William III of Englandīetter known from his Dutch title as William of Orange, he ruled jointly with his wife as William and Mary – the only time Britain has had joint monarchs – after James the Second had been exiled because of his Roman Catholic sympathies. Photo Credit: © Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. Portrait of King James I of England attributed to John de Critz, c. One courtier said that ‘I never yet saw any fond husband make so much or so great dalliance over his beautiful spouse as I have seen King James over his favourites, especially the Duke of Buckingham.’ Three of these were Esmé Stewart (later Duke of Lennox), Robert Carr (later Earl of Somerset), and George Villiers (later Duke of Buckingham). He married Anne of Denmark and the couple had seven children but James was also known for relationships with his male favourites. The King James Bible is named after him as it was translated during his reign. King James inherited the throne of Scotland from his mother Mary, Queen of Scots and became King of England in 1603 after the death of Elizabeth the First. Portrait of Richard II of England at Westminster Abbey, mid-1390s. Their close friendship was disagreeable to the political establishment of the day and the chronicler Thomas Walsingham, who disliked de Vere, claimed that he and Richard II were in a homosexual relationship. One of the members of Richard’s circle was Robert de Vere, Earl of Oxford. His reign began successfully but was marred by tyranny, revolts and bad decision-making and he was deposed in 1399 by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who became King Henry the Fourth. Richard II became King of England in 1377 at the tender age of ten.
![the king william gay bar london the king william gay bar london](https://www.billboard.com/wp-content/uploads/media/nick-jonas-gay-club-2015-billboard-650.jpg)
Richard I being anointed during his coronation in Westminster Abbey, from a 13th-century chronicle. Eyewitnesses said that both Kings ‘ate from the same plate … and that their beds did not separate them.’ It is said that Richard I of England developed a close relationship with King Philip II of France. He spent much of his time as king on crusades, leaving his younger brother John in charge of England. Richard I of EnglandĪnother king of England thought to have homosexual leanings was Richard the First, better known as ‘Richard the Lionheart,’ who appears in some of the Robin Hood stories. Photo Credit: © Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. Edward II of England was heartbroken and was never the same again.Įdward II shown receiving the English crown in a contemporary illustration.
#The king william gay bar london trial#
The barons forced the King to exile Gaveston, but he soon returned to England, was captured, put on a false trial and then brutally murdered in 1312. His closest friend was a gentleman called Piers Gaveston, who was seen to abuse his power and to hold too much influence over Edward.
![the king william gay bar london the king william gay bar london](https://fastly.4sqi.net/img/general/600x600/190163_Bcwl3LiWsTwzFB1nUxK-VA2uTVMRkebizVPgAs4bgk4.jpg)
He spent much of his time with young handsome men at court and showed little interest in the opposite sex. Perhaps the most well-known of the homosexual kings, Edward II became King of England in 1307. William II of England drawn by Matthew Paris. William II became King of England in 1087 and was often described as ‘effeminate’ and with a keen interest in fashionable young men. 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). 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) community. There are several British monarchs who may have been gay. This was no different for kings and queens who were close to their favourites. Love and sex can be very different factors but, when put together, they can produce the most electric sensation. It seemed that the sexes co-existed mainly to continue the human race. For centuries men lived in one sphere and women in another and they would come together for marriage and having children.