Gay members of the royal family
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 gay 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 long been doing so unofficially.
While it’s difficult to assign current 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 light 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 associated with corruption and incompetence. He was also widely known to have been romantically committed with one of his ministers, Dong Xian, though both men were married to women.
In the “Hanshu,” or
From Princess Diana to Prince Harry, here are 9 times the royal family showed support for the LGBTQ community
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- Through the years, the royal family has supported the LGBTQ community.
- Prince William, for example, has invited LGBTQ people to Kensington Palace to discuss mental health.
- Queen Elizabeth pledged to protect the LGBTQ community during a speech to Parliament in 2017.
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As members of the British royal family continue to break from tradition, some have develop more open in supporting the LGBTQ community.
Through the years, Prince Harry and Prince William contain publicly announced their support of the community, just appreciate their mother, Princess Diana, did support in the '80s. Even Queen Elizabeth herself has reach forward in favor of LGBTQ people.
Here
While Red, White, & Royal Sky focuses on a fictional British prince, some royals have arrive out in real life ... as historians speculate over the sexuality of others.
A royal adoration may play out in the recent release of “Red, Light, & Royal Blue,” but it’s not that common for members of a royal family to openly be a part of the LGBTQ+ community. In recent history, only three royals from around the world have actually come out -- and for some of them, it wasn’t very well received.
But going help in history, many more royals were actually thought to be gay or bisexual, although it’s difficult to accurately assign current labels to historical figures. While how they would personally spot is up for discussion, historians believe that these royals were a part of the Queer community.
Learn about some of these past and present royals below ...
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View Story1. Lord Ivar Mountbatten
Queen Elizabeth’s cousin Lord Ivar Mountbatten was the first British royal to officially come out as gay. Lord Ivar was previously married to businesswoman Penny Mountbatten but after over a decade tog
7 British Monarchs Who May Have Been Gay
For centuries men lived in one sphere and women in another and they would appear together for marriage and having children. It seemed that the sexes co-existed mainly to proceed the human race. Love and sex can be very different factors but, when put together, they can manufacture the most electric sensation. This was no different for kings and queens who were finish to their favourites. There are several British monarchs who may have been gay. In evidence, six kings – and one queen are thought to have been homosexual, members of what we now dial 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 o