6 - Impostor, Protector and Queen

Summary

The three case studies in this chapter provide evidence of the integral role of communicative practices associated with the royal voice in making claims for monarchic power. After providing an overview of the concept of imposture and imitation in the period, the discussion looks at the documentation used in the attempts of Perkin Warbeck, Edward Seymour and Jane Grey as part of their attempts to claim (some aspect of) royal status. Comparison with the authentic materials illustrates the salience of particular visual and linguistic features, including handwriting, layout, formulaicity and self-reference, for the assumption of power. The chapter offers a new perspective on the so-called egotism of Edward Seymour, Lord Protector, as well as testifying to the sophistication of Warbeck and Grey's respective efforts for the English throne.