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. Photo Credit: © Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons. 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.
