CHRISTINA DI MARLO

has won numerous Awards around the world, many of which have been right here in London, so clearly discussion has begun across the pond on this subject.

There is convincing evidence that Edward de Vere wrote the courtly plays of “Shakespeare,” mainly because he grew up as an insider in Queen Elizabeth’s royal court. As her Lord Great Chamberlain he acted as her Ambassador on his 17-month trip to the Continent. All but one of the plays of “Shake-speare” are set in royal courts, in Europe. Twelve plays in all were set in Italy. Hamlet is essentially based on Edward de Vere’s complicated Greek tragedy of a life. The Queen insisted that, at age 21, Oxford marry his guardian’s daughter, Anne Cecil. She would be any casting director’s idea of “Ophelia.” Scholars agree that Polonius is based on Oxford’s guardian/father-in-law, Sir William Cecil (Lord Burghley), who ran her government. And, at his father’s castle, like Hamlet, young Edward would have grown up with a court jester bouncing him around on his shoulders– like Yorick. This truly makes sense because the “gravedigger scene” from Hamlet always seem so personal to me. As though it were written organically, not pure fiction. There is truth in that scene. You’ve felt it. Christina di Marlo has given the world a thoroughly researched piece of art that is worthy of its subject and is approached gently with humor. Let the conver-

sations begin... Finis