2. Imposter

Everyone had to believe I was someone I was not

“ I can't believe what I am seeing,” The governess said

I could not believe it either. I looked in the mirror and could see Elizabeth looking back at me. Needless to say, I was very confused and looked at Dad for an explanation.

“ Our lives are in danger,” he said, “ The princess is dead and we know her father who is the king has a temper. He will behead us all. We need the king to believe that his daughter is alive. We need someone to take her place. We decided that you are the only one to do this. So from now on, you are not Neville, you will be Princess Elizabeth!”

At first, I thought it was a joke or a very bad plan. My parents must have been going crazy. I may look like a princess, but I was a boy. It nearly felt like a sin that I would be living as someone else. Princess Elizabeth was one of the most important people in the country. I would have to convince so many that I was her. Even if I did convince them, I knew that it would be deceit.

They were serious and I spent the next few days being the princess. My old clothes were thrown out and the gravestone on Elizabeth's grave had my name on it. For anyone visiting, it looked as if it was Neville that suddenly died.

It became quite clear to me that I was expected to be the princess for years. I found my mother and cried on her shoulder as I explained that the idea was crazy and it was wrong. Mom agreed and told me that they had no choice. I would soon be going back to the palace. If the King found out that I was not his daughter, many would be executed. I had a big responsibility put on my shoulders!

I accepted this plan and worked hard to be like a princess. This meant I had to be trained from everything on how to walk and sit. I had to learn how girls ate. I even had to learn how girls spoke and what they talked about. I always knew that boys and men had a higher status than women. Now I had to learn that I was a girl and did not have the status that I had when I was a boy.

We went back to the Royal Court. The governess was so happy with what I have learned. She often joked that there must have been a girl hidden in me. Maybe God intended me to be a girl, but I was given a boy's body.

In time, I quickly adjusted to the Royal Life. The governess said that as a princess, the King did not give me lots of clothes or books or toys. He was more interested in the young prince. I did not see the king and saw my brother a few times. Otherwise, things were quite the same as my old life. I would spend a lot of time studying or walking around in the garden.

I did like the dresses that I wore, and I liked it when my hair grew. They would spend a lot of time brushing it. My mom was bought to the Royal Court as my maid. This meant that I did not miss her. It was also good because she was the only one that helped me get dressed or bathed.

A few years went, and I was now Princess Elizabeth. I forgot everything about being a boy. I acted like a princess and thought as one. Of course, deep down I knew that my body was not female. However, my spirit was!

I met the King once. This would be a big test. He was an old man and I felt sorry for him. He was very overweight and it looked like he was in a lot of pain. At first, he was very serious when he saw me. I sat down next to his knee and then started telling him about what my life was like. Then he asked me what I thought about the Church of England, This ended up with the king and me having a very serious conversation. He became less serious and started smiling and laughing more. In the end, I was sitting on his knee.

When it was time for me to go, The king shouted to everyone that he was proud of me. He told everyone that I was charming and intelligent. I was a true Tudor. I found out later that He told everyone that I was no longer considered illegitimate and once again I was his daughter and I was third in line for the crown.

When I was 14, my brother became the King. He was very sick and did not last too long. When he died, My older sister Mary became the Queen. She was hated. This was most likely because she was still Catholic and wanted people to go back to the old faith. Thousands were executed and the country was on the verge of a civil war.

The new Queen my have been my older sister, but she hated me. It didn't help when she could see that the people hated her, and people loved me. I do not know why they loved me. I kept a low profile and every time I was asked to lead a revolt against Mary, I replied no. The Queen married the Catholic King of Spain, and this made her hated more and more.

Mary was so jealous of my popularity, that she locked me in a cell in the Tower. I thought I would die there. I often thought that she would find out my true identity and that would mean a lot of people would be executed. She never did find out and released me after some time.

In 1558, after 5 years as the Queen, Mary died. I was 25 years old and now suddenly found myself as the new Queen of England.

I remember speaking with my mom in private and telling her I had no right to be the Queen. I was an imposter. I was a man in a Queen's dress. Mom disagreed. She insisted I was a Queen with a man's body. This would have to be kept a secret. I had the support of the people and could be a good Queen. I could unite the country and make life easier for the people. I could bring peace to England.

Mom and the governess were assigned as my private maids. This meant no other person was in my chambers when I got dressed or took a bath. The secret was kept in that room.

I hid the fact that I was an imposter. I wore high necklines to hide my Adams Apple, and wigs as I started going bald. I also covered my face in a heavy layer of white make-up to cover and stubble or hair on my face.

I even instructed my mother to spill some blood on my bedsheets once a month so people thought that I had periods.

The romance was harder for me. Everyone wanted to marry a Queen and everyone wanted me to marry and provide an heir to the throne. One friend I met when I came to the Royal palace became my friend. Robert loved me and adored me and to be quite honest, I was in love with him as well. I let him flirt with me, and we even kissed each other. However, we never had sex for obvious reasons. I was known as the Virgin Queen.

As for anyone else that wanted to marry me, I told them that I was married to England. I could not share my love with a man and my country.

The only time I missed being a man was when Spain sent an armada of ships to invade England. I wanted to fight. I wanted to use my sword like kings have done before me and lead the English army. I was told by my advisors that a woman could not go to war. I refused and told them that I would. When the soldiers saw their Queen ready to fight, they could not believe their eyes. I gave them a speech that would go down in history.

“I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonor shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.”

The Spanish fleet did not reach England. A bad storm destroyed them and sent them back to Spain.

It is now 1603, and I have been the Queen for 44 years. For the most, the country has prospered. People have a better standard of living and we have more culture. We have not been in any great war and the country is more united.

I have failed in one area. I have not given the country an heir. My nephew, the King of Scotland will now be the king.

Many will say that I am an imposter. I did not ask to be Elizabeth. I was told to do it. I hope that Elizabeth would have been proud of me, as she looked down from heaven.

The End

Note from Author:

“300 years after the supposed death of a young Elizabeth the local Reverend Thomas Keeble was making renovations to Overcourt House in Bisley. He supposedly found an unmarked grave on the grounds with the skeleton of a child dressed in opulent female Tudor clothing inside. He is said to have reburied the body in an unknown location.