Gay kings of england
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 homosexual 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 extended 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 flash 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 connected with corruption and incompetence. He was also widely established to have been romantically involved with one of his ministers, Dong Xian, though both men were married to women.
In the “Hanshu,” or
Edward II: Did a queer love affair spark a 14th-Century royal crisis?
The performer and RSC co-artistic director Daniel Evans, who portrays Edward II in the new production, believes that Marlowe's play still feels "radical" in 2025. His interest in reviving it was piqued by director Daniel Raggett, who posed a "provocative", hypothetical ask that underlines the piece's enduring relevance: "What would happen if our current king, Charles III, suddenly said: 'I know I've been married for a while, but I actually want someone called Colin by my side, not Camilla?'" It might not cause a civil war, as Edward's relationship with Gaveston begets in Marlowe's play, but Evans questions just how accepting today's "supposedly liberal and permissive society" would be. "Deep-rooted homophobia still exists, and the whole notion of the British Royal Family, of lineage and heirs, is very dependent on a heteronormative family structure," he notes.
7 British Monarchs Who May Have Been Gay
For centuries men lived in one sphere and women in another and they would approach together for marriage and having children. It seemed that the sexes co-existed mainly to persist the human race. Love and sex can be very different factors but, when put together, they can make the most electric sensation. This was no different for kings and queens who were shut to their favourites. There are several British monarchs who may have been gay. In proof, six kings – and one queen are thought to have been male lover, members of what we now notify 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’ meaning 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: © Public 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 peculiar 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."
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GAY MONARCHS of the UNITED KINGDOM
So over here in the UK, everybody has gone bat-shit crazy over William and Kate Middleton getting married. I kind of missed the Royal wedding myself I’m actually quite ashamed to admit, I was in bed until 4pm with a stinking hangover (kind of regret that now)
Anyway this is just a tenuous link to what I actually am going to blather about in this post – the side of the British Royals that isn’t often talked about, the Kings and Queens that were (alleged to be) homosexual.
There are generally seven British monarchs that are believed by (at least some) credible historians to be gay (one of which is definite), but which is your favourite, all are interesting in their own way (except perhaps death-by-gout-such-an-unglamourous-way-to-die Queen Anne) :
King William Rufus (1087 – 1110)
Son of William the Conqueror, and openly queer . William Rufus was not a popular king. He is described as red-haired, arrogant, intemperate and coarse. Openly gay and always in need of cash, he quarrelled with the church about land, taxes and his dissolute lifestyle.
He was, however, an superior soldier and very successfully consolida