Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex was the younger brother of Sir Francis Bacon. Their mother was Elizabeth Tudor the virgin Queen of England and their father Robert Dudley was a commoner. Enemy to their secret family was Robert Cecil who was jealous of Francis and Robert and who controlled the Queen through her paranoia. Elizabeth was afraid her sons would take over her throne and thus a stage is set for the most intense family dramas in history. Someone is bound to lose their head. The Killing of a Prince is about how Essex lost his and why he was immortalized as the image of Shakespeare. The information contained in this colorful book is compelling and will bring in the Shakespeare myth closer to its ending.