WAS HENRY HER FATHER?

Evening Star, Issue 20688, 10 January 1931, Page 17

WAS HENRY HER FATHER?

DEAN IN6E ON ELIZABETH The paternity of Queen Elizabeth is challenged by Dean Inge, of St. Paul’s Cathedral, in an article published m tho ‘ Eugenics Review.’ Ho suggests that sho might have been illegitimate, and therefore would have had no right to wear the Crown. Iu presenting bis argument that Henry Vlll. was not Elizabeth’s father Dean Inge writes;— “A careful study of tho portraits of Henry’s VIII.’s putative children lias convinced mo that while Queen Mary and King Edward VI. reproduce some of their father’s features, Elizabeth’s faco belongs to an entirely different type. “I don’t believe Elizabeth _ had a drop of Tudor blood iu her veins. If tliis is true, tho flighty Anno Boleyn and some person unknown gave us our greatest Sovereign.” Such a suggestion, coming from an authority like tho Dean of St. Paul’s, was regarded ns bound to arouse a storm of controversy. Elizabeth ascended the throne as a child of Henry VIIJ. and bis second wife, the beautiful An no Boleyn, whom Henry married secretly in January, 1538. In September of the same year Princess Elizabeth was born. Anno had one other child, a son, born dead iu 1530. It was said it was Anne, dropping her handkerchief as a gesture to her lover in tho tournament lists nt Greenwich iu 153 G, which caused King Henry to rido from the field iu a huff, und ultimately led to her execution on Tower Hill.

Charges of adultery wore brought against Anne, and among Jioso -'ted wore the young Lord Kochfoid, Sii Francis Weston, Henry Alorris, William Brercton, and a musician named Mark Smeaton. All of these men were executed, but tho documents relating io tho trial have'never been discovered. Recently Mr G. Lytton Strachey, tiio distinguished author of ‘ Elizabeth and Essex,’ which deals with tho life of the Queen, told tho London ‘ Observer ’ that bo was very sceptical indeed about tho Dean’s conclusions.

Air Lytton Strachey said; “I think it is very rash of tho Dean to be so positive on tho subject. I iccl very much more sceptical about it than Dean Inge, as 1 do on most aubjexs. _ “His reasons seem to mo /e'.y I bin indeed. As far as 1 can gather, it is simply a question of facial resemblance. 'That does not appear to me to bo very strong ground for such a conclusion. After all, Henry VIII. is extremely milike Henry yil. to look at. They aio absolutely different. Obviously this would also apply to hundreds of other cases. “ When I wrote my hook I took it for granted that sho was tho daughter of Henry VIII., and there did not appear to mo to bo any adequate reason for thinking otherwise. “ Also I should have thought that tho question of facial difference was balanced by tho resemblance in character of ilie two. They were, iu a way, rather alike. Although Elizabeth was very unlike Henry to look upon, sho bad something of bis temperament. “ 1 have seen the portraits to which the Dean refers, but his theory lias certainly never occurred to me, “ll the Dean's theory is correct I think tho only moral to be drawn is that all descent should bo through tho female. It. wa had matriarchy then wo should bo far more certain on questions of legitimacy.”