THE HERO AND THE QUEEN: The Story The Hero – The early years Joseph W. Boyle was one of Canada's little known yet quite exceptional heroes. Experiencing everything, from managing a million dollar mining to the love of a Romanian Queen, he lived an extraordinary life which exceeds the imaginations of many Canadians. Joe Boyle was born on November 16, 1867 to a well off couple, Charles and Martha Boyle. He was born in Toronto but later moved with his family to Woodstock, Ontario sometime during 1872. He was the third of four children.  Joe Boyle left his home in Woodstock, Ontario, in 1885 when he was 17. In his search for adventure, he joined the crew of a ship heading to India and survived many storms at sea. This was just the beginning of many exciting experiences. Back on land, he proved himself to be a jack-of-all-trades from boxing promoter to leading an expedition that blazed a trail to the Klondike over the White Pass. His shrewd business sense earned him the nickname "King of the Klondike." He inevitably ran into disputes and lawsuits over other claims and land rights got into feisty local politics – and in 1905 even led east a hockey team, the Yukon Nuggets, to an unsuccessful challenge for the Stanley Cup. The Queen Marie was born on October 29, 1875 in Kent, England. The Duke of Edinburgh, the second son of Queen Victoria of England, was her father. Her mother was a daughter to the Czar Alexander the Second, of Russia. Between 1917 and 1918, German, Austro-Hungarian, Turkish and Bulgarian forces plunged deep into Romania. In 1917, the capital, Bucharest, had fallen and the royal court and headquarters had been evacuated. A cruel treaty of peace was signed by Ferdinand March 7, 1918, but not by choice. Romania was desperate and they received no assistance from their close ally, Russia. In 1917, Marie's cousin Czar Nicholas the Second, had been abducted with his family. They were imprisoned by the Bolsheviks who wanted peace with Germany and so to do this they declared war on Romania. The crown of Romania was being threatened and neither Ferdinand nor Marie had a clear idea about what should be done. This was the dramatic moment when Marie met Joe Boyle who soon became a close friend and confident of the royal family. Sent to Ekaterinburg, (now Swerdlovsk), by Queen Marie, who had hoped to rescue Russia’s Royal Family, Joe Boyle established that the Romanoffs, indeed, had been captured and murdered by the Bolsheviks. Exiled in her countryside residence Boyle followed Marie there and their days were spent in each others company. She took him horseback riding in the country and her children became very fond of him. He was in fact, referred to as “dear family”.  He would tell the family stories of his Klondike days and sing Irish songs. Marie and Boyle found that they both were very rebellious, defying the restrictions the German occupying forces attempted to place on them. Through their shared adventures their relationship strengthened and grew.