Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-12-31
HISTORY'S
MYSTERIES
uasolved Riddles That Stu Puxxjo
authorities Here and abroad
The Royal Riddle

The Royal Riddle
\ BOUT no other ruler have there
"A ever been asked so many and
such pointed questions as about Eliza
beth. queen of England. Was she a
man? Was she really the daughter of
Henry VII? Was she dark or fair?
Was She a murderess? Was she renl-
ly the Virgin Queen or was she a
mother?
All these and scores of other
queries have come up from time to
time. and owing to the paucity of au-
thentic information from contempt
rary historians and the veil of retl-
eence which appears to cloak even the
frank narratives of the Elizabethan
era, 1t is extremely difficult to answer
any of them authoritively. Even the
matter of the parentage of the queen
is still largely one of conjecture and
her parentase appears TO be open to
more than shadow of doubt. But
when historians begin to comment
upon the relations between the queen
and certain of ler courtiers they find
themselves lost in Il maze of contra
dictory statements. veritable LADY,
rinth of lies.
1t has been affirmed with some de-
gree of authenticity that child Was
born to the queen by the earl OF Es-
coY a Kouftu,nrfh racfIa md a wrffnr
in the British Notes and Queries"
during the last century states. 1T Is
tradition In the family with which
am connected that Queen Elisabeth
had a son who was sent to Ireland
and placed under the care of the earl
of Ormonde, distant relative OF
Good Queen Bess.' Papers are said
to exist In the family which prove this
statement
Another story has 1t that the child
was the son OF Robert Dudley, earl OF
Leicester, and that documents In the
state paper office of the British gov
eminent contain evidence OF con-
elusive nature about this and, on De-
tober 8. 1872. Sir Edward Dyer wrote
to Sir Christopher Haller letter
which has been carefully hidden from
the public but upon which leading
historian comments In the following
words.
1T Is not lightly. nor upon slight
grounds. TINT the character OF any
| ~ Il NJ. tnI Iaua
when that woman WIS one OF the most
| powerful monarchs that ever swayed
/ the English scepter. Notwithstanding
/ nil the explanations OF historians and
| the unanthenticated stories so COM
monty promulgated against Elizabeth.
1 the writer's opinion was entirely
| against the justice Of the accusations.
/ but the letter In question has produced
| conviction OF different nature. This
/ important conclusion. II Just, affords
] key to many acts OF Elizabeths life
/ which have hitherto been irreconcila-
Bile with the magnanimiry which she
! sometimes displayed
An entry In the manuscript OF I
free school OF Shrewsbury tells Of 4
/ certain son OF the earl OF Leicester
! and Queen Elizabeth and there IL =
tradition TINT this mysterious son was
! brought up secretly at the free school.
but what became OF him IN not known
! nor Is 1t easy to account for this curl
Gus entry In the parish church book.
THE Tourists Illustrated Hand
! Book OF Ireland" refers to the same
matter by saying. "One OF the inter-
esting features pointed out In the
burial ground OF the parish chapel OF
Carrick- on-Suir is the grave of Thorn
/ as Butler. the natural son OF her
maiden majesty. Queen Elizabeth,
and Burke's peerage gives an extract
from the "Dictionairre de In No.
blesse." published In Paris In It'll. de-
falling the tradition that Thomas But
Ter the tenth curl OF Ormonde, and
Piers FItzthomas Butler, father OF Sir
Edward Butler who was created Wis
count Gamoye In 1916
Bearing on this same phase OF the
/ affair, a writer OF the time calls at
tention to the fact TINT the earl Of
Ormonde was high In the favor of his
/ royal mistress and that "he was q
very comedy and graceful parsonage
and OF dark complexion which made
lie Irish give him the sobriquet OF
i Duff and gave occasion to her males
tvs calling him her black husband
On the other hand. there are quite
as many and apparently as authentic
statements to the effect that Elizabeth
was entitled to be called the Virgin
Queen"-so that, In all justice. 1t must
be admitted that the question of her
maternity must nj least be ranked
among the mysteries which surround
ed so many Of the rulers OF her time.
tG by the Wheeler syndicatel
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