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King Richard II (Photo by VCG Wilson/Corbis via Getty Images)
King Richard II (Photo by VCG Wilson/Corbis via Getty Images) (Image: Getty Images)
For hundreds of years, monarchies around the world have had gay and bisexual royals, shrouded in varying degrees of secrecy and historical debate.
Despite a member of the British Royal Family rarely having come out as gay or bisexual, many well-known figures lived relatively openly with same-sex partners or lovers.
From William III to Henry VIII to Elizabeth I, Britain has a rich history of LGBTQ+ royals you might not have known about – and there are plenty of other examples from around the world too.
Queen Anne of Great Britain (1655-1714)
Queen Anne in a portrait circa 1690 attributed to Godfrey Kneller (Photo by Universal History Archive/Getty Images) (Getty Images)Anne was most likely bisexual. Known for being on the thrown during England and Scotland’s formal union, she also embarked on a passionate affair with Sarah Churchill, the wife of the Duke of Marlborough.
The two were the embodiment of ‘opposites attract’. Sarah was beautiful and assertive and Anne plain and reserved.
The two fell in and out of love until Anne dumped Sarah due to her argumentative attitudes, often disagreeing with the queen.
I
Queen Anne was famously portrayed by Olivia Colman in the Oscar-winning 2018 film The Favourite, which also starred Rachel Weisz at Sarah Churchill.
King Edward II of England (1284-1327)
King Edward II (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images) (Getty Images)In the 1995 Hollywood blockbuster, Braveheart, a young Prince Edward (played by Peter Hanly) was portrayed as camp and correspondingly incompetent.
While not the most pro-LGBTQ+ depiction, King Edward II is one of more famously ‘gay’ monarchs. He was ‘wedded brothers’ with Piers Gaveston, the Earl of Cornwall.
The friendship agreement has often been likened to a church-approved same-sex partnership by historians. The Earl was often given special access to the King, much to the anger of nobles.
Edward was deposed in 1327 and is thought to have died shortly afterwards. Rumours he was murdered with a red-hot poker that was inserted into his rectum swirled for centuries, possibly linked to his homosexuality, but most historians now dismiss this claim.
Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, also known as Catherine II of Russia (1729-
Empress Catherine II of Russia (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images) [Zarin Katharina II von Russland (1729-1796)] (Getty Images)Catherine II is as famous for her sexual appetite as she is her successes as one of the countries most successful leaders.
Her ladies-in-waiting were appointed to ensure Catherine was never disappointed by her suitors.
Intimidated by such a strong female leader, many of her enemies began rumours about the legendary monarch, claiming she took female lovers and died whilst having sex with a horse.
Al-Hakam II, Caliph of Córdoba (961-976AD)
.Al-Hakam II was the gay Muslim ruler of Al-Andalus (now Spain), a rarity for being an out LGBTQ+ royal at the time.
He openly kept a male harem, who he took everywhere with him during his reign.
Carrying the legacy of his father, his son Hisham II did the very same.
Lord Ivar Mountbatten (1963-present)
Getty ImagesLord Ivar Mountbatten (pictured above right) became the first member of the British Royal Family to come out publicly as gay after revealing he was dating James Coyle (above left) in 2016, breaking new ground for gay royals.
Lord Ivar Mountbatten is a second cousin of King Charles III the great, great, great grandson of Queen Victoria and the great-nephew of Earl Mountbatten of Burma.
In 2018, he came the first member of the monarch’s extended family to have a same-sex wedding when he married Coyle.
He was previously married to Penelope Thompson, with whom he shares three children.
Princess Isabella of Parma, Archduchess of Austria (1741-1763)
Princess Isabella of Parma, Archduchess of Austria (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images) (Getty Images)The princess was deeply in love with her husband’s sister, Archduchess Maria Christina.
Living a double life, the two spent so much time together they earned the comparison with Orpheus and Eurydice.
During the few years Isabella and Christina knew each other, they exchanged 200 letters expressing their affection for each other.
King Richard II of England (1377-1400)
King Richard II (Photo by VCG Wilson/Corbis via Getty Images) (Getty Images)Richard was just 10 years old when he became king. This meant leading nobles ran the country on his behalf.
But when old enough to rule for himself, he surrounded himself with nobles such as Robert de Vere, the Earl of Oxford. The two were allegedly in a relationship.
When de Vere died, Richard ordered for his coffin to be opened. He kissed his friend’s hand and reportedly gazed at his face one final time before the burial.
Charles I of Württemberg (1823-1891)
.Charles was King of Württemberg (now part of Germany), from 25 June 1864 until his death in 1891.
His most notorious affair was with the American Charles Woodcock – the pair even appeared in public dressed identically.
Following Woodcock, in 1881 the monarch asked Baron von Jackson to join his household as a “confidential friend and companion.”
King James VI of Scotland, also known as King James I of England and Ireland (1566-1625)
King James I, 1621. (Photo by Ann Ronan Pictures/Print Collector/Getty Images) (Getty Images)James was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I after the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603.
But the union of two crowns wasn’t the only union he possibly oversaw.
Historians have long speculated that he was in a relationship with Robert Carr, who he made Earl of Somerset.
King William II of England (1056-1100)
King William II (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images) (Getty Images)Otherwise known as William Rufus after his red face, William II filled his courts with attractive young men.
Never marrying and without children, he instead dressed his courtiers in pointed shoes and ordered they grow out their hair, choosing to promote based on performance in bed, rather than talent.
After being apparently assassinated, his successor, Henry I, forced his courtiers to trim their hair. William’s legacy was cut short, quite literally.
Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886)
King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Photo by Roger Viollet via Getty Images) (Getty Images)Ludwig never married, nor had any known mistresses.
It is known from his diary, private letters, and other surviving personal documents, that he had strong same-sex desires.
He struggled all his life to suppress his sexual desires and remain true to his Roman Catholic faith.
Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil (1965-present)India’s Crown Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil (Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil is an out gay Indian prince – though the Indian government ‘de-recognised’ the country’s royal princes in 1971.
Manavendra is the son and probable heir of the Maharaja of Rajpipla in Gujarat and made headlines when he came out in 2006, becoming the first modern-day out gay royal.
He runs The Lakshya Trust, a public charity servicing GLBT and HIV/AIDS communities.
King Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lionheart (1189-1199)
King Richard I (Photo by The Print Collector/Getty Images) (Getty Images)Despite spending just six months of his ten-year reign in the country, Richard I is one of England’s most iconic kings.
When he was Duke of Aquitaine, he revolted against his father, Henry II.
For the sake of “diplomacy”, he allied with Philip II of France and “ate every day at the same table and from the same dish, and at night their beds did not separate them,” wrote Roger of Hovden, a 12-century chronicler who knew Richard personally.
Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland (1533-1603)
Queen Elisabeth I around 1575. Painting by Nicholas Hilliard (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images) (Getty Images)Like Catherine the Great and her own father, rumours have surrounded the powerful Elizabeth’s sexuality for centuries.
Some historians suggest the ‘Virgin Queen’ was actually a lesbian, which would make her one of the most high-profile LGBTQ+ royals to date.
However, despite never marrying, the queen had a series of male suitors and would insist she was married to her kingdom and subjects.
Emperor Ai of Han (27-1BC)
.Emperor Ai of Han was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty. He ascended the throne when he was 20 and reigned from 7 to 1 BC.
Vatican and Holy See
- Pope Benedict IX (c. 1012-1056) (bisexual)[187][188][189][190][191]
- Pope Paul II (1464–1471)[192][193][194]
- Pope Sixtus IV (1471–1484)[195][196][197]
- Pope Julius II (1443–1513)[198]
- Pope Leo X (1513–1521)[199]
- Pope Julius III (1487–1555)
- Cardinal Innocenzo Ciocchi Del Monte (1532–1577)
- Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1577–1633)[200]
- Cardinal Henry Benedict Stuart (Henry IX in the Jacobite succession, 1725–1807)
- Pope Paul VI (1897–1978)[201] (Alleged affair with Italian actor Paolo Carlini,[202][203][204][205][206] denied[207
Austria
- Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen (1742–1798)[15]
- Archduke Ludwig Viktor of Austria (1842-1919)[16]
- Archduke Wilhelm of Austria (1895–1948)[17]
Bulgaria
- Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (1861–1948)[69]
- Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902–1942)[49]
- Gavin Henderson, 2nd Baron Faringdon (1902–1977)[50]
- James Thomas, 1st Viscount Cilcennin (1903–1960) (presumed)[51]
- Patrick Balfour, 3rd Baron Kinross (1904–1976)[52]
- Alan Lennox-Boyd, 1st Viscount Boyd of Merton (1904–1983)[53]
- Graham Eyres-Monsell, 2nd Viscount Monsell (1905-1994)[54]
- Hon. Pamela Mitford (1907–1994)[55]
- Hon. Tom Mitford (1909-1945) (lover of James Lees-Milne)[56]
- Hon. Desmond Parsons (1910–1937) (lover of Sir Harold Acton and James Lees-Milne)[57][58]
- Edward Douglas-Scott-Montagu, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu (1926-2015)[59]
- Nicholas Eden, 2nd Earl of Avon (1930–1985)[60]
- Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon (1930–2017)[61]
- Sheridan Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (1938–1988)[62]
- Hon. Sir Peter Morrison (1944–1995)[63][64] (uncertain, rumors never confirmed)
- John Hervey, 7th Marquess of Bristol (1954–1999)[65]
- Lord Ivar Mountbatten (born 1963–)[66]
Denmark
- Valdemar of Denmark (1858-1939)[76]
Germany
- Richard Puller von Hohenburg (1454–1482)[98]
- Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor (1552-1612) (presumed)
- Augustus William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1662-1731)[99]
- Frederick the Great (1712–1786) (lover of Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf and Peter Karl Christoph von Keith)[100]
- Prince Henry of Prussia (1726–1802)[101]
- Duke Gustav Wilhelm of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1781–1851)[102]
- Prince Paul of Thurn and Taxis (1843–1879)
- Charles I of Württemberg (1823–1891)[103]
- Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845–1886)[104]
- Philipp, Prince of Eulenburg (1847-1921)
- Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1851-1897)[105]
- Frederick of Hohenau (1857-1914)[106]
- Prince Aribert of Anhalt (1866–1933) (uncertain)[107]
- Prince Maximilian of Baden (1867-1929)[108][109][110]
- Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse (1868-1937)[111]
- Harry Graf Kessler (1868–1937)[112]
- Prince Friedrich Heinrich Albrecht of Prussia (1874-1940)[113]
- Philipp, Landgrave of Hesse (1896-1980) (uncertain)[114]
- Johannes, 11th Prince of Thurn and Taxis (1926-1990)[115]
- Franz, Duke of Bavaria (1933–)[116]
- Arndt von Bohlen und Halbach (1938–1986)
- Prince Egon von Fürstenberg (1946–2004)[117]
France
- John II of France (1319–1364) (presumed lover of Charles de la Cerda)[citation needed]
- Henry III of France (1551–1589)[81][82][83]
- Jacques Vallée, Sieur Des Barreaux (1599-1673) (lover of Théophile de Viau)
- Louis XIII (1601-1643)
- Armand de Gramont, Comte de Guiche (1637-1673)[84]
- Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (1640–1701)
- Philippe Jules Mancini, Duke of Nevers (1641–1707)[85]
- Philippe, Chevalier de Lorraine (1643–1702)
- Philippe Jules Mancini (1641–1707)
- François-Timoléon de Choisy (1644–1724)[86]
- Nicolas Chalon du Blé (1652–1730)[87][88]
- Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme (1654–1712)[89]
- François Louis, Prince of Conti (1664-1709)[90]
- Louis, Count of Vermandois (1667-1683)
- Julie d'Aubigny (1673–1707)[91]
- Honoré Armand de Villars (1702–1770)
- Henri-Lambert de Thibouville (1710–1784)
- Chevalier d'Éon (1728–1810)
- Charles, Marquis de Villette (1736–1793)
- Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès, Duke of Parma (1753–1824)
- Paul Barras (1755–1827)[92]
- Marquis de Custine (1790–1857)[93]
- Edmond de Polignac (1834–1901)
- Jacques Godart, 6th Marquis de Belbeuf (1850–1906)[94]
- Robert de Montesquiou (1855–1921)[95]
- Mathilde de Morny (1863–1944)
- Hélène van Zuylen, Baroness of Van Zuylen van Nijevelt van de Haar (née de Rothschild, 1863–1947)
- Winnaretta Singer (1865–1943) (lover of Olga de Meyer and Renata Borgatti)[96]
- Maurice Talvande, Count de Mauny Talvande (1866-1941)
- Élisabeth de Gramont (1875-1954)[97]
- Jacques d'Adelswärd-Fersen (1880–1923)
Italy
- Nero (37–68), Roman Emperor (from 54 to 68) (lover of Sporus and Pythagoras)
- Hadrian (76–138), Roman Emperor (from 117 to 138) (lover of Antinous)[138][139][140]
- Elagabalus (204–222), Roman Emperor (from 218 to 222) (lover of Aurelius Zoticus and Hierocles)[141][142][143]
- Brunetto Latini (1220-1294) (disputed, only source is Dante's Divine Comedy)[144][145]
- Anna Sforza (1476-1497)[146]
- Francesco Melzi (1491-1570) (lover of Leonardo da Vinci, his own teacher Andrea del Verrocchio, prostitute Jacopo Saltarelli, and Da Vinci's pupil Salaì)
- Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma (1503–1547)[147]
- Laudomia Forteguerri (1515–1555)
- Ferdinando II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1610–1670)
- Charles II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Montferrat (1629–1665)
- Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1671–1737)
- Eugenia Rasponi (1873–1958)[148]
- Adalberto of Savoy, Duke of Bergamo (1898–1982)[149]
- Umberto II of Italy (1904-1983)[150]
- Luchino Visconti (1906-1976)[151]
Sweden
- Christina, Queen of Sweden (1626-1689) (lover of Ebba Sparre)[181]
- Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp (1759-1818) (uncertain, presumed lover of Sophie Piper and Frederica of Baden)[182]
- Gustav V (1858-1950) (uncertain, disputed)[183]
- Eugen, Duke of Närke (1865–1947)[184
Spain
- Henry IV of Castile (1425–1474) (uncertain, disputed)[178]
- Louis I of Spain (1707-1724)[179]
- Isabella of Parma (1741-1763)
- Francisco de Asís, King Consort of Spain (1822-1902)
- Infante Luis Fernando of Spain (1888–1945)
- Ataúlfo of Orléans (1913–1974)[180]
- Luisa Isabel Álvarez de Toledo, 21st Duchess of Medina Sidonia (1936-2008)
Russia
- Prince Vladimir Meshchersky (1839-1914)[171]
- Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia (1857–1905) (uncertain, disputed)[172]
- Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia (1858-1915)[173]
- Grand Duke Nicholas Mikhailovich of Russia (1859–1919) (uncertain, disputed)
- Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Russia (1860–1919)[174]
- Duke Peter Alexandrovich of Oldenburg (1868–1924)[175]
- Georgy Chicherin (1872–1936)[citation needed]
- Maria Nirod (1879–1965)[176]
- Prince Felix Yusupov (1887–1967)[177]
- Baron George Hoyningen-Huene (1900–1968)
Portugal
- Peter I of Portugal (1320-1367) (uncertain, disputed bisexual; in spite of his fateful passion for Inês de Castro)[165]
- Prince Henry the Navigator (1394-1460) (a lifelong bachelor, in spite of an aggressive and energetic character he "never knew a woman", strong male attachments; deeply mourned the death of a companion in arms, to the point of his deceased friend's mother telling him: "Ha! Lord, what's all this? Where is your royal virtue, your dignity and your youth, to thus weep and mourn like a woman? This is very improper of you."; in his household he was surrounded by male youths that later became his trustworthy naval explorers; seems to be consumed by a taste for fashionable and elegant dress)[166]
- Rodrigo da Câmara (1594-1662)
- Afonso VI of Portugal (1643-1683) (suspect and intimate friendship with Antonio Conti, an opportunistic Genovese dressmaker)[167]
- John VI of Portugal (1767-1826) [168]
- José de Meneses da Silveira e Castro, 2nd Marquis of Valada (1826–1895)[169]
- Manuel II of Portugal (1889-1932) (uncertain; barren marriage)[170]
Monaco
- Pierre of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois (1895–1964)[158]
Netherlands
- William III of Orange (1650 - 1702)
- William II of the Netherlands (1792-1849)[159][160]
Norway
- Maud Angelica Behn (2003–)[161]
Poland
- Władysław III of Poland (1424–1444) (uncertain)[162]
- Janusz Aleksander Sanguszko (1712–1775) (lover of Jerzy Marcin Lubomirski)[163]
- Alexander Hochberg (1905-1984)[164]
Greece
Ancient
- Philolaus of Corinth (lover of Diocles of Corinth)[118]
- Pisistratus (c. 600–527 BCE) (lover of Charmus)[119]
- Hipparchus (d. c. 514 BCE) (in love with Harmodius)
- Lysander (c. 454–395 BCE)[120]
- Agesilaus II (445/4-360/59 BCE) (lover of Lysander)[120]
- Callias III (lover of Autolycus of Athens)
- Meno (c. 423-c. 400 BCE) (lover of Aristippus of Larissa and Ariaeus)
- Archidamus III (d. 338 BCE) (lover of Cleonymus)
- Philip II (382–336 BCE) (lover of Pausanias of Orestis and possible lover of Pammenes of Thebes)[121][122]
- Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE) (lover of Hephaestion)[123][124][125][126]
Byzantine
- Michael III (840–867)
- Basil I (811–886)
Modern
- Prince George of Greece and Denmark[76] (1869-1957)
Hungary
- Sigismund Báthory (1573-1613)[127]
- Franz Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás (1877-1933) (lover of Bajazid Doda)[128]