LGBT nobility and royalty
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Throughout history, monarchs have engaged in same-sex relationships. Even in jurisdictions where homosexuality was not prohibited or proscribed by law or religious edicts, titles of aristocracy were almost always directly transferred through married heterosexual spouses and their offspring (except when certain titles could be inherited by relatives upon a childless death).
History[]
Ancient times[]
Ancient Europe[]
Several Roman rulers had homosexual relationships such as the Emperor Hadrian and his lover Antinous, and the ruler Elagabalus.
Imperial China[]
Several Chinese emperors had openly homosexual relationships, even though most also had active heterosexual relationships as well. A famous example is that of Emperor Ai of Han and his lover, Dong Xian, whom Ai promoted quickly through government ranks and ennobled as a marquess (this despite the fact that both men were legally married to women).
Throughout written Chinese history, the role of women is given little positive emphasis, with relationships between women being especially rare. One mention by Ying Shao, who lived about 140 to 206, does relate palace women attaching themselves as husband and wife, a relationship called dui shi. He noted, "They are intensely jealous of each other."[1]
United Kingdom[]
Since the Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted a series of reforms (from the 1960s onward) to the honours system, few hereditary titles have been created (the last being created in 1990), while life peerages have proliferated, allowing for more openly LGBT persons to be appointed to the House of Lords. However, despite the legalization of civil partnerships for same-sex couples in 2004, spouses of ennobled civil partners have not been allowed the extension of title and privilege from their spouses' ennoblements as those accorded to married opposite-sex spouses of ennobled persons. In July 2012, Conservative MP Oliver Colvile announced a private member's bill, titled "Honours (Equality of Titles for Partners) Bill 2012-13", to amend the honours system to both allow husbands of those made dames and for civil partners of recipients to receive honours by their relationship statuses.[2] Another bill, the Equality (Titles) Bill, which would allow for both female first-born descendants to inherit hereditary titles as well as for "husbands and civil partners" of honours recipients "to use equivalent honorary titles to those available to wives", was introduced by Lord Lucas in the House of Lords on 13 May 2013, but did not progress past Committee stage.[3]
In 2016, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, became the first member of the British aristocracy to come out as gay. He married his partner in 2018.[4]
Elsewhere[]
A significant event in LGBT aristocracy occurred in 2006, when Manvendra Singh Gohil, a prince of the former princely state of Rajpipla in Gujarat, India, came out as gay to Indian media; the event caused controversy both in India and abroad, and his family unsuccessfully attempted to disinherit him.
On 7 March 2008 Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo, 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia, a Spanish aristocrat, married Liliana Maria Dahlmann in a civil ceremony on her deathbed.[5] Today, the Dowager Duchess is Liliana Maria.[6][7]
It was rumored to be an open secret that late Sultan Qaboos of Oman was the only gay ruling monarch,[8] however, his rule did not improve LGBT rights in Oman.
Prince Azim of Brunei was outed in 2019, the year before his death.[9][10]
In fiction[]
A recent treatment of LGBT nobles and royalty is the 2002 children's book King & King, which shows the heir to a throne sifting through potential brides before falling in love with, and marrying, another prince before the two become kings. The book was challenged by groups in various countries, and was honored with a variety of accolades from supporters of LGBT rights.
In 2021, a series called Young Royals following the life of a Swedish prince who falls in love with another boy was created and aired on Netflix.
Examples[]
In many European countries, same-sex relations have historically been stigmatized, illegal, or considered sinful by Christians. Sometimes charges of homosexual relations were propagated by enemies, often rumors of such activities were denied, and sometimes same-sex lovers were acknowledged openly. The following list includes royals and nobles who were at least suspected of having same-sex relationships, and many cases are disputed or unclear.
This section does not cite any sources. (October 2017) |
Modern Europe[]
Austria[]
- Count László Almásy de Zsadány (1895-1951)
- Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (1861-1948)
- Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria (1847-1915)
- Archduke Ludwig Viktor of Austria (1842-1919)
- Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen (1742–1798)
Denmark[]
- Prince Valdemar of Denmark[11] (1858-1939)
France[]
- Prince Pierre of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois (1895-1964)
- Hélène van Zuylen, Baroness of Van Zuylen van Nijevelt van de Haar, (née de Rothschild) (1863-1947)
- Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, Duke of Parma (1753-1824)
- Prince Eugene of Savoy (1663-1736)
- Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme (1654-1712)
- Philippe, Chevalier de Lorraine (1643-1702)
- Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (1640-1701)
- Armand de Gramont, Comte de Guiche (1637-1673)
- Louis XIII of France (1601-1643)
- Henry III of France (1551-1589)
Germany[]
- Count Gottfried von Bismarck (1962-2007)
- Prince Egon von Fürstenberg (1946-2004)
- Franz, Duke of Bavaria (1933) (Openly gay.)
- Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis (1926-1990)
- Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse (1896-1980)
- Prince Maximilian of Baden (1867-1929)
- Prince Aribert of Anhalt (1866-1933)
- Philipp, Prince of Eulenburg (1847-1921)
- Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886)
- Charles I of Württemberg (1823-1891)
- Prince Henry of Prussia (1726–1802)
- Frederick the Great of Prussia (1712-1786)
Great Britain[]
- Lord Ivar Mountbatten (born 1963, now openly gay and married)
- Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon (1930-2017)
- Prince George, Duke of Kent (1904-1942)
- Robert Boothby, Baron Boothby (1900-1986)
- Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas (1870-1945)
- Francis Douglas, Viscount Drumlanrig (1867-1894)
- George, 6th Baron Byron (a.k.a. Lord Byron) (1788-1824)
- Anne, Queen of Great Britain (1665-1714, claim dismissed by most modern historians)
- George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628)
- James VI and I of Scotland, and of England and Ireland (1566-1625) (see Personal relationships of James VI and I)
- Richard II of England (1367-1400)[12]
- Edward II of England (1284-1327)
- Richard I of England (1157-1199)
- William II of England (c. 1056-1100)
Greece[]
- Prince George of Greece and Denmark[11] (1869-1957)
Italy[]
- Umberto II of Italy (1904-1983)
- Prince Adalberto of Savoy, Duke of Bergamo (1898-1982)[citation needed]
- Prince Francis Joseph of Braganza (1879-1919)
- Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart (Henry IX in the Jacobite Succession, 1725-1807)
- Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1671-1737)
- Charles II, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (1629-1665)
- Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1610-1670)
- Cardinal Stefano Pignatelli (1578-1623)
- Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1577-1633)
- Cardinal Innocenzo Ciocchi Del Monte (1532–1577)
- Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma (1503-1547)
- Pope Julius III (1487-1555)
Netherlands[]
- William II of the Netherlands (1792-1849)
- William III of England[12] (1650-1702)
Poland[]
- Frederick I of Württemberg (1754-1816)
- Friedrich Heinrich Albrecht (1874-1940)
Russia[]
- Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg (1868-1924)
- Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia (1858-1915)
Spain[]
- Luís Fernando de Orleans y Borbón, Infante of Spain (1888-1945)
- Francisco de Asís, Duke of Cádiz (1822-1902)
- Princess Isabella of Parma (1741-1763)
Sweden[]
- Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke (1865-1947)
- Gustav V of Sweden (1858-1950)
East Asia[]
- Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (1803-1868)
Ancient[]
- Elagabalus, Roman Emperor (218-222)
- Hadrian, Roman Emperor (76-138, possible lover of Antinous)
- Alexander the Great, King of Macedon (356 BC-323 BC)
References[]
- ^ Hinsch, Bret. (1990). Passions of the Cut Sleeve. University of California Press. p. 174.
- ^ Gray, Stephen (2 July 2012). "Tory MP's bill calls for partners of gay knights to receive honorary titles". PinkNews.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-07-30.
- ^ "Equality (Titles) Bill [HL] 2013-14". Parliament of the United Kingdom.
- ^ Ritschel, Chelsea (2018-09-25). "The first-ever royal same-sex wedding, in pictures". The Independent. Retrieved 2020-11-14.
- ^ Keeley, Graham. "Red Duchess wed lesbian lover to snub children", "The Daily Telegraph", 2008-03-16. Retrieved on 2008-03-16.
- ^ Algorri, Luis (2008-03-28). "Liliana, el poder de la nueva duquesa" (in Spanish). Tiempo. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
- ^ From Tiempo: Spanish: Le pese a quien le pese, Liliana Dahlmann es la duquesa viuda de Medina Sidonia, English: Liliana Dahlmann is the Dowager Duchess of Medina Sidona no matter who likes it.
- ^ Rogers, Destiny, "Condolences for Sultan Qaboos ignore open secret", QNews, 11 January 2020.
- ^ "Perez Hilton slammed for outing Sultan of Brunei's son as gay after country announces death penalty for homosexuality".
- ^ "Perez Hilton outs Sultan of Brunei's son". 8 April 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Bertin, Celia (1982). Marie Bonaparte. Paris: Perrin. ISBN 226201602X.
- ^ Jump up to: a b The Secret History of the Gay Kings and Queens of England
- LGBT royalty