Susan MacNeil

Royal Children of English History was published in 1896 and found its way to my bookcase when I was ten.  The haunting images of princely children and their disposable lives evoked in me a dramatic sense of injustice and deep sadness.  Prince Arthur leapt to his death from the Tower.  The nephews of King Richard were locked away in the Tower and murdered while sleeping. 

I would pore over these Shakespearean stories about wicked men with knives and hot irons who inevitably had second thoughts just before the deed was done, but always chose wrong instead of right; indiscriminately following the orders of kings blinded by politics and greed and supremacy.

These historical scenarios served as cautionary tales for me about trust. I’d pour over the gorgeous illustrations, look deeply into the terrified eyes of these children and channel the unthinkable moment of truth when they knew that their lives, not yet begun, were over, unsuspecting royal heirs who had been duped.

Five decades later, I reflect that my life has been one long exercise in fighting against the convenient invisibility of the underdog. The eyes that lock with mine in the present are no different than those tragic princes.  Powerful men assume the throne, capable of despicable acts. Today’s towers are bastions of political corruption fueled by a voracious appetite for domination.  And we are all duped on a daily basis.

We don’t seem to learn.

Are we doomed? 

One thing’s for sure.  

History repeats.