On an autumn day in London, two boys are born to very different lives. Tom Canty is born to a poor family that isn’t excited about the new addition. Edward Tudor, however, the son of King Henry VIII, is very much wanted by his family and the rest of England. Everyone celebrates Edward’s birth, but nobody celebrates Tom’s. Years later, Tom lives in in slum called Offal Court. Here, he shares a single dirty room with his mother, his father John Canty, his grandmother(Grammer Canty, and his sisters Nan and Bet. John and Grammer are alcoholics who try to turn Tom and his sisters into thieves, but their efforts are thwarted by Father Andrew, a local priest who tries to teach the children about morality. Father Andrew also teaches Tom how to read and write, including a bit of Latin. Still, Tom must beg in order to help his family make ends meet, and if he comes home without money, Grammer and John beat him. Tom’s mother, however, tries to sneak him food at night even though John beats her for it. Tom spends a lot of time listening to Father Andrew’s stories about princes, castles, and kings. These stories inspire Tom, who dearly wishes to meet a prince one day, to start imitating the speech and mannerisms of royalty.
One day when Tom goes out to beg, he absentmindedly wanders far away from home. He ends up on the same road as Westminster, the palace in which the royal family lives. Tom excitedly walks closer to it, hoping to finally see a real prince. Just inside the gate, Tom sees a boy wearing fine clothes and surrounded by servants. Tom presses his face against the gate to get a better look, but the guards yank him off, yelling at him to mind his own business. The prince, Edward, notices and he runs over to tell the guards off. Edward then invites Tom inside to eat something. Inside the palace, Tom tells Edward about life in Offal Court, and Edward says he wishes he could have the same kind of fun that Tom has with his friends. Tom says he wishes he could wear nice clothes like Edward’s, so Edward proposes that they trade outfits. After the boys swap clothes, they stand in front of a mirror and they are stunned to realize that they are totally identical. Edward notices a bruise on Tom’s hand and he runs out to scold the guard for hurting him. Once outside, however, Edward can’t get back in—he’s still wearing Tom’s clothes, so the guards mock him because they think he’s a common beggar. A crowd chases Edward into the city.
Back in the palace, Tom begins to worry about getting in trouble. He decides to go find Edward himself but he is frightened by the servants bowing to him and he runs back to his room, causing rumors to swirl that the prince has gone mad. King Henry VIII issues a proclamation banning anyone from talking about this, and a short time later two men bring Tom to Henry. Henry evidently mistakes Tom for Edward and he asks if the boy is trying to play a joke. Tom panics and he expresses his fear of being punished. Henry believes this is a sign that his son really has gone mad but he believes it will soon pass. In the meantime, Henry is anxious to have the Duke of Norfolk executed, telling Tom that Norfolk is a threat to Edward’s rightful claim to the throne. Henry tells the Earl of Hertford (Edward’s uncle) to take the boy back to his room. Later, Henry sends Lord St. John to tell Tom (as Edward) to hide the evidence of madness as much as possible. Henry also orders the servants and other people in the palace—including Lady Elizabeth and Lady Jane Grey—to ignore the prince’s symptoms. Everyone’s heart aches to see how out of place the prince now seems, but they say nothing. In the meantime, Henry realizes that his own death is imminent. He wants to see Norfolk executed so he sends Hertford to get the Great Seal (which he gave to Edward earlier) for the death warrant. Hertford comes back emptyhanded and he says the prince doesn’t know where it is. Henry is upset but he uses a smaller seal for the order. That night, Tom appears as Edward at a city banquet and nobody notices the difference.
Meanwhile, Edward is lost in London and he decides to try to find Tom’s house, hoping that Tom’s parents will help him get back to the palace. He finds Christ’s Hospital and he wonders if someone there can help, but the boys outside tease Edward and they dunk him in a horse pond. Wet and muddy, Edward wanders aimlessly through the city until John Canty grabs him. He mistakes Edward for Tom and he drags him home while Edward struggles to get away. A stranger intervenes, so John hits him over the head. At the Canty house, Edward insists that he’s the Prince of Wales. Tom’s mother and sisters cry out that “Tom” has gone mad and they try to shield him from John’s abuse. After being beaten, Edward collapses in a corner and tries to sleep. Tom’s mother, however, stays awake and wonders why her son seems so different. She decides to test him to see if he is her son: Tom has a peculiar habit of sticking his hand up in front of his eyes with the palm out when he’s startled, so his mother decides to try to elicit the same response out of Edward by smacking the ground by his head—it doesn’t work. She writes this off as another symptom of madness.
The next morning someone, comes and pounds on the Canty door, informing them that the man John hit the night before was Father Andrew, who is now dying. John panics and he orders the family to flee. They run out of the house and into massive celebratory crowds outside. John tells everyone to go to London Bridge, but they are quickly separated in the crowd. Edward makes his way to Guildhall, knowing that Tom will be there for the city’s banquet. He tries to get inside, but nobody believes he’s the prince and the crowd mocks him. A man named Miles Hendon steps forward and brings Edward to London Bridge. Inside Guildhall, a palace messenger rushes in and announces that King Henry VIII has died. Everyone bows to Tom. Stunned, Tom asks Hertford if he can issue a command. Hertford says he can, so Edward orders someone to free Norfolk. Everyone declares that the reign of blood is over and they praise Tom.
As Hendon leads Edward through the streets, Edward hears the news that Henry has died. Once they get to Hendon’s lodgings, Edward tries to explain who he is, which convinces Hendon that the boy is mad. Hendon is surprised when Edward makes Hendon wait on him and prohibits Hendon from sitting. Edward asks Hendon about his life, and Hendon explains that seven years earlier his father (Sir Richard Hendon, a baronet) sent him into the army as a punishment, after his treacherous younger brother Hugh convinced Sir Richard that Hendon meant to kidnap Lady Edith (their wealthy cousin) and marry her even though she was supposed to marry their older brother Arthur. The next day, while Edward is still asleep, Hendon goes out to get him some new clothes. When Hendon gets back, he learns from a servant that a youth came to get Edward and a strange man followed them toward Southwark. Hendon vows to find and save Edward.
Edward follows the youth to an abandoned barn. Inside, John Canty reveals himself (he says he’s changing his name to John Hobbs) and the youth, Hugo, laughs at Edward’s confusion. John tells Edward to rest, so Edward makes a bed in some hay in the corner. When he wakes up, there’s a loud party in the barn: a gang of misfits is drinking and sharing their stories. It’s evident that John was a member of the gang in the past, and most of them recognize him now. A former farmer named Yokel shares the story of how his mother was burned as a witch for letting a patient die, his wife died after being whipped for begging, his children starved to death, and Yokel himself was branded and sold into slavery for repeatedly begging. Edward steps forward to say he’ll change the laws once he’s back on the throne. Everyone teases him, but the Ruffler (the gang’s leader) stops John from hurting Edward. The next day, Edward escapes while he’s sent out to beg with Hugo. He finds shelter with a hermit who’s a former Catholic priest. But when the hermit learns that Edward’s father is Henry VIII (who dissolved the Catholic Church), he tries to kill Edward. The hermit’s attempt to murder Edward is interrupted by Hendon, but the hermit leads Hendon away before he can find Edward. John and Hugo promptly appear and take Edward away again. Hugo decides to frame Edward for theft and he succeeds, but Hendon shows up and he blackmails a constable so that Edward can escape.
Hendon brings Edward to Hendon Hall. There, Hendon expects a warm welcome, but instead his brother Hugh denies that he’s the real Miles Hendon and he gets Lady Edith (whom Hugh has married) to deny Hendon, too. Sir Richard and Arthur have both died. Hugh then has Hendon and Edward arrested. In prison, Edward befriends two old women and he is surprised to learn that they’re in prison for being Baptists. Edward thinks imprisonment is the worst that will be done to them, but the next day the guards bring the prisoners outside and Edward is horrified to see them burn the two women. After this, Edward talks to other prisoners and he is shocked to find that many of them will be executed or mutilated for minor crimes (stealing cloth, for example). Hendon is condemned to two hours in the pillory, but the judge lets Edward off with a lecture. Outside, Edward gets in trouble for yelling at people who throw eggs at Hendon in the pillory. Hugh says Edward should be whipped, but Hendon insists on taking the lashings in place of Edward. After this, Hendon and Edward go back to London. Hendon hopes the new king (who has a reputation for being merciful and just) will help him get his hereditary rights back. Once they’re back in London, Hendon and Edward get separated in the crowd that’s gathered for the coronation.
In the meantime, Tom has grown to love palace life. During the coronation procession, Tom is dazzled by the adoring crowds and stunning decorations all over the city. However, on the way to Westminster Abbey, Tom spots his mother and she recognizes him. When she runs up, Tom denies knowing her and she’s carried away by guards. Tom is immediately filled with shame, and during the coronation ceremony his heart grows heavier and heavier. Before Tom can be crowned, Edward appears in his rags and he stops the ceremony. Tom confirms that Edward is the real king, but Hertford (now Duke of Somerset) demands proof by asking Edward where he put the Great Seal. Initially, Edward can’t remember. Fortunately, Tom realizes he knows where it is and he helps Edward remember. St. John runs to the palace and finds the seal where Edward said it would be. Hertford tries to have Tom arrested, but Edward stops him. Edward is then finally crowned as the rightful King of England.
During the coronation, Hendon tries to find Edward but he is unsuccessful. He decides to go to Westminster for help and he is surprised when a guard brings him to an official who leads him into a chamber full of nobility. Hendon recognizes Edward on the throne and he is shocked and embarrassed about having called Edward insane. Edward makes Hendon the Earl of Kent and he has Hugh arrested. Hugh is never prosecuted because Hendon and Edith won’t testify against him, but he dies a short time later, after which Hendon marries Edith. Edward makes Tom the King’s Ward and he gives him a special set of clothes to let others know that Tom has been royalty and, as such, deserves respect. Throughout Edward’s short reign, he tries to right all the wrongs and injustices he witnessed outside of the palace. Both Tom and Hendon remain his good friends. Tom grows to be an old man and he is universally respected. Although Edward’s dies young, his short reign is characterized by goodness and mercy.
