Is Marie Antoinette's spirit still said to roam the opulent halls of Versailles?

France's Palace of Versailles is an architectural marvel of the 17th century, sprawling across 2,000 acres that include lush gardens and majestic fountains. What began as a simple hunting lodge for Louis XIII evolved into the magnificent palace we see today, thanks to Louis XIV, the Sun King, who shaped it into an enduring masterpiece forever tied to his legacy.

Over time, the residence transitioned from a modest hunting lodge to a lavish palace hosting opulent parties and grand ceremonies. In 1682, it became the principal residence of the French Court, government, and aristocracy. However, after the passing of Louis XIV in 1715, Versailles was still a work in progress. Eventually, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette made it their home, holding extravagant galas, including their historic marriage at the Royal Opera House in Versailles. This was one of the century's most memorable events—until the French Revolution abruptly ended their reign.

This grand palace has withstood the ravages of history, from medieval times through the reign of monarchs to the tumultuous French Revolution. But given its long and storied past, could there be spirits lingering within? We're talking about ghosts. Could Versailles be home to one — or even more — haunting its legendary Hall of Mirrors or wandering its hallowed halls? Or might it be the site of a rift in the space-time continuum? That's what the hosts of Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Ben Bowlin, Noel Brown, and Matt Frederick, aim to uncover in their podcast episode, Is the Palace of Versailles Haunted?

Let’s start with that space-time continuum idea. The story goes like this: Anne Moberly and Eleanor Jourdain were visiting the Palace of Versailles on a hot summer day in August 1901 as part of a three-week sightseeing adventure. The two women were preparing to work together as principal and vice-principal at St. Hugh's girls' school. They decided to explore the Petit Trianon, once Marie Antoinette’s personal retreat.

As they wandered through the gardens, the women had a series of unsettling encounters. A man with a smallpox-scarred face stared at them for a while before disappearing. They also spotted several people dressed in old-fashioned attire. Moberly saw a woman who appeared to be sketching. Both women reported feeling a sense of dread and an unusual energy in the air. Soon, a footman appeared and directed them to a different path. Following his advice, they stumbled upon a wedding party, and with that, the strange, oppressive feeling seemed to vanish.

Neither Moberly nor Jourdain spoke about their strange experience to each other until months later, when they compared notes on their trip. That’s when they realized they had both witnessed mysterious events and felt deeply unsettled. They even came to the startling realization that some of the paths they walked and buildings they had seen were not present on the grounds of the palace in 1901. But they had existed during Marie Antoinette’s era in the 1790s.

After conducting some research, Moberly and Jourdain concluded that the clothing they had observed belonged to the 1790s, and Moberly surmised that the woman she had seen sketching was none other than Marie Antoinette herself. But the lingering question remains: Was it the ghost of Marie Antoinette they encountered? Or had Moberly and Jourdain unknowingly traveled back in time to a summer afternoon in 1792? Or could there be a simpler explanation for the strange happenings?

In 1911, the two women shared their account of the journey in a book called "An Adventure," under the pseudonyms Elizabeth Morison and Frances Lamont. The book was met with controversy, especially because the women claimed to have seen Marie Antoinette during their visit in 1901.

Despite this, many theories circulate about what actually occurred that day at Versailles. It’s possible the women accidentally found themselves in a historical reenactment, as Versailles was a popular tourist destination back then, much as it is today. It's conceivable that actors could have been performing, pretending to be royalty from the pre-Revolution era. Additionally, an artist residing at Versailles was known for his tableaux vivant, a form of performance art where actors are positioned to represent a scene. However, no such events appear to have been scheduled on the day Moberly and Jourdain visited.

The women themselves were also subject to scrutiny. Some have speculated that they shared a romantic bond and perhaps experienced a mutual delusion. Others have suggested that they allowed their memories to distort the truth, turning an otherwise innocent encounter into something darker. Both women had claimed to have experienced hallucinations in their past, leading some to wonder whether they possessed a gift for second sight.

It’s easy to dismiss their story, but the Moberly-Jourdain incident remains one of the most famous of its kind. Considering Versailles' long and storied history, it’s hard to believe that their encounter was the only one of its type. What do you think?