- Alexander Waugh says the poet is buried at Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey
- This contradicts the view that he lies at Holy Trinity church, Stratford-upon-Avon
- He said he discovered the new theory after decoding encryptions in the title and dedication pages of Aspley’s edition of Shakespeare’s Sonnets of 1609
A new theory has emerged about the final resting place to William Shakespeare
A scholar claims he has cracked a secret code which unearths the real resting place of Britain’s best known bard, William Shakespeare.
Alexander Waugh says that the literary luminary is actually buried beneath Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey – not the Holy Trinity church in Stratford-upon-Avon as previously thought.
The writer, who is grandson of novelist Evelyn Waugh, said that he discovered the new theory after decoding encryptions in the title and dedication pages of Aspley’s edition of Shakespeare’s Sonnets of 1609.
He is due to present his research at a conference tomorrow at the Globe Theatre in London, which is a reconstruction of an Elizabethan playhouse.
Alexander Waugh (pictured) says that the literary luminary is actually buried beneath Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey – not the Holy Trinity church in Stratford-upon-Avon
Hidden geometries, grid patterns and other clues revealed that Shakespeare was actually buried underneath his 1740 monument in Poet’s Corner at Westminster Abbey, Mr Waugh told the Guardian.
There is a school of thought that contends that Shakespeare’s plays and poetry were actually written by someone else, and some people believe that that person was Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford.
Mr Waugh now claims that his research shows that the decoded sonnets reveal the words ‘Edward de Vere lies here’ – adding another layer of intrigue to the mystery.
He said that scholars had always claimed that the mysterious dedication page on Aspley’s edition of Shakespeare’s Sonnets of 1609 must have been encrypted because it did not make sense.
‘It’s got those funny dots all over the place and there’s something very weird about it. I’ve finally cracked it.
‘The title page and dedication page have encrypted in them the exact church, the exact part of that church and the exact spot … where Shakespeare is buried.
‘It’s like an old-fashioned treasure island map. You overlay the title page on to a ground plan of Poet’s Corner and it points to exactly where he’s buried. It’s just phenomenal,’ he said.
Alexander Waugh says that the literary luminary is actually buried beneath Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey (pictured)
It is traditionally believed that his remains lie below the Holy Trinity church in Stratford-upon-Avon (pictured)