What if Queen Elizabeth was an imposter in drag?

Thats a central premise in Steve Berrys latest book, The Kings Deception, which mixes Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and terrorists in an international adventure of contemporary political intrigue and Tudor treachery. In a June 7, 2013 article in the Daily Mail (excerpted below), Christopher Stevens, notes that Mr. Berrys interest in the subject began after a chance question about mysteries in the area during a tour of Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire, England. He began researching it and to his surprise and delight uncovered many hints and references to it in books and ancient manuscripts. The intrigue began on an autumn morning 470 years ago, when panic swept through a little group of courtiers in a manor house in the Cotswold village of Bisley in Gloucestershire. The king, Henry VIII, was due at any hour. He was travelling from London, in great discomfort - for the 52-year-old monarch was grossly overweight and crippled by festering sores - to visit his daughter, Elizabeth. The young princess had been sent there that summer from the capital to avoid an outbreak of plague. But she had fallen sick with a fever and, the night before the kings arrival, his favorite daughter, the only child of his marriage to Anne Boleyn, was dangerously ill. In the morning, Elizabeth lay dead. Elizabeths governess, Lady Kat Ashley, and her guardian, Thomas Parry, had good reason to fear telling the king. It would cost them their lives. Four of Henrys children had died in infancy. The ten-year-old Elizabeth was Tudor Englands most valuable child in many ways. She could surely be married to a French or Spanish prince to seal an international alliance-and her own children would secure the Tudor dynasty Henry so desperately craved. Now she was dead, and when the king discovered it, Parry and Lady Ashley would surely be executed. Their sole duty had been to keep the princess safe: failure was treason. The penalty would not even be beheading, but death by the most gruesome torture imaginable.
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TN3 returns the University Club on Friday, October 4th for their signature instrumental rock and roots in the Grille Room from 8-10 p.m. Ala carte dinner will be available from 59 p.m. Please let us know if you will be joining us for dinner! Call the club at 518-463-1151. First Friday performances at the Club are free courtesy of the U Club Foundation. First Friday brings together an entire city for the arts, with the goal of introducing a wider audience to the unique quality and vitality of artists and venues in Albany.

We are ready to roll out our new Fall/Winter Wine List (see below). Many thanks to those who participated in the wine tastings and offered their opinions and suggestions to the Food & Beverage Committee. Weve kept some of the most popular wines in place and added a nice variety of new reds and whites. Stop by and give them a try.

Sparkling Wines & Champagne Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Korbel Extra Dry Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut Red Wines Pinot Noir, Silver Ridge CALIFORNIA Bright aromas and flavors of cherry, ripe blueberries and dark currant with earthy notes. Zinfandel, Rancho Zabaco CALIFORNIA Jammy blackberry and spicy black pepper, caramelized flavors, toasty notes Malbec, Concha y Toro Xplorador AREGENTINA Scents of blackberries and a hint of violets. Soft and chocolaty on the palate

White Wines Chardonnay, Penfolds Koonunga Hill AUSTRALIA Scents of lemon cream and toasted oak; juicy flavors of peach and pineapple; supple acidity Dry Riesling, Chateau St. Michelle WASHINGTON Flavors of white peach and mandarin orange, with a clean finish Pinot Grigio, Goose Watch NEW YORK Bright and rich, yielding crisp flavors of limes apricots and minerals Sauvignon Blanc, Starbourough NEW ZEALAND Bright, nicely balances fruit and citrus flavors with green, vegetal flavors White Blend Conundrum CALIFORNIA Array of ripe, concentrated flavors pear, honey fig, vanilla, peach and nectarine and a dash of spice Pinot Grigio, Cavit ITALY Dry, light and crisp with appealing fruit flavors and refreshing scents Albarino, Martin Codax SPAIN Graceful on the palate, with citrus and green apple flavors and a touch of lime. The key aromatic and flavor notes are pear, passion fruit, and apple. White Zinfandel, Beringer CALIFORNIA Fresh red berry, citrus and melon aromas and flavors with subtle hints of nutmeg and clove

Murders. Kidnappings. Untimely deaths. They are all a part of the history of Albanys Hudson/Park and Center Square neighborhoods. Back by popular demand, and led by board member Tim Varney, the Haunted History Walking Tour explores both the sinister deeds and the handsome architecture of a bygone era in the area bound by Washington Avenue, Willett Street, Madison Avenue and Swan streets (round trip 1.5 miles). The narrative is not suitable for children or the faint of heart. Tickets $15-Checks payable to the University Club Foundation. Proceeds to be split with Historic Albany Foundation. Tours leave the Club at 6 p.m. Tours are limited to 20 people and reservations are required. Call Historic Albany at 518-465-0876 to reserve your spot. They fill up fast!

Cabernet Sauvignon, Dreaming Tree CALIFORNIA Classic aromas of blackberry, cherry and herbal notes wrapped by toasted vanilla Chianti, DaVinci ITALY Jammy flavors of ripe plums, cherries Shiraz Thomas Hyland, Penfolds AUSTRALIA Juicy blackberry fruit aromas and flavors, chocolaty, ripe tannins and savory oak nuances. Red Blend, Apothic CALIFORNIA Lush blend of Syrah, Zinfandel and Merlot, black cherries with a hint of vanilla, chocolate and mocha
Cotes-du-Rhone Belleruche M. Chapoutier, FRANCE

Fresh notes of black currant and Morello cherry; full, silky persistent finish 2

Elizabeth continued from page one...

Their only chance of concealing the truth, and perhaps buying themselves a few days to flee the country, was to trick the king. Their first thought was to find a village girl and dress her up in the princesss robe, with a mantle, to fool the king. Bisley was a tiny hamlet, however, and there were no female children of Elizabeths age. But there was a boy, from a local family called Neville. He was a gawky, angular youth a year or so younger than Elizabeth, who had been the princesss companion and fellow pupil for the past few weeks. And with no time to look further afield for a stand-in, Parry and Lady Ashley took the desperate measure of forcing the boy to don his dead friends clothes. Remarkably, the deception worked. Henry saw his daughter rarely, and was used to hearing her say nothing. The princess was known as a gentle, studious child, and painfully shy -not a girl to speak up in front of the king who had beheaded her mother. So when she stood at Bisley manor, in the dimness of an oakbeamed hall lit by latticed windows, it was not so surprising that the king failed to realize he was being duped. He had no reason to suspect his daughter had been ill, after all, and he himself was tired and in pain. But after he left later that afternoon, the hoax began in earnest. Parry and Lady Ashley realised that if they ever admitted what they had done, the kings fury would be boundless. They might get out of the country to safety, but their families would surely be killed. On the other hand, few people had known the princess well enough to be certain of recognizing her. This boy had already fooled the king, the most important deception. The tale about the Bisley boy were enough to convince the 19th-century

writer Bram Stoker, most famous as the author of Dracula. He included the story as the final chapter in his book, Imposters. Stoker had heard persistent stories that a coffin had been discovered by a clergyman at Bisley during the early 1800s, with the skeleton of a girl dressed in Tudor finery, even with gems sewn onto the cloth. It seemed to chime with local legends persisting for centuries that an English monarch had been, in reality, a child from the village. Above all, Stoker believed, it was the most plausible explanation why Elizabeth, who succeeded to the throne in 1558, aged 25, never married. Her most urgent duty, as the last of the Tudor line, was to provide an heir yet she described herself as a Virgin Queen, and vowed she would never take a husband, even if the Emperor of Spain offered her an alliance with his oldest son. She stayed true to that oath, provoking a war which almost ended in Spanish invasion in 1588. But Elizabeth did not waver and never even took an acknowledged lover. She was fond of proclaiming that she was more of a king than a queen. I have the heart of a man, not a woman, and I am not afraid of anything, she declared. Her most famous speech, to her troops at Tilbury as the Spanish Armada approached, was cheered to the skies as she roared: I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England, too. We hope you will join the University Club of Albany Foundation on Friday, October 25th to hear all about this fascinating theory and Berrys latest book, The Kings Deception. Steve and his wife, Elizabeth, have traveled the world researching and promoting Steve's many books, and saw the effects of dwindling funds dedicated to preserving our heritage. They launched History Matters to assist communities around the world with historic restoration and preser3

vation. History Matters supports the cost of their travel and he accepts no appearance fee. This very special event will mark the start of the public phase of the University Clubs "Raise the Roof" capital campaign to repair and preserve our National Register-listed clubhouse. The goal of the campaign is $150,000. We are extremely grateful that Steve Berry, through History Matters, is leveraging the popularity of his books, and his obvious love of history, to foster support for our project. We hope you will be able to join us for this very special and historic event. As noted on page one, there are a number of levels of participation available. Honorary Committee members and major donors will be invited to an intimate chat and sparkling wine toast with Steve and Liz Berry with a very special array of tasty hors doeuvres. Honorary Committee tickets are $100. In addition $75 tickets will be available for a Meet the Author reception that will include open bar and light fare. And, $30 tickets will be available for cash bar and cheese and fruit and the 7:00 p.m. book talk and signing. All ticket levels will include the talk and book signing. Proceeds will benefit the Foundation. Copies of Mr. Berrys book will be available for purchase courtesy of The Book House in Stuyvesant Plaza.
RESERVATIONS ARE NECESSARY Please call the Club at 518-463-1151. You may also make reservations at www.UniversityClubAlbany.com, where you can pay using Pay Pal. Checks should be made payable to the University Club of Albany Foundation.

Officers: Colleen Ryan, President Nate Maloney, Vice President Tim Varney, Secretary Matt Badalucco, Treasurer Warren Abriel, Past President

Directors: Mark Brogna Kevin Clancy Meredith Helgerson Jeffrey Hill David Hochfelder

Geoffrey Hoderath Amy Hines-Kramer Ken McCauley Frank Nemeth

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY
OCTOBER 1 Lunch & Dinner YOGA @ 4:15 PM Mixed Bowling 7 PM

WEDNESDAY
2 Lunch 3

THURSDAY
Lunch

FRIDAY
4 Lunch & Dinner TN3 Grille 8-10 PM

SATURDAY
5 Club Closed

6 Club Closed

7 Lunch & Dinner YOGA @ Noon Bowling 7 PM 14 CLUB CLOSED COLUMBUS DAY 21 Lunch & Dinner YOGA @ Noon Bowling 7 PM 28 Lunch & Dinner YOGA @ Noon Bowling 7 PM

8 Lunch & Dinner

Lunch

10

Lunch

11 Lunch & Dinner

12 Club Closed

Albany Roundtable Speaker Noon

13 Club Closed

15 Lunch & Dinner YOGA @ 4:15 PM Mixed Bowling 7 PM 22 Lunch & Dinner

16

Lunch

17

Lunch

18 Lunch & Dinner

19 Club Closed

20 Club Closed

23

Lunch

24

Lunch

25 Lunch & Dinner Evening with Steve Berry 6-8 p.m.

26 Club Closed

27 Club Closed

29 Lunch & Dinner YOGA @ 4:15 PM Mixed Bowling 7 PM

30

Lunch

31

Lunch

NOV. 1 Lunch & Dinner Russ Kennedy in Grille Room 8-10 pm

2 Club Closed