Modern-day princess Megan Clawson shares the secrets of her extraordinary life in the ‘Village beyond the wall’ – the Tower of London.
It was the dawn of the new year, 2021. Megan Clawson was unwinding in her home – located in the residential court of the infamous Tower of London. After a night of welcoming the new year, where city residents and beyond gathered in the heart of London to raise a glass in the hopes of a more promising forthcoming year, Megan recalls an encounter that stood out from everyone else in the crowd.
“I was on the sofa staring at my phone,” says Megan. “It was 3AM, when suddenly the TV went static and a silhouette appeared in front of the screen, and then suddenly disappeared”
The Tower of London accepts morbidly curious visitors in their thousands every year to indulge themselves in all its gory glory. From a tiny window in the grounds resident village, Megan Clawson shares with her thousands of online followers her stories and secrets of how her life transformed into a modern day fairytale as a resident of the Tower – and of its renowned violent history of royal residents and their incarcerated prisoners. To the surprise of few in the tower’s gruesome history, residents and tourists alike claim that its infamous historical residents still reside within its walls – in the form of ghoulish encounters.
The tower is never short of visitors with a curious tongue and listening ear to converse with about her fascinating home and all its past and present. As the sun sinks and darkness rises, the tower has a life of its own. The ceremony of the keys takes place and the tower is locked. An intimate village of friendly and familiar faces that welcomed Megan with open arms into their community can talk over a drink at the exclusive residential pub on the tower grounds. However, after hours, it’s not just tower residents that roam freely. Another presence has made themselves known to Megan and other residents alike in a series of suspicious events.
Image credit: Grace Sweeney
“We always say if ghosts exist and haunting is a thing, then this place is definitely haunted.” says Megan, who explains that this is a common curiosity amongst both her online viewers and visitors alike.
The tight-knit residential community at the tower has made Megan feel right at home in London. However, some tales from the Tower would suggest that some old members of the grounds community are a little too close for comfort.
“A lot of people who come to the tower who are in touch with their spiritual side say that they can really feel something. People say that the grounds are haunted by Anne Boleyn, who carries her head across the lawn, and I have personally never seen anything like that. But I have had a few weird experiences…”
In its history, entering the Tower through Traitors’ gate was the last place that most visitors would go, with certain death greeting them upon entrance to the tower – a gruesome execution being the fate of various prisoners in its past. Suspicious experiences have led residents and visitors alike to believe that they never left.
“The most fascinating story that most people know about is the two princes, who were supposedly murdered by Richard the Third in the tower. We do not know for sure, but it is known that they haunt the tower. The strangest thing of all about this rumour, is that the only known sightings have been accounted for by children of the Beefeaters. There is a story of the children that lived next to the Bloody Tower, where the boys supposedly haunt, and one of the Beefeaters who lived there was moving out. When he told his young daughter, she said “oh good, I won’t have to share my toys with those boys anymore.”
This is not the first occurrence of a child interacting with ghosts. Megan recalls another story of a castle resident, with another incident concerning the tale of the two young princes.
“Another time a child named the two boys – Richard and Edward, saying they had done this or that, leaving the child’s father confused with no other known young residents with the name, when he suddenly realised – his child had befriended ghosts. I think it’s quite sweet, really.”
While most ghost encounters are not met with a smile or sympathy, Megan takes a different perspective; The tale of the two boys is one of horror but also deep sadness. Being murdered on the grounds of her own home is a mournful tale, fulfilling a childhood that they were not able to engage with before their lives were cut short.
Despite being feared by most, past and present, through the stories of its morbid history, the tower has become a place Megan can call home. The modern community of the castle brings a sweetness to its soured history, one that was once of gore and brutality, that transformed into one filled with friends and community. Megan bears witness to ceremonial royal traditions that take place on the castle grounds, with the occasional famous face passing through. Since moving to the tower, she found love with her current boyfriend in a fairytale-type romance, who previously served as a royal guard.
“When there is nobody out there, that’s when you feel most like a princess. I feel very very lucky.”
Within a matter of years, Megan’s life transformed from one of an ordinary student to one of something reminiscent of a whimsical fairytale – gaining the attention of upwards of 250,000 people on her social media platforms, who yearn for the curious tales of its past, and the beauty of its present and promisingly less gruesome future. Previous residents are welcome to pass through who, alike to the towers everyday visitors, can enjoy the peace and beauty of what the grounds of the Bloody Tower has to offer today.
Image credit: Megan Clawson
Moving to the Tower of London changed Megan’s world – living an unconventional day to day, her lived experiences draw comparison from something similar to a fantasy novel. This inspired Megan to create a fairy tale story of her own.
Megan’s debut novel ‘Falling hard for the royal guard’ Is available to purchase on the 27th April 2023. It is available to pre-order from Amazon, Audible, iBooks and Waterstones.
Hear more about Megan’s life on her social media:
Instagram: @meganambxr
TikTok: Meganambxr
Like the idea of an unconventional stay in london? (okay, it’s not quite a historical royal castle, but…) See what else London has to offer in ‘Five wonderful and different places to stay in London’ to experience London in your own unique and fantastical way.