Kate Middleton and Prince William watch a dance performance during their tour of the Inner City Arts campus (Pic: Getty Images)

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

She's brought fresh spirit to the Royal Family - but Kate Middleton also has to shack up with some old ghosts.

Kensington Palace, where she lives in London with new husband Prince William, is rumoured to be haunted. And now bosses are opening up the historic home - first bought by King William III and wife Mary in 1689 - for a series of spooky ghost tours.

Stories collected in the warders' log book over the years include numerous reports of screams, bumps and ghostly sightings.

For four nights on the Halloween weekend, from October 28 to 31, tourists can hear all about the rumoured ghosts of Queen Mary, Peter the Wild Boy and the anonymous sinister figure who stands at the window (not to be confused with Prince Edward).

A source said: "For years now there have been rumours about Kensington Palace being haunted. In the evenings, the place has an atmosphere all of its own.

"There are lots of strange and unusual stories which the warders have logged over the years. There are bumps in the night and that kind of thing. It's fascinating stuff and not for the faint-hearted."

Wills and Kate, both 29, will spend most of this year at their main residence in Anglesey, where William works as a search and rescue pilot. But they are expected to be in London more next year.

William spent much of his childhood in the palace with his mum, Princess Diana.

Kate has filled their flat at the palace with scented candles and cushions to make it cosy.

Parts remain a building site as it undergoes a £12million refurbishment, expected to be completed by the Queen's Jubilee year in 2012.

* The 12-bedroom mansion in Sunningdale, Berks, which the Queen gave to Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson as a wedding gift in 1986 is set to be demolished after turning into a "shabby wreck".