Edward de Vere And the “Prince Tudor” Theory
As described in the previous chapter, Albert Dodd put forward the theory that Francis Bacon was the illegitimate son of Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, and that Sir Nicolas Bacon and Anne Bacon were actually Francis Bacon’s foster parents. The last chapter discusses Dodd’s theory that Queen Elizabeth I and Leicester had a second child together, Robert Devereux, who was placed with other foster parents—Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex, and Lettice Knollys, Countess of Essex.
A similar theory has been proposed with regard to the birth of Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford. This theory, known as the “Prince Tudor theory,” arose from the Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare’s authorship (i.e., the theory that Edward de Vere was actual author of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets). Prince Tudor theory has at least two variants—Prince Tudor Part I and Prince Tudor Part II.
The ideas included in Prince Tudor Part I are an expansion of the basic Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship first proposed by J. Thomas Looney in his book Shakespeare Identified (1920).[1] Two adherents to Looney’s Oxfordian theory, Percy Allen and B. M. Ward, advocated the Prince Tudor theory, in which the proposed that Queen Elizabeth and Oxford had a child together.[2] The first candidate for this illegitimate child was a man named William Hughes. In later variations of the theory, Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, was proposed as the illegitimate child Elizabeth and Oxford. Allen, however, consulted the same medium, Hester Dowden, that Albert Dodd later consulted. Dowden’s spirit guides confirmed Allen’s theories to Allen, and then later confirmed Dodd’s different theories to Dodd. Incredible as it may seem, spirit guides apparently have an uncanny ability to confirm to the client of the medium exactly what that particular client wants to hear. Several authors have added their own viewpoints to Prince Tudor Part I, and continue to do so.
The Prince Tudor Part II theory posits that Edward de Vere was the child of then Princess Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, because of an affair between them that occurred about 1547–1548 when Elizabeth was living in the household of Catherine Parr and Thomas Seymour. The sexually charged activities of Princess Elizabeth and Seymour are well documented. In Prince Tudor Part II, Elizabeth and Seymour consummated their relationship, the seriousness of relationship was discovered, and Elizabeth was sent away to live in the household of Sir Anthony Denny and Joan Champernowne, a close friend of Catherine Parr, to separate Elizabeth from Seymour. Whether she was sent away when she was pregnant, or whether the pregnancy became known later, is not clear. In Prince Tudor Part I, Elizabeth was kept in seclusion at Cheshunt until the autumn of 1548, under the care of Sir Anthony Denny and Joan Champernowne, to allow her to have her child. During this time, Princess Elizabeth was not seen due to an “illness,” which served as a cover story to explain her absence and hide her pregnancy. The child, Edward de Vere, was placed with John de Vere, 16th Earl of Oxford and his wife, Margery Golding.
The foremost advocate of Prince Tudor Part II is Paul Streitz.[3] Streitz also supports the theory that Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley had children together. However, Streitz proposes Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury; Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex; Mary Sidney; and Elizabeth Leighton as the children of this relationship. Streitz proposes Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, as the illegitimate child of an incestuous relationship between Elizabeth and Oxford.
Later chapters will discuss the hidden messages I have discovered concerning Edward de Vere.
[1] See Looney, J. Thomas. “Shakespeare” identified in Edward de Vere, the seventeenth earl of Oxford.” London, C. Palmer. 1920. [2] See Allen, Percy, The Life Story of Edward De Vere as “William Shakespeare.” London: Cecil Palmer. 1932.; Allen, Percy. Anne Cecil, Elizabeth & Oxford. London, D. Archer. 1934. [3] See Streitz, Paul. Oxford, Son of Queen Elizabeth I. Darien, CT : Oxford Institute Press. 2001.