THE LAND OF THE MISFIT QUEENS

Who was Queen Elizabeth, and why did a certain author speculate that she was a man?

A woman who ruled with a flawless mask and did it alone.

Elizabeth I, Queen of England (1533–1603) https://www.rct.uk/collection/people/elizabeth-i-queen-of-england-1533-1603#/type/subject

I figured that I would eventually get to talk about Elizabeth. She is one of the most well-known queens in history, and many have detailed her life. Rather than give you a drawn-out anecdote of her legacy, I’d like to address how some have speculated that she was a man.

The Bisley Boy

The first person to popularize this theory was none other than Bram Stoker, author of the notorious 1897 novel Dracula. Stoker came up with this story called “The Bisley Boy,” which details the story of a boy from Bisley who closely resembled Elizabeth replacing a ten-year-old princess after her unfortunate death.

The “Darnley Portrait” of Elizabeth I (c. 1575) — public domain

In Stoker’s mind, this was the reason why Elizabeth was able to:

• remain unmarried for the entirety of her life
• effectively rule a kingdom for almost 45 years
• wear a full face of make-up at all times
• wear a wig to hide her receding…