Was king edward gay
7 British Monarchs Who May Hold 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 continue the human race. Affectionate and sex can be very different factors but, when deposit 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 possess been gay. In fact, six kings – and one queen are thought to have been gay, members of what we now call the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi- and transexual) society. They include:
William II of England
The son of William the Conqueror, who took the throne of England in 1066, was recognizable as William Rufus because of his red hair (‘rufus’ definition 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 lgbtq+ kings, Edward II became King of England in 1307. He spent much o
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 bisexual monarchs kept their love 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 have been gay or double attraction. Described by historians as both ‘effeminate’ and ‘boorish’, as well as organism 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
England has had many gay or lesbian monarchs (some definitely, others were just rumoured to be) - King William Rufus (the son of William the Conqueror), King Edward II, King Richard II, Queen Anne, Queen Mary, Richard the Lionheart (the brother of King John of Magna Carta fame), King James I - but it is Edward II who was possibly the most notorious.
This 14th Century king, the son of Edward I (Edward Longshanks, "The Hammer of the Scots") and the first Prince of Wales, was married to Queen Isabella, but he seemed to show much more affection to a man called Piers Gaveston than he did to Isabella.
Many people in the country weren't too happy about this, and Piers Gaveston was eventually executed by the Earl of Warwick (who Gaveston had called "the ebony hound of Arden") by having his head chopped off - homosexuality was a capital offence in England at this time.
After Gaveston's death, Edward II then seemed to embark on an affair with another man - Hugh Despenser. Queen Isabella had ebough, and left Edward II for another lover - Mortimer.
Despenser was eventually tracked down and executed - he had his genitals sever off and burnt in a fire before h