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This is from a channel Conversation elsewhere. We were discussing places we'd like to go in England. I said I'd like to see the villages from my Master's thesis and some historical sites.

There's a McCrumb novel were they take a murder tour of Britain. They even did the wood where Henry I likely had his elder gay brother assassinated so he could seize the throne. To be fair, it might have been the Church and not Henry, or both of them in collusion, or an honest accident, though contemporaries were inclined to think not.

Someone asked about other gay English royals at this point.

There is no question at all about Edward II, who road in the wedding carriage with his boyfriend, not his bride. Likely Richard I (Lionheart), quite possibly james I, though he might just have really hated women, were. Anne was a lesbian of course. I'm not so good at moderns, alas.

William II (Rufus), Edward, and Anne are the best documented. William II was quarreling with the church about the soon to be usual English desire for local control, but also because he was "out" in the modern sense and refused to be ashamed or pretend. There are serious questions about Edward III's parentage as no one at the time was convinced Edward II would lie with a woman at all. Isabelle had lovers, never without an army and lots of power, Edwards had Piers Gaveston and a bevy of boys who looked good in tights. Anne had a "long time companion" who she was clearly sleeping with and no interest whatsoever in men or marrying. Braveheart made a pigs ear out of the Edwards and the whole Wallace thing. It infuriated me.

My favorite gay royal in France was Louis the 14th's brother though. Monsieur was a great soldier/general and whip clever. he was so good at war that Louis made him stop helping. Instead, Louis let him have lovers openly to distract him from any political ambitions he might have. Louis was very anti-gay, but there is monsieur with a gaggle of pretty boy swordsmen all safe from church and state. I love the idea of fop fairy boys cutting people to shreds in duels for harassing them. Monsieur dutifully sired lots of children. When the direct Bourbon line died out, Orleans descendants sat on thrones all over Europe.

There is a movie staring Gerard Depardiau, Vatel, where in one scene the villain sends ruffians to beat up Vatal and Monsieur's fops fight them off. It's deeply psychologically gratifying. (The movie is mostly fictional, but does a good job of capturing various personalities and the tone of the court at that period. casting julien sands and Louis XIV was a flash of genius, I think.)

There was a short discussion of the modern Prince Edward, about whom there were rumors, but nothing confirmed, after this, but I'm bad at modern royals, so the words are not mine.

I am passing fond of Prince geaorge, who was in a nineteen year relationship with Noel coward, Lucky Dog.