As there was a strong moral judgement on homosexual acts we have no proof that William III ever went as far as that with either Bentinck or Keppel. What we do know is that he did not take mistresses and only had a strong friendship with Elizabeth Villiers until his wife died.
With historic figures trying to determine their sexuality you always have difficulties.
Of some we can be pretty clear. Monsieur was clearly bisexual in actions and probably gay in inclination. Ludwig II seems to have torn himself up over his desires for men as they went against his Catholic faith and social standards.
Archduke Ludwig Victor was banished from Vienna after an incident in a bathhouse so he probably was gay too.
William III got his wife pregnant twice and that is the only proof we have of his sexual exploits; He may have been bisexual or even had a preference for men but there is no historic evidence other than the rumours that went around even at the time.
To pull it to a more recent time the same kind of rumours went around about Prince Friso of the Netherlands (also unfounded by evidence) who had 2 daughters with his wife Mabel. So unless it's clear from letters, poems or private journals in most cases it's difficult to state what a historic figure would identify as in these days.
About Christina of Sweden there have been several theories. Was she a lesbian or bisexual, was she more of a transgender person or was she simply mis labeled and actually genetically a man.
The question might seem political incorrect today but it is a fact that William III was unquestionably gay or, at least bissexual, if he got Mary preagnant a couple if times.
Were there already signs of his homossexuality during his marriage to Mary ?
Did his reluctancy to remarry had to do with that ?
A Catholic as Queen of England ???
There was no prohibition on marrying Catholics until the Act of Settlement came into being in 1701 so William III could have taken a Catholic spouse during that time had he wished. By 1701 however he was in poor health and past caring even if he had had any previous inclination to re-marry which is unlikely.
Message Thread | This response ↓
« Back to index