Columns
Stonehenge to Stonewall
Stonehenge
to Stonewall
Or Gay History In A Nutshell
Time Enough for Counts
(and
Barons, Lords, and Pages)
by
Charles Emond
It’s not easy being a king, especially if you are gay and expected to produce a male heir. Throughout European history, any number of gay men have found themselves in this situation, including King Edward II of England (1284-1327), King Henri III of France (1551-1589), King James I of England and Scotland (1566-1625) King Louis XIII (1601-1643) of France and Frederick the Great, King of Prussia (1712-1786).
In this “royal flush,” Henri is certainly our “queen” and Frederick our “ace.” Henri often wore makeup and women’s garments. “He was of a feminine type…combining the qualities of both sexes.” Intelligent, witty, and sensitive, he was adored by all.
Frederick was arguably the most successful of the lot. In addition to being a musician of some note and a friend of Voltaire, he was an enlightened autocrat and a masterful military strategist. (Voltaire called him “a likable whore!”)
James wanted to be a writer, but his greatest success in that vein was his authorization of the Bible translation that bears his name. During his reign, he unified Scotland and became King of England, but was never popular. The French king at the time called him “the wisest fool in Christendom.”
Like Fred, Louis was a real soldier who liked doing manly things with other soldiers. In addition to sports and hunting, he liked “handsome young favorites of his own sex.” Edward, on the other hand, hated military stuff – his depiction in the movie “Braveheart” shows this very well – but he loved everyday stuff, like digging ditches and blacksmithing. (He was also attracted to the ordinary fellows found doing these things.) He nearly didn’t get to be king, because he kept flirting with his boyfriend at his coronation.
You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em!
The big question here is what to do with the official wife? Obviously a king was expected to have a queen – monarchy depends on it! All of the ladies in question were picked out by others with an eye toward gaining lands, money, political power, connections with important families, or all of the above. Nobody cared about beauty, intellect, or any other virtue. The idea of love never came up. If a gay king was lucky, he might get a bride who could deliver an appropriate male heir on the first shot and then find some other guy to spend her time with. Edward’s queen, Isabella, found Mortimer to be a willing “companion,” and Anne of Austria, married to Louis, had a fine time with Mazarin.
Fred married Elizabeth of Brunswick because he was forced into it by his father. He said of his bride, “there can be neither love nor friendship between us.” He spent an hour with her on their wedding night and went for a long walk in the garden. He then gave her a palace of her own, to which he paid a courtesy visit once a year. Henry was married to Louise de Mercoeur, and James married Anne of Denmark. James is said to have quipped that she was the only woman he ever slept with.
Know when to walk away
Okay, then, what about the boyfriend, and what DO you call the king’s male lover anyway? (Boy Consort? Knight in Waiting?) It turns out that England actually had a post called “Gentleman of the Bed Chamber.” But whatever the title, the boyfriend was generally a liability.
The love of Edward’s life, Piers Gaveston, bounced back and forth from exile in France. This fun-loving playboy made the fatal mistake of laughing at the serious barons around the throne. If you want Edward’s life in detail, see the very odd movie bearing his name, or read the play by Christopher Marlowe upon which it was based.
Louis first fell for an older man, Luynes, with whom he often went hunting. He made him a duke, but after he died in 1621, the king took up with a pageboy named Baradas. Like Gaveston, this kid let his position go to his head. He did some heavy flirting with other men on a trip to Nantes, and got himself tossed out on his ass in 1626. His place was taken by young Saint-Simon, who reigned in the king’s heart for a decade until the clever Richelieu replaced him with Cinq-Mars, a lad trained especially for the job. (I wonder what the special training involved!)
Frederick was forced by his cruel and sadistic father to watch his first lover, Hans Von Katte, publicly beheaded. As king, Fred took up with Count von Keyserling, who became his life-long favorite. His valet, a handsome young soldier named Fredersdorf, was also devoted to him.
Henri was a mother’s boy if ever there was one. He surrounded himself with handsome young men called Mignons and showered them with honors and money.
James’ first real love was Esme Stuart. Like Gaveston, Esme was driven into exile, where he died, much to James’ grief. He was followed by Lord Hay, then a former page named Robert Carr, and finally by George Villiers.
When the dealing’s done
All five of our guys played the hands they were dealt as well as they could. They got married (not much choice in the matter after all), but they also stood up for their boyfriends, often at great political cost. Fred and Henri produced no heirs, but Edward, Louis, and James fulfilled their kingly duties, produced children, and were succeeded by their sons.
Next time: Lock up the children, Mabel!
FMI: This gay history column is the 22nd in a series which began in prehistory. My research for this column again comes from Gay Men and Women Who Enriched the World by Thomas Cowan and Homosexuals in History by A.L. Rowse.
Charlie Emond has a bachelor’s degree from Queen’s College and master’s degrees from both Dartmouth and Keene State. He teaches college history courses in Springfield and White River Junction.