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Prince Eddy and the Homosexual Underworld
Set against the vivid backdrop of this demi-monde, Theo Aronson presents the first full account of the curious life of Queen Victoria's grandson, Prince Albert Victor, known as Prince Eddy. The author explores the Prince's upbringing, his university and military careers, his alleged "secret marriage," his links with the Jack-the-Ripper murders, his early death, and, above all, his sexual orientation. For it was this that linked the young Prince's name to the Cleveland Street Scandal, the notorious homosexual brothel case that led to an extraordinary cover-up by the British government. " Prince Eddy...presents Victorian male homosexuality as a vibrant folk culture, one that pervaded all official institutions. Students of the erotic will love this book, and so will royal-watchers, but arbiters of sexual purity should hate it, for Mr. Aronson displays an underground culture that exposed its judges as upright liars."--Nina Auerbach, New York Times Book Review. B&W photos.
246 pages, Hardcover
First published July 26, 2013
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202 people want to read
About the author
Theo Aronson
24 books33 followersTheo Aronson is an historical biographer specialising in the Royal Houses of Europe. Among his many widely read books are "The Golden Bees: The Story of the Bonapartes," "Grandmama of Europe" and "Royal Family: Years of Transition."
His books have been published in Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland and Belgium.
Theo Aronson lives in an eighteenth-century stone house in Frome, Somerset.
His books have been published in Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Holland and Belgium.
Theo Aronson lives in an eighteenth-century stone house in Frome, Somerset.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 14, 2022
A probably pederastic prince imprecisely portayed
Eddy, as Albert Victor Duke of Clarence was known, was the grandson of Queen Victoria who would have become King-Emperor instead of his younger brother George V had he not died of pneumonia at the age of 28. Unsurprisingly therefore, his family were particularly anxious both that he should turn out well and that any indications to the contrary should be hidden from public view. It is thus ironic that the mystery in which his life was deliberately shrouded has fed the most lurid and outrageous speculation, most notably that the establishment covered up his being Jack the Ripper. One might be tempted to consider this the most far-fetched conspiracy yet to gain credence with a swathe of the British public if the latter were not now taking serious notice of even more ludicrous allegations of child-torture and murder by a sadistic cabal headed by a Prime Minister.
In this the most thorough biography of Prince Eddy yet, Theo Aronson amply demolishes both the theories that he was the Ripper and those that the latter in various suggested forms was acting to cover up a secret marriage of the prince. With good reasons, he takes far more seriously and indeed makes the main theme of his story the rumours, widely believed at the time, that Eddy was involved in the Cleveland Street scandal of 1889. This concerned the prostitution of telegraph boys in their mid-teens to the substantial aristocratic clientele of a brothel there. Anyone imagining these rumours were not contemporary should read the extraordinarily vitriolic character assassination of the prince by the London correspondent of the New York Times. After describing the “general conviction that this long-necked, narrow-headed young dullard was mixed up in the scandal,” he reported that “the most popular idea” circulating in clubland was that the “blackguard and ruffian”, then in India, would be conveniently removed from the royal succession through being “killed in a tiger hunt, but runaway horses or a fractious elephant might serve as well.”
Rumours do not of course amount to proof that Eddy was involved in the scandal or that he was homosexual at all. Aronson admits the evidence for either is circumstantial, but claims “there can be little doubt” he visited the brothel. He overstates his case and in doing so displays his most serious flaw as a historian, that much of what he concludes is based on banal psychological generalisations. Thus the first arguments Aronson advances for Eddy’s homosexuality are his possessive mother, his fear of his father and his gentle personality. Nor was Eddy the only one to whom this woolly line of reasoning is applied. It does not matter that there is not a shred of evidence that Lord Curzon was homosexual, since he “developed the sort of violent antipathy towards homosexuality that is invariably the sign of a repressed homosexual.” Nevertheless, putting together the widespread belief in high society that Eddy was involved in homosexual scandal, the numerous otherwise inexplicable references by the privily informed to his indulgence in unnamable vice deserving punishment, and the homosexual tastes of his Cambridge friends, his homosexual inclinations do look extremely probable.
One aspect of Eddy’s “homosexuality” that is not directly addressed by Aronson and seems to have been ignored by other reviewers is its nature. Saying nothing about it may leave readers assuming that what Eddy was involved in were egalitarian sexual relations with men of the kind familiar to them from the gay community of today, far though these are from being the historical norm. By contrast, the homosexual acts by far the most practiced until a concept of fixed homosexual orientation emerged in 18th century Europe were fundamentally different in character, being pederastic, or between men and adolescent boys. This older taste is what the Cleveland Street brothel catered to. It might be argued that in ignoring the distinction, Aronson is being true to the period he is writing about, in that there is probably no period in which these two forms of homosexuality co-existed with less interest shown by anyone in distinguishing between them. The very word homosexual came into vogue at precisely this time and supports this confusion. Nevertheless, the distinction was nearly as real in practice as in any other era. Despite the many like Oscar Wilde who somewhat obscured it by pursuing affairs that, while pederastic in spirit, mostly involved males in their late teens and thus no longer strictly boys, narrower pursuers of classical Greek Love such as generals Gordon, Macdonald and Baden-Powell and the critically concerned courtier Reggie Brett remained as distinct as in any age in practice and psyche from exponents of proto-gay love such as the prince’s first proposed tutor, Edward Carpenter.
Thus, if one is to understand Prince Eddy, it is misleading not to make clear towards which kind of homosexuality he was inclined. Fortunately, though only inadvertently, Aronson is sufficiently informative to make the answer at least as sure as his having had any homosexual inclinations at all. Quite apart from the pederastic character of the Cleveland Street brothel, the only specific affair Eddy is alleged to have been involved in within memory of his days is with a boy called Morgan to whom compromising letters are attested. Moreover, everything that can be adduced from his known tastes supports an attraction to boys. Frequent references are made to his preference for their company. According to the official biography produced on his death, “if the people to be addressed were boys – the lads of a Boys’ Home for example – the Prince addressed them in words exactly appropriate to their needs, and in a tone which, without being for a moment lacking in dignity, was friendly and kindly and went straight to their hearts. He had, indeed, always the tenderest corner in his heart for boys.” On his coffin was placed a wreath from two boys he had befriended: the inscription read simply, “From Norrie and Charlie.”
“Boys’ activities were something in which the Prince seems to have shown a real, and a rare, interest” explains Aronson, adducing it as further evidence of his homosexuality while apparently oblivious to its implications for understanding him more deeply. Ignorance of how people thought sexually before the twentieth century sadly undermines what is otherwise a well-researched book. Oblivious to the evidence of a single male sexual culture in pre-modern Europe that assumed attraction to both women and boys without contradiction, he misrepresents “the Greeks” as “bisexual” and having little sexual interest in women, and mediaeval English Kings like Edward II as “undeniably homosexual” (despite fathering a bastard!). And in line with this, he feels bound persistently to belittle Eddy’s heterosexual interests, including even his highly romantic professions of love and determination to marry the beautiful 19-year-old Princess Hélène of Orléans, which, far from being encouraged, “alarmed everyone” and were initially staunchly opposed by the Queen on religious and political grounds. Contradictorily, Aronson claims he had to be “dragooned” into marriage by his family, even though “it would never have occurred to” him to go against their wishes.
.
Aronson follows in the tradition of royal biographers devoted to the royal family-as-it-turned-out in final harsh dismissal of his subject: “it was difficult to escape the notion that the greatest contribution Prince Eddy made to the throne was in dying.” What an uncharitable way to conclude the story of a young man who, however lethargic and prone to gaffes, evidently charmed most of those who knew him with his extraordinarily sweet nature, unpretentiousness and consideration for others! Even Aronson admits that the strong-minded Princess Hélène was “genuinely in love” with him, but whenever and whoever found him loveable, Aronson has to add that they cannot have known the truth, implicitly meaning what the knowing considered his sexual vice. No doubt George V was more competent and dependable than Eddy, but Eddy appears far more sympathetic and I think his succession would have been much more interesting.
Aronson’s biography is lively and readable, but adopts much special pleading to arrive at the always-popular conclusion that the truth was obscured through a conspiracy of the establishment. One more example should suffice: he claims the Prime Minister stating that the Cleveland Street brothel keeper could not be extradited from France was a dishonest cover-up for a determination that he should not go on trial. This is blatantly false; there was found on enquiry to be no basis then for extraditing anyone from France concerning the willing sexual acts of boys over thirteen. For a more balanced, albeit much narrower, account of the Cleveland Street Scandal, I recommend Montgomery Hyde’s book with this name which largely allows the sources to speak for themselves through extensive quotation.
Edmund Marlowe, author of Alexander’s Choice, a pederastic love story set at Eton in 1984, https://www.amazon.com/dp/191457107X
Eddy, as Albert Victor Duke of Clarence was known, was the grandson of Queen Victoria who would have become King-Emperor instead of his younger brother George V had he not died of pneumonia at the age of 28. Unsurprisingly therefore, his family were particularly anxious both that he should turn out well and that any indications to the contrary should be hidden from public view. It is thus ironic that the mystery in which his life was deliberately shrouded has fed the most lurid and outrageous speculation, most notably that the establishment covered up his being Jack the Ripper. One might be tempted to consider this the most far-fetched conspiracy yet to gain credence with a swathe of the British public if the latter were not now taking serious notice of even more ludicrous allegations of child-torture and murder by a sadistic cabal headed by a Prime Minister.
In this the most thorough biography of Prince Eddy yet, Theo Aronson amply demolishes both the theories that he was the Ripper and those that the latter in various suggested forms was acting to cover up a secret marriage of the prince. With good reasons, he takes far more seriously and indeed makes the main theme of his story the rumours, widely believed at the time, that Eddy was involved in the Cleveland Street scandal of 1889. This concerned the prostitution of telegraph boys in their mid-teens to the substantial aristocratic clientele of a brothel there. Anyone imagining these rumours were not contemporary should read the extraordinarily vitriolic character assassination of the prince by the London correspondent of the New York Times. After describing the “general conviction that this long-necked, narrow-headed young dullard was mixed up in the scandal,” he reported that “the most popular idea” circulating in clubland was that the “blackguard and ruffian”, then in India, would be conveniently removed from the royal succession through being “killed in a tiger hunt, but runaway horses or a fractious elephant might serve as well.”
Rumours do not of course amount to proof that Eddy was involved in the scandal or that he was homosexual at all. Aronson admits the evidence for either is circumstantial, but claims “there can be little doubt” he visited the brothel. He overstates his case and in doing so displays his most serious flaw as a historian, that much of what he concludes is based on banal psychological generalisations. Thus the first arguments Aronson advances for Eddy’s homosexuality are his possessive mother, his fear of his father and his gentle personality. Nor was Eddy the only one to whom this woolly line of reasoning is applied. It does not matter that there is not a shred of evidence that Lord Curzon was homosexual, since he “developed the sort of violent antipathy towards homosexuality that is invariably the sign of a repressed homosexual.” Nevertheless, putting together the widespread belief in high society that Eddy was involved in homosexual scandal, the numerous otherwise inexplicable references by the privily informed to his indulgence in unnamable vice deserving punishment, and the homosexual tastes of his Cambridge friends, his homosexual inclinations do look extremely probable.
One aspect of Eddy’s “homosexuality” that is not directly addressed by Aronson and seems to have been ignored by other reviewers is its nature. Saying nothing about it may leave readers assuming that what Eddy was involved in were egalitarian sexual relations with men of the kind familiar to them from the gay community of today, far though these are from being the historical norm. By contrast, the homosexual acts by far the most practiced until a concept of fixed homosexual orientation emerged in 18th century Europe were fundamentally different in character, being pederastic, or between men and adolescent boys. This older taste is what the Cleveland Street brothel catered to. It might be argued that in ignoring the distinction, Aronson is being true to the period he is writing about, in that there is probably no period in which these two forms of homosexuality co-existed with less interest shown by anyone in distinguishing between them. The very word homosexual came into vogue at precisely this time and supports this confusion. Nevertheless, the distinction was nearly as real in practice as in any other era. Despite the many like Oscar Wilde who somewhat obscured it by pursuing affairs that, while pederastic in spirit, mostly involved males in their late teens and thus no longer strictly boys, narrower pursuers of classical Greek Love such as generals Gordon, Macdonald and Baden-Powell and the critically concerned courtier Reggie Brett remained as distinct as in any age in practice and psyche from exponents of proto-gay love such as the prince’s first proposed tutor, Edward Carpenter.
Thus, if one is to understand Prince Eddy, it is misleading not to make clear towards which kind of homosexuality he was inclined. Fortunately, though only inadvertently, Aronson is sufficiently informative to make the answer at least as sure as his having had any homosexual inclinations at all. Quite apart from the pederastic character of the Cleveland Street brothel, the only specific affair Eddy is alleged to have been involved in within memory of his days is with a boy called Morgan to whom compromising letters are attested. Moreover, everything that can be adduced from his known tastes supports an attraction to boys. Frequent references are made to his preference for their company. According to the official biography produced on his death, “if the people to be addressed were boys – the lads of a Boys’ Home for example – the Prince addressed them in words exactly appropriate to their needs, and in a tone which, without being for a moment lacking in dignity, was friendly and kindly and went straight to their hearts. He had, indeed, always the tenderest corner in his heart for boys.” On his coffin was placed a wreath from two boys he had befriended: the inscription read simply, “From Norrie and Charlie.”
“Boys’ activities were something in which the Prince seems to have shown a real, and a rare, interest” explains Aronson, adducing it as further evidence of his homosexuality while apparently oblivious to its implications for understanding him more deeply. Ignorance of how people thought sexually before the twentieth century sadly undermines what is otherwise a well-researched book. Oblivious to the evidence of a single male sexual culture in pre-modern Europe that assumed attraction to both women and boys without contradiction, he misrepresents “the Greeks” as “bisexual” and having little sexual interest in women, and mediaeval English Kings like Edward II as “undeniably homosexual” (despite fathering a bastard!). And in line with this, he feels bound persistently to belittle Eddy’s heterosexual interests, including even his highly romantic professions of love and determination to marry the beautiful 19-year-old Princess Hélène of Orléans, which, far from being encouraged, “alarmed everyone” and were initially staunchly opposed by the Queen on religious and political grounds. Contradictorily, Aronson claims he had to be “dragooned” into marriage by his family, even though “it would never have occurred to” him to go against their wishes.
.
Aronson follows in the tradition of royal biographers devoted to the royal family-as-it-turned-out in final harsh dismissal of his subject: “it was difficult to escape the notion that the greatest contribution Prince Eddy made to the throne was in dying.” What an uncharitable way to conclude the story of a young man who, however lethargic and prone to gaffes, evidently charmed most of those who knew him with his extraordinarily sweet nature, unpretentiousness and consideration for others! Even Aronson admits that the strong-minded Princess Hélène was “genuinely in love” with him, but whenever and whoever found him loveable, Aronson has to add that they cannot have known the truth, implicitly meaning what the knowing considered his sexual vice. No doubt George V was more competent and dependable than Eddy, but Eddy appears far more sympathetic and I think his succession would have been much more interesting.
Aronson’s biography is lively and readable, but adopts much special pleading to arrive at the always-popular conclusion that the truth was obscured through a conspiracy of the establishment. One more example should suffice: he claims the Prime Minister stating that the Cleveland Street brothel keeper could not be extradited from France was a dishonest cover-up for a determination that he should not go on trial. This is blatantly false; there was found on enquiry to be no basis then for extraditing anyone from France concerning the willing sexual acts of boys over thirteen. For a more balanced, albeit much narrower, account of the Cleveland Street Scandal, I recommend Montgomery Hyde’s book with this name which largely allows the sources to speak for themselves through extensive quotation.
Edmund Marlowe, author of Alexander’s Choice, a pederastic love story set at Eton in 1984, https://www.amazon.com/dp/191457107X
December 9, 2013
Rather thin. Pages and pages on why the 'Eddy was the Ripper' theory is rubbish (summary: don't be bloody ridiculous) but not that much sense of place and time beyond a long list of names. My kindle is full of highlights but they are mostly things I want to find about in detail elsewhere. Not bad, but could have been a lot better.
March 15, 2024
This was a fascinating insight into the complex life of a lesser known Royal who may or may not have been a homosexual. It should be noted that there is no definitive evidence to suggest that Prince Eddy was indeed gay and this biography is based largely on rumours, heresay and most intriguingly, an obvious attempt by the powers that be to keep the Prince's private life a closely guarded secret!
Homosexuality was illegal during this time period and homosexual acts mostly took place in clandestine meetings in brothels and back streets which afforded certain amounts of anonymity. That said, no member of the royal family could enjoy total anonymity, which makes this biography such a compelling read. How far would the powers-that-be go to cover up a secret life? It is this ongoing attempt to cover up many aspects of the Prince's life which leads people to believe there is no smoke without fire.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Royal biographies or Victorian scandals. The author provides an informative, well balanced account of the Prince's short life - debunking obvious falsehoods such as the Prince being a Jack The Ripper suspect, whilst providing evidence of the Prince's connections to seedy gay brothels, where his involvement with the Cleveland Street Scandal threatened to ruin the Monarchy from within.
Homosexuality was illegal during this time period and homosexual acts mostly took place in clandestine meetings in brothels and back streets which afforded certain amounts of anonymity. That said, no member of the royal family could enjoy total anonymity, which makes this biography such a compelling read. How far would the powers-that-be go to cover up a secret life? It is this ongoing attempt to cover up many aspects of the Prince's life which leads people to believe there is no smoke without fire.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Royal biographies or Victorian scandals. The author provides an informative, well balanced account of the Prince's short life - debunking obvious falsehoods such as the Prince being a Jack The Ripper suspect, whilst providing evidence of the Prince's connections to seedy gay brothels, where his involvement with the Cleveland Street Scandal threatened to ruin the Monarchy from within.
November 21, 2020
Aronson is mostly known for his light royal biographies and this one, while something of a change, starts out strong: there isn't a lot of material for the life of Prince Albert Victor (oldest son of the eventual King Edward VII) because all of his papers were destroyed... because he was probably gay, and caught up in some of the major gay scandals of the late Victorian era. Instead Aronson gives us a potted history of gay life and scandals in Victorian London and Prince Eddy's potential involvement in same, which is very fun... but he also gets bogged down in rehashing some of the more ridiculous claims about the prince's life and death (he was Jack the Ripper! he had an illegitimate daughter!) before assuring us they're untrue. I mean, gosh, what a surprise, dude. Over all, an interesting read, but it's probably more worth seeking out an actual book on the Cleveland Street Scandal at some point.
December 21, 2023
Before reading this book, I had heard two rumours about Queen Victoria's eldest grandson, who would have become King if he hadn't died young. One is that he might have been Jack the Ripper, and the other that he was involved in the Cleveland Street Scandal, in which a house in that street was found to have been used for telegraph boys to prostitute themselves to aristocrats. I had assumed that both rumours were ill-founded gossip. Aronson establishes that the Ripper story is indeed a recent invention, but that Prince Eddy probably really was involved with boys. Contemporary letters do at least show that many believed it at the time, which, even if they were wrong, makes it a remarkable story.
September 24, 2020
Serious and surprising
The author includes both the legends and documented facts of the Prince's life, but he makes very clear which is which, debunking the ridiculous claims and letting some rather damning letters speak for themselves. In short, the Ripper connection is verified nonsense, but Albert Victor's carefully hidden involvement in the Cleveland Street scandal is backed by solid evidence. A frank, well researched and very readable trip back to the demimonde of Victorian society.
The author includes both the legends and documented facts of the Prince's life, but he makes very clear which is which, debunking the ridiculous claims and letting some rather damning letters speak for themselves. In short, the Ripper connection is verified nonsense, but Albert Victor's carefully hidden involvement in the Cleveland Street scandal is backed by solid evidence. A frank, well researched and very readable trip back to the demimonde of Victorian society.
December 14, 2023
A really enjoyable book to read, paints a great picture of the UK in the late 1890s even beyond the ‘homosexual underworld’. My only criticism is that it doesn’t properly address whether Prince Eddy was gay, there are a lot of assumptions that certainly point in that direction but no hard evidence that places him as a user of the Cleveland St brothel. It seems of course that most potential evidence was destroyed which no doubt made it difficult for the author but perhaps the conclusions needed to be adjusted accordingly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2024
Clear, concise overview of the world Prince Eddy inhabited and was cosseted by. Aronson focuses on the difference between the world according to law and the world as lived in.
Not a traditional biography in any sense, Aronson adds enough background to set the stage but keeps his sights on the Cleveland St affair and Jack the Ripper rumors. While we all love a good conspiracy theory, Aronson shows the work on his debunkings of the second. Too much information has been destroyed to come to a conclusion on Cleveland St, but Aronson lays out his information and opinions neatly.
Not a traditional biography in any sense, Aronson adds enough background to set the stage but keeps his sights on the Cleveland St affair and Jack the Ripper rumors. While we all love a good conspiracy theory, Aronson shows the work on his debunkings of the second. Too much information has been destroyed to come to a conclusion on Cleveland St, but Aronson lays out his information and opinions neatly.
February 29, 2020
I found this book in a thrift shop and it looked interesting. It proved to be a fascinating read about the Crown Prince Eddy, a grandson of Queen Victoria and conjectures about his sexuality and scandals. The author put the wildest rumors (Jack the Ripper) to sleep but you pretty much came away from the book knowing his was gay and easily led astray. I love books about pre-Stonewall gave lives and this was a very satisfying read.
January 28, 2022
Aronson makes a strong circumstantial case that Prince Eddy (Prince Albert Victor), Queen Victoria’s grandson, was a habitué of the Cleveland Street gay brothel. The British police and government were engaged in a cover-up, but was it of the Prince’s involvement, or that of Lord Arthur Somerset, a friend and equerry of the Prince of Wales, Eddy’s father? Aronson certainly believes the former, but he has no smoking gun.
The book presents Eddy as an amiable dunce. Perhaps he was, but he doesn’t come across that way in quotations from his letters. Then again, perhaps those letters were ghosted.
The most interesting part of the book is Aronson’s demolition of the Prince Eddy as Jack the Ripper thesis. That legend is, unfortunately, the only thing memorable about his life.
The book presents Eddy as an amiable dunce. Perhaps he was, but he doesn’t come across that way in quotations from his letters. Then again, perhaps those letters were ghosted.
The most interesting part of the book is Aronson’s demolition of the Prince Eddy as Jack the Ripper thesis. That legend is, unfortunately, the only thing memorable about his life.
July 26, 2022
This didn't shed much new light for me in terms of Eddy's life, but there was some interesting information to be learned about homosexuality in Victorian England that I found amusing. I am very interested in what sort of ruler Eddy would have turned out to be had he lived and had there been attempts to understand and aid him with what was quite possibly some form of a learning disorder and his suspected partial deafness.
July 2, 2017
Prince Eddy
Why on why did I even bother to read this book? You read over half of this before the Princes name is even mentioned. Whether you believe Prince Eddy was homosexual or not the 'evidence' presented seems to me to be hearsay or manufactured. Not a book I would recommend and really wish that I had not wasted my time with it.
Why on why did I even bother to read this book? You read over half of this before the Princes name is even mentioned. Whether you believe Prince Eddy was homosexual or not the 'evidence' presented seems to me to be hearsay or manufactured. Not a book I would recommend and really wish that I had not wasted my time with it.
January 19, 2019
I thought it was an excellent and balanced examination - not only of Prince Eddy - but also of the aristocratic milieu in which he moved socially, putting to rest - possibly - the theory that the heir presumptive to the British throne was involved in the Jack the Ripper case; leaving us, the readers, to make our own decision as to who and what.
August 16, 2024
I find it incredible that one book of bizarre speculation, Stephen Knight's Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution, could inspire multiple (better) books. The first was Alan Moore's From Hell, and the second is this one.
January 18, 2020
I enjoyed this book but I’m not certain that the evidence of Eddy’s sexuality is clear cut. In the absence of the primary sources now destroyed this may remain an enigma for a long time to come
April 23, 2020
Not worth reading
Turgid and totally boring it escapes me why it was ever published. Consign it to the fire is the best that I can say.
Turgid and totally boring it escapes me why it was ever published. Consign it to the fire is the best that I can say.
May 13, 2022
Interesting times
June 5, 2022
Interesting, especially the queer background info, but not that much depth.
September 27, 2022
Read this many years ago and thought it was interesting.
Read
October 27, 2023941.08 ARO
January 18, 2024
Well written and thorough, if a bit all over the place in some parts (namely those concerning discussions of Jack the Ripper).
July 31, 2025
theo aronson i love u so much and prince eddy i love u even more. bring back gay mediocrity!
May 3, 2014
Theo Aronson does NOT try to prove that Prince Eddy, Queen Victoria's grandson and Heir Presumptive (son of the Heir Apparent or Prince of Wales)was a homosexual. He merely brings up evidence from the period, including the correspondence of other aristocrats who were and who appear to implicate the Prince without actually mentioning him.
The Cleveland Street Scandal is the primary focus. Five telegraph boys were found to be trading favors at a house of "prostitution" (male) on Cleveland Street and implicated several aristocrats. They did not mention or identify Prince Eddy as one. However, one of the accused, Lord Arthur Somerset, who fled overseas to escape prosecution, seems to hint that part of his reason for wanting to escape trial is that he would have to implicate someone higher up - always assumed to be the Prince.
Much of this information I've found in the current good biography of his father who became King Edward VII. It was widely suspected that Eddy was homosexual - even his father was inclined to agree. But, of course, the Heir Presumptive could not be seen as decadent (even though his father was an extreme womanizer and high liver to the point where many people despaired of what kind of King he would be). Homosexuality did not fit with the Victorian morals.
Although I do feel at times that Aronson is reaching and a bit repetitive, overall I think he has done a good job of giving us the reasons that might lead us to believe in Eddy's homosexuality. Whether he was or not will probably always remain a mystery, but this book, as well as dealing with the "mystery" of Prince Eddy, also gives us a good overview of the seedy side of Victorian life. Given the number of celebrities that are coming out in current times, it should be no surprise that there were many aristocrats at that time who couldn't.
Aronson does give us some fun by examining all the stories that were theorized later that Prince Eddy was actually Jack the Ripper. It's a crazy story and so much fun to read because it's so ridiculous. Those who have tried to convince the world that he was the actual Ripper or the cause of the Ripper murders stretch themselves so far theorizing that they appear to be taut rubber bands ready to break. And Aronson treats them just as "seriously" as they deserve.
Although this is not a scholarly work, I found it great fun to read.
The Cleveland Street Scandal is the primary focus. Five telegraph boys were found to be trading favors at a house of "prostitution" (male) on Cleveland Street and implicated several aristocrats. They did not mention or identify Prince Eddy as one. However, one of the accused, Lord Arthur Somerset, who fled overseas to escape prosecution, seems to hint that part of his reason for wanting to escape trial is that he would have to implicate someone higher up - always assumed to be the Prince.
Much of this information I've found in the current good biography of his father who became King Edward VII. It was widely suspected that Eddy was homosexual - even his father was inclined to agree. But, of course, the Heir Presumptive could not be seen as decadent (even though his father was an extreme womanizer and high liver to the point where many people despaired of what kind of King he would be). Homosexuality did not fit with the Victorian morals.
Although I do feel at times that Aronson is reaching and a bit repetitive, overall I think he has done a good job of giving us the reasons that might lead us to believe in Eddy's homosexuality. Whether he was or not will probably always remain a mystery, but this book, as well as dealing with the "mystery" of Prince Eddy, also gives us a good overview of the seedy side of Victorian life. Given the number of celebrities that are coming out in current times, it should be no surprise that there were many aristocrats at that time who couldn't.
Aronson does give us some fun by examining all the stories that were theorized later that Prince Eddy was actually Jack the Ripper. It's a crazy story and so much fun to read because it's so ridiculous. Those who have tried to convince the world that he was the actual Ripper or the cause of the Ripper murders stretch themselves so far theorizing that they appear to be taut rubber bands ready to break. And Aronson treats them just as "seriously" as they deserve.
Although this is not a scholarly work, I found it great fun to read.
January 27, 2015
This book is not a persuasive argument to me, but it sure is an interesting one. I might be more inclined to take Aronson seriously if he didn't have so many gay men highlighted in it. Almost every single male figure that is mentioned as playing a role in Prince Albert Victor's life is tied to being gay, which I can't get on board with. Some, yes, but everyone? Not buying it.
That said, Prince Eddy has always been one of the forgotten figures in history - I sure know more about Princess Charlotte than I did Eddy, although it may be because "the spare" was already lined up. I do think this is an interesting idea and makes a lot of sense (definitely more reasonable than tying him to Jack the Ripper!), but the truth is we'll never really have a good idea of who he was since his family seemed determined to erase him.
The author does a good job of highlighting coding and the consequences of being homosexual in Victorian England, so it's not out of the realm of probability. I do find the inconsistently applied explanation of love and sexual views one of the main distractions of this. It's true that love =/= sex, but the author seems to forget about this when convenient to supporting his theory, and remember when trying to disprove that Prince Eddy was ever in love with a woman.
Still, this is a lot of fun to read. It's old-time royal family gossip and speculation, just the kind of gossip that still causes scandals today.
That said, Prince Eddy has always been one of the forgotten figures in history - I sure know more about Princess Charlotte than I did Eddy, although it may be because "the spare" was already lined up. I do think this is an interesting idea and makes a lot of sense (definitely more reasonable than tying him to Jack the Ripper!), but the truth is we'll never really have a good idea of who he was since his family seemed determined to erase him.
The author does a good job of highlighting coding and the consequences of being homosexual in Victorian England, so it's not out of the realm of probability. I do find the inconsistently applied explanation of love and sexual views one of the main distractions of this. It's true that love =/= sex, but the author seems to forget about this when convenient to supporting his theory, and remember when trying to disprove that Prince Eddy was ever in love with a woman.
Still, this is a lot of fun to read. It's old-time royal family gossip and speculation, just the kind of gossip that still causes scandals today.
July 3, 2023
4. A great book if you like royal history.
I like history and the royal family, so found this book on a less well known royal prince really interesting. The detail was a little heavy in parts but nevertheless a thoroughly enjoyable read.
I like history and the royal family, so found this book on a less well known royal prince really interesting. The detail was a little heavy in parts but nevertheless a thoroughly enjoyable read.
January 25, 2016
Interesting...
A very interesting account of Prince Eddy. A completely plausible argument regarding his life and sexuality. There have been men throughout history who have been accused, rightly or wrongly, to disparage their reputation. As if this one fact alone determines their character or lack thereof. The accounts of his character, regardless of his sexuality, is too numerous to discount his lack of any enhancement to either the Monarchy or social issues of the day. Given his age at the time of his death it is not likely that his personality would have changed significantly. The crazy theories were very amusing. Not as engrossing as Mr Aronson's other books simply because of the subject matter. I would recommend however.Gbash
A very interesting account of Prince Eddy. A completely plausible argument regarding his life and sexuality. There have been men throughout history who have been accused, rightly or wrongly, to disparage their reputation. As if this one fact alone determines their character or lack thereof. The accounts of his character, regardless of his sexuality, is too numerous to discount his lack of any enhancement to either the Monarchy or social issues of the day. Given his age at the time of his death it is not likely that his personality would have changed significantly. The crazy theories were very amusing. Not as engrossing as Mr Aronson's other books simply because of the subject matter. I would recommend however.Gbash
October 3, 2016
Aronson looks at rumours about Prince Eddy the first son of Edward VII when he was Prince of Wales. He investigates theories about Eddy being Jack the Ripper, which he dismisses and that Eddy could have been involved in the Cleveland Street Scandal.
"Telegraphing was particularly popular among certain homosexuals. This popularity had nothing to do with speed or convenience; it was in the messenger rather than in the message that they were interested. To them, telegraph boys proved a source of irresistible attraction. These cheeky lads in their tight blue uniforms and Jantly angled caps where welcomed- quite literally in some cases -with open arms. " 7
"The idealistic Edward Carpenter fondly imagined that love between men would lead to a breakdown of class divisions." 20
"Telegraphing was particularly popular among certain homosexuals. This popularity had nothing to do with speed or convenience; it was in the messenger rather than in the message that they were interested. To them, telegraph boys proved a source of irresistible attraction. These cheeky lads in their tight blue uniforms and Jantly angled caps where welcomed- quite literally in some cases -with open arms. " 7
"The idealistic Edward Carpenter fondly imagined that love between men would lead to a breakdown of class divisions." 20
October 27, 2013
Another review said that if you take Theo Aronson literally, every man in Britain must have been a homosexual. The things to remember are that this is just a theory and that most of the men mentioned are involved in the raid or are highlighted as a homosexual to show how likely it was that Prince Eddy was too. Aronson doesn't mention all the men who may not be homosexual because they have nothing to do with either the former of the latter.
August 12, 2016
Compelling argument that Prince Eddy was the distinguished figure the authorities were trying to shield during the Cleveland Street scandal, backed up by contemporary correspondence. I also enjoyed the chapters dealing with the prince's supposed role in the Jack the Ripper murders - it's not a difficult theory to debunk, true, but the author does it well.
October 21, 2015
Fascinating story of a man who, thank God, never became king. I was a little confused by the reference to him as "Heir Presumptive." It was my understanding that there could never be an "Heir Apparent" and an "Heir Presumptive" at the same time. But maybe I was wrong.
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