Gay kings
Rerun Week: Big Gay Kings
Posted on March 30, Posted by John Scalzi 9 Comments
Reruns this week while I secure up shop on some projects; I&#;m reprinting pieces from my &#;That Was The Millennium That Was&#; series from Here&#;s today&#;s.
&#;-
BEST GAY MAN OF THE MILLENNIUM
Richard I of England, otherwise known as Richard the Lionhearted. He&#;s here, he&#;s queer, he&#;s the King of England.
Although, certainly, not the only gay King of England: William II Rufus, Edward II, and King James I (yes, the Bible dude) are reputed to have indulged in the love that dare not speak its name (On the other hand, rumors pertaining to the gayness of King William III have been greatly exaggerated). Women, don&#;t feel left out: Anne, queen from to , had a very fascinating &#;friendship&#; with Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, who was her &#;lady of the bedchamber.&#; Which was apparently an actual profession, and not just some winking euphemism.
The difference between Richard and the rest of the reputedly gay monarchs
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 became the first state to legalize male lover marriage, has paved the wave for a queer royal to officially wear the crown, LGBTQ people have long been doing so unofficially.
While it’s difficult to assign modern 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 light of the Dutch monarchy’s recent announcement and in honor of LGBTQ History Month, which is noted in October, here are 13 gay 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 skillfully received by his subjects but eventually became associated with corruption and incompetence. He was also widely known to have been romantically involved with
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 proceed the human race. Treasure 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 own been gay. In truth, six kings &#; and one queen are mind to have been same-sex attracted, 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 , was known as William Rufus because of his red hair (‘rufus’ definition red). William II became King of England in 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: © Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Edward II of England
Perhaps the most well-k