Chapel of the Pyx. In 1934 a clairvoyant claimed he had named himself and died in the 1530’s.
Westminster Abbey’s own website shows its Benedictine monks and they are indeed wearing the robe and hood of the figure millions thought was The Grim Reaper during the Coronation.
The Westminster Abbey website is the best source for the history of this fascinating institution.
Father Benedictus Haunts Westminster Abbey
Father Benedictus appeared at the wedding of the late Queen Mother, too. He has form with the Royal Family. (Image: Wikimedia Commons). Known then as the Duchess of York, the Queen Mother’s marriage to the Duke of York (the future King George VI) was haunted by this dark figure, in front of witnesses, according to historian Underwood, who interviewed them for his book, in the 1960’s. This extract from Underwood’s fascinating book about the British spirit world, reveals that our Grim Reaper was actually there when the Queen Mother married the future King George VI. Charles’ grandparents.
Sound Disruption at the Haunted Charles III Coronation
Newsweek contacted Westminster Abbey about the so-called Grim Reaper after the Coronation scare and they claimed the figure was a verger. Yet, he looks quite different to any modern verger and is also clearly out of bounds, at the ceremony.
The BBC sound disruption at the Coronation confirms this was a spirit, as interference with television or radio signals is common when mediums are in contact with the other side.
The Grim Reaper Ghost Interfering with BBC Transmission
The Daily Mail (image above, on Twitter @MailOnline) had easily the best social media coverage of this haunted Coronation. It included questions about the strange and patchy BBC sound, in particular.
BBC viewers switched to ITV after the audio broadcast broke up and interference was heard from production staff. Of course, it may not have been production staff talking at all.
Princess Diana and Electronic Voice Phenomena
Spirit world presence commonly interferes with technology for reasons we don’t understand. Voices can be heard, from people who have passed, on the radio (in the static in between stations) and also on live television.
It happened at the Coronation and it also happened, with Princess Diana clearly audible, at the late Queen’s funeral.
As early as 7.30am on the day of the Coronation, according to The Daily Telegraph in London, BBC viewers were shown coloured bars and a message saying ‘BBC North Salford’.
Death Is Irreversible
A BBC spokesman said, “We apologise that some viewers experienced intermittent sound drop-out during the Coronation broadcast on BBC One. This was due to an audio conversion issue.” Or something else?
Princess Diana famously used E.V.P. (Electronic Voice Phenomena) to interrupt the ITV broadcast of the Queen’s funeral procession. “Death is irreversible and the fact that she is trapped” can clearly be heard – in Diana’s voice – in clips on YouTube and Tik-Tok which have reached millions.
Mercury Retrograde and an Eclipse Coronation
On Friday 20th January I told Anna Barry at The Express, that Charles would not rule. I said the biggest shake-up for the monarchy in 248 years was coming and the upcoming Coronation would not go as planned.
In two interviews with The Express, I also said “Expect a date change or cancellation.”
Images like this, of Sydney Opera House, went right around Twitter when the decision to pull the Coronation light show was made.
The June 3rd Coronation That Wasn’t
Well, the date did change. Bloomberg reported the Coronation was set for 3rd June 2023, back on 6th October 2022. Buckingham Palace then corrected it.
Cancellations and Eclipse Weather
The cancellations did not include the ceremony itself – annoying for Diana fans – but events around the Coronation were scrapped in the UK and elsewhere.
At Battersea Power Station, the public livestream screen went black. Bad weather (heavy showers) cancelled a chain of big screen viewings around the United Kingdom.
The Sydney Opera House – No Coronation
The Red Arrows Flypast in Bournemouth was cancelled because of poor weather on the South Coast. The Guardian reported cancelled Coronation parties after a lack of donation to costs and – big news in Australia – the New South Wales government (above, Twitter) cancelled the Opera House Coronation event.
The Coronation Oath Bible Mistakes
The Coronation was a classic example of Mercury Retrograde at work, on one of the most important days of the year.
King Charles’ Coronation Oath Bible contained mistakes, said its editor. That may yet prove to be more significant than anybody thinks.
Three days before the Coronation, a controlled explosion of shotgun cartridges at Buckingham Palace and an arrest also made breaking news. Even Prince Harry’s US Visa papers were on the line following legal action in the US.
Charles and Camilla, Haunted By…What?
Charles and Camilla were certainly haunted by Father Benedictus at their Coronation, complete with BBC sound interference and strange voices. So, what else are they haunted by? Time will tell, along with the usual delayed impact of that Lunar Eclipse. Perhaps the good father could tell us more, but one thing’s certain. That was not an actor dressed as The Grim Reaper.
