Random Kings And Queens Who Were Allegedly LGBTQ+ (14 items)

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  (#11) Henry III of France

  • Dec. at 38 (1551-1589)

  King Henry III of France was the son of Catherine de Medici and the last Valois king of France. In 1589, one of his subjects called the king "Henry of Valois, buggerer, son of a whore, tyrant." During his lifetime, Henry was attacked for sexual deviancy, and people blamed the calamities of his reign on his sexuality. 

  Although Henry endured repeated accusations of sodomy, most historians believe they were just rumors. As Nicolas Le Roux argued, "It is less the supposed or real sexual practices of the king and those close to him that interests the historian than the image of illegitimacy conveyed by the discussion of sex." In short, regardless of his sexual identity, Henry's enemies used slurs to attack his masculinity.
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  (#8) Alexander the Great

  • Dec. at 33 (355 BC-322 BC)

  Alexander the Great conquered enough land to rule one of the largest empires in ancient history. During a whirlwind military campaign, Alexander toppled the Persian Empire and invaded India. But where did he fall on the spectrum of sexual identity? Historians still debate Alexander's sexual preferences, but most agree he had sex with men and women.

  Alexander's most likely male lover was Bagoas, a eunuch. Being a eunuch, the Greeks didn't see him as a man - instead, he was in a third category, between man and woman. Many also believe Alexander maintained a relationship with his companion Hephaestion. The ancient Greeks were very open-minded about homosexuality.
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  (#12) William II of England

  • Dec. at 44 (1056-1100)

  The third son of William the Conqueror became King of England in 1087. William II, also known as William Rufus, was his father's favorite, explaining why William the Conqueror skipped over his older sons to make him king. 

  For centuries, rumors swirled about William Rufus's sexuality. The king never married or fathered a child. His close advisor, Ranulf Flambard, is considered a possible sexual partner. William appointed Flambard as the Bishop of Durham in 1099. As William's reign was over a thousand years ago, however, historians don't have much to extrapolate from, other than the king's close friendship with Flambard and his reputation for surrounding himself with attractive men.
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  (#13) Louis XIII of France

  • Dec. at 42 (1601-1643)

  Most famous for his son, the Sun King, Louis XIII of France became king at 9 and helped transform France into a major European power. He married Anne of Austria at 14, and loathed her. Many assume Louis XIII was gay, and believe Louis XIV might not have been his son at all.

  According to rumors, Louis carried on relationships with two men: Charles d'Albert, Duke of Luynes and Henri Coiffier de Ruzé, Marquis de Cinq-Mars. While little proof remains that Louis had sexual relationships with these men, many generally accept the king did not enjoy sex with women.
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  (#2) Pope Julius III

  • Dec. at 68 (1487-1555)

  Pope Julius III ran the Catholic Church from 1550 to 1555. He also created a scandal thanks to his young male lover. Julius met Innocenzo, a 15-year-old beggar, in 1548, when Innocenzo was fighting with his pet ape on the street. The future pope swept the boy away and named him a cathedral provost.

  When Julius became pope two years later, he convinced his brother to adopt Innocenzo, and later named his alleged lover a cardinal. Julius's enemies called Innocenzo "Cardinal-Monkey" and complained the boy shared the pope's bed. 
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  (#1) Anne, Queen of Great Britain

  • Dec. at 49 (1665-1714)

  The last of the Stuart monarchs, Queen Anne of Great Britain maintained a long-term relationship with Sarah Churchill in the early 1700s. Anne wrote to Sarah, "I hope I shall get a moment or two to be with my dear… that I may have one dear embrace, which I long for more than I can express."

  Anne has been called England's lesbian queen because of her close relationship with Churchill, who served as "Lady of the Bedchamber." But when Queen Anne pulled back, Sarah publicly accused the monarch of choosing another woman over her. Anne stayed above the fray, however, and remained popular through her death in 1714.

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