What would happen if the king was gay
Is the British royal family ready for a gay royal? Etiquette expert weighs in
Red, White & Royal Bluefollows the love story between the fictional Prince Henry, fourth in line to the British throne, and his boyfriend Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of the President of the United States. Based on the bestselling 2019 novel by Casey McQuiston, Red, White & Royal Blue posits the question, is the world ready for LGBTQ+ public figures in monarchy and politics?
There has never been a same-sex attracted President of the United States, and only seven openly gay members of the federal government in its 246 years. Pete Buttigieg is President Joe Biden's Secretary of Transportation and the first First openly gay Cabinet Secretary while Randy W. Berry is the country's First Joined States Special Representative for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons.
Globally, Manvendra Singh Gohil, the probable heir of the honorary Maharaja of Rajpipla, is considered the first openly queer prince in the world while in the UK, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a third cousin once removed of the then-reigning Queen Elizabeth II, became the first member of the British aristocracy to come out as
13 LGBTQ royals you didn’t learn about in history class
The Dutch monarchy made international news last week after announcing that royals can marry a queer partner without giving up their right to the throne. But while the Netherlands, which in 2001 became the first country to legalize gay marriage, has paved the wave for a queer royal to officially wear the crown, LGBTQ people have prolonged been doing so unofficially.
While it’s complex to assign contemporary labels to figures from the past, there were notable leaders from centuries — even millennia — ago, who crossed sexual and gender boundaries. Some were celebrated by their subjects, others vilified.
In illumination of the Dutch monarchy’s recent announcement and in honor of LGBTQ History Month, which is celebrated in October, here are 13 queer royals you didn’t learn about in school.
Emperor Ai of Han (27 - 1 B.C.)
Made emperor of the Han Dynasty at age 20, Ai was initially well received by his subjects but eventually became linked with corruption and incompetence. He was also widely recognizable to have been romantically involved with one of his ministers, Dong Xian, though both men were married to women.
In the “Hanshu,” or
5 gay British Kings and Queens from history
Centuries before homosexuality was made legal between consenting adults in 1967, the ‘love that dare not speak its name’ was viewed as a sin in England, particularly by the church, and technically punishable by death.
It is not surprising that many gay and attracted to both genders monarchs kept their like lives with members of the same sex a closely guarded secret.
1. William II of England: Reign 1087 – 1100
Known as ‘Rufus’ due to his ruddy complexion and red hair, the third son of William the Conqueror became King of England in 1087 and is assumed to contain been gay or pansexual. Described by historians as both ‘effeminate’ and ‘boorish’, as well as entity a devil-may-care soldier, his temperament swung between extremes of calmness and belligerence.
The Anglo-Norman king, who never married or sired children, was capable of both wise governing and acting with contentiousness. Unlike other monarchs of the period, William lacked religious piety and is said to have indulged in sexual vices that shocked his council.
His death while hunting in the New Forest when he was shot by an arrow, has led to the suggestion he may have been murdered by
7 British Monarchs Who May Have Been Gay
For centuries men lived in one sphere and women in another and they would come together for marriage and having children. It seemed that the sexes co-existed mainly to endure the human race. Adoration and sex can be very different factors but, when put together, they can produce the most electric sensation. This was no different for kings and queens who were close to their favourites. There are several British monarchs who may include been gay. In evidence, six kings – and one queen are idea to have been male lover, members of what we now call the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi- and transexual) community. They include:
William II of England
The son of William the Conqueror, who took the throne of England in 1066, was known as William Rufus because of his red hair (‘rufus’ essence red). William II became King of England in 1087 and was often described as ‘effeminate’ and with a keen interest in fashionable young men.
William II of England drawn by Matthew Paris. Photo Credit: © Universal Domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Edward II of England
Perhaps the most well-known of the homosexual kings, Edward II became King of England in 1307. He spent much of
He explained: "History records that he never married, which is unique in a king because of the desire to leave an heir, and also that he liked to decorate his hair with golden ringlets, and on that small evidence I decided he might have been gay.
"[It's] a choice that hasn’t pleased all my readers, but I was happy with it."