But that utopian world, when seen through the lens of reality, doesn’t appear to be so ‘perfect.’
For many of us, childhood brought along utopian stories about a prince and a princess. Perfect ballrooms, perfect dresses, perfect castles, perfect faces. Candid, be it so, these stories still tuck us warmly in our beds and carry us with the zephyrs of the moonlit night to that utopian world.
But that utopian world, when seen through the lens of reality, doesn’t appear to be so ‘perfect.’
Sexuality is often wrongly assumed to be a ‘modern construct’. The society of the past was not as well-informed as to the one that exists in the 21st century (and to still be faced with the problem of many treating those from the LGBTQIA+ community, what an irony!). It was one lead by superstition, religious sermons, and words of the royalty, which more often than not, were considered almost God-like. The royalty was expected to lead by example, promote and practice all things ‘pure’, and not deviate from what was the norm. The norm being talked about here is heterosexuality.
In the majority of civilizations, the concept of alternate sexualities was illegal and considered ‘sinful’. Back in the day, with no means of reaching out to a community that was not just very much real, but also very much valid, anyone who wasn’t heterosexual had little choice but to try and ‘be normal’, as was the case for many of the royals in the list hereunder. These people were married to partners as was considered ‘acceptable’. Their feelings were hardly ever acknowledged and even these royals, who always had the best of everything, had to love in secrecy. All those who digressed faced wrath in the form of societal and systematic discrimination and hate.
Pepi II (2284- 2184 BC)
(Source: Ancient Egypt Wiki)
The Egyptian pharaoh ruled from 2278 B.C. until around 2247 B.C. Hus birth name was Neferkare. His general officer Sasenet was the subject of his passions and he often visited him at night for several hours. It is believed that the tale King Neferkare and General Sasenet, which describes a gay relationship between a pharaoh and his general is indeed the story of Pepi and Sasenet.
Alexander the Great (356-323 BC)
(Source: The Greek Reporter)
Alexander the Great is known as the prodigy of warfare, a man of tactical knowledge far beyond his years. He married three women in his life: Roxane, Stateira, and Parysatis, and is said to have been sexually intimate with a male Persian dancer, Bagaos. Unlike what was the norm at the time, he possessed great thoughtfulness in sexual matters and refrained from taking advantage of those less powerful. He had the most intimate and treasured relationship, the nature of which is difficult to ascertain, of his life with his close friend and aide, Hephaestion. His sexuality is widely debated but it is far easier to explain the historical proof that survives till date when considering him to not be a heterosexual male.
Edward II (1284-1327)
(Source: Legacy Project Chicago)
His reign was plagued by constant bickering with the feudal lords, failed invasions, and a famine. Edward II was married to Isabella, a French princess in 1308, however, he was said to have an intimate relationship with Piers Gaveston, a member of his household. He loved Gaveston ‘beyond measure’ and bestowed him with luxurious gifts. Edward II’s father, Edward I, banished Piers Gaveston as punishment for the Prince. Upon his father’s death. Edward II recalled his favorite. Their relationship generated angst and unrest among the barons who detested the influence Gaveston had on Edward. A lot of resistance and pressure followed through the years, and Gaveston was eventually executed by Edward’s cousin, the Earl of Lancaster who labeled the execution as ‘necessary for the kingdom’s stability.’ Several years later, Edward forged a close relationship with Hugh Despenser and they were known as ‘the king and his husband’.
Babur (1483-1530)
(Source: English News)
The emperor, Babur founded the Mughal empire in India. In his autobiography Baburnama, he has talked extensively about his love for a young boy, Baburi, for whom he had developed deep infatuation. He was married to multiple women and had numerous children, but his attraction towards Baburi is undisputed.
James I (1566-1625)
(Source: Utah Shakespeare Festival)
James I was a Scottish king who took over the throne after Elizabeth. His subjects widely referred to him as ‘Queen’, and ‘Elizabeth was King and now James is Queen’ was a common phrase. He was known to prefer male company despite having a relatively happy married life with his wife. James spoke about his right to love other men in a speech made to his Privy Council. His relationship with the Duke of Buckingham, George Villiers, is recognised as being that of lovers. James had Villiers at his bedside when he passed away.
Louis XIII (1601-1643)
(Source: Metro UK)
The King of Navarre was married to Anne of Austria but he was rumored to have been in a sexual relationship with another man, Charles d’Albert, the Duke of Lutyens. The two often made long hunting trips to Versailles together. Louis XIII did not have any mistresses, prompting the name ‘Louis the Chaste’, it was perhaps a subtle indicator of his sexuality, the likes of which were not accepted back in the day. He started the trend of men wearing wigs in the 1620s, something which continued well into the days of the French Revolution.
Gustaf V (1907-1950)
(Source: Sveriges Kungahus)
King Gustaf V was the last Swedish king to have complete control over the country. He was a skilled diplomat and had succeeded in maintaining Sweden’s neutrality during both the World Wars. He had married Victoria of Baden in 1881. The King had supported a wide range of progressive legislation, including child welfare, an eight-hour workday, and government-subsidized low-income housing. He was a huge tennis fan and had founded Sweden’s first tennis club. During World War II, he intervened with the Nazi government to obtain better treatment for Davis Cup star Jean Borotra and his personal trainer and friend Baron Gottfried von Cramm of Germany, who had been imprisoned by the Nazi Government on the charge of a homosexual relationship with a Jew. It was only after his death in 1950 that his bisexuality was revealed by his former lover of twenty years, Kurt Haijby.
Lord Ivar Mountbatten (born 1963)
(Source: LGBTQ Nation)
He is the first person in the extended British royal family to have been in a same-sex relationship and the first to have married his male partner. Mountbatten was previously married to Penny Mountbatten with whom he had three children. His wife and he divorced amicably and she walked him down the aisle at his wedding to James Coyle in 2018. Talk of a supportive partner!
Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil (born 1965)
(Source: Wikipedia)
The Prince of Rajpipla is the world’s first openly gay prince. He came out to the world in 2006 and was subsequently disowned by his conservative parents. He now runs the Lakshya trust for the LGBT community and is the Indian ambassador to the Non-profit AIDS Healthcare Foundation. He is a prominent advocate for the cause of homosexual rights in India and has been pushing for the inclusion of HIV/AIDS modules in the Indian curriculum to raise awareness about the issue.
Taking a tour through history shows us how any sexual orientation other than being straight was considered ‘abnormal’ and ‘problematic’. There was a dire need for acceptance in those days as is now. To see how the royalty battled with issues that plague the world even today makes for a powerful effect that reinforces how the struggle to love people of one’s own choice is something that has not changed much. Of course, the intensity of the movement has increased and there is greater acceptance than ever before, but there is so much more that needs to be done in this fight against hate and discrimination. It may take a very long time, but the movement for LGBTQIA+ rights will continue for as long as there is prejudice and hate. Whether it is history, the present, or the future that is yet to unfold, there will always be one constant, ‘love is love.’
This article has been curated by Ms. Sakshi Narwal, a first-year student of the Army Institute of Law, Mohali.