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| William III of England @Wikipedia |
(1650-1702)
King of England.
Son of Willem II, Prince of Orange & Mary of England, Princess Royal.
Wife of Mary II of England, mar 1677.
Physical appearance & personal qualities.
"Of course there were differences between William II and his son. The father seems to have been a handsome fellow, but William III was anything but an Adonis. His legs were much too short in proportion to the rest of his body, and he had a long, narrow, hooked and rather crooked nose. William was an open, affable man; his son on the other hand was formal and aloof. And in the sexual field there was a world of difference between the Oranges." (William III the Stadholder-king: A Political Biography: 24)
His lovers were:
Wife of Mary II of England, mar 1677.
Physical appearance & personal qualities.
"Of course there were differences between William II and his son. The father seems to have been a handsome fellow, but William III was anything but an Adonis. His legs were much too short in proportion to the rest of his body, and he had a long, narrow, hooked and rather crooked nose. William was an open, affable man; his son on the other hand was formal and aloof. And in the sexual field there was a world of difference between the Oranges." (William III the Stadholder-king: A Political Biography: 24)
His lovers were:
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| Elizabeth Hamilton Countess of Orkney |
Elizabeth Hamilton (1657–1733)
Countess of Orkney
Lover in 1677.
British aristocrat, courtier & royal mistress
Lover in 1677.
British aristocrat, courtier & royal mistress
" . . . Elizabeth, a Maid of Honor to Princess Mary, became mistress to William of Orange soon after his marriage to Mary. On November 25, 1695, she married a distant cousin, Lord George Hamilton (1666-1737) fifth son of William, Duke of Hamilton; on January 3, 1696, Lord George was created Earl of Orkney." (Court Satires of the Restoration: 291)
" . . . King William though did not remarry after Queen Mary's death.; yet he did take to himself a mistress, Elizabeth Villiers, who had been one of his late wife's ladies-in-waiting." (The British Chronicles, Vol. 1: 353)
". . . . was one of the ladies-in-waiting to Princess (afterwards Queen) Mary at the time of her marriage with William of Orange. She became the prince's mistress, for although 'destitute of personal attractions and disfigured by a hideous squint,' she was a woman of considerable talents, and 'to the end of her life great politicians sought her advice.' In 1693 William employed her in vain to try and induce the Duke of Shrewsbury to accept office. . . . " (The Dictionary of English History: 1038)
Physical appearance & personal qualities.
" . . . All that is known regarding the personal qualifications of the rival of Mary II is left by the graphic pen of lady Mary Wortley Montagu:---'Mrs. Villiers had no beauty, but she contrived to thaw the phlegmatic heart of William III, and make him very bountiful, by granting her the private estates in Ireland belonging to his uncle, James II. After the death of her royal lover she became a high tory, if not a Jacobite, and was very busy with Harley and Swift in expelling the whigs.' Swift calls her 'the wisest woman he ever knew,' and leaves her portrait as a legacy in his will. We presume it not exactly correspond with that sketched by lady Mary, whose wit was equalled, if possible by her malice. She describes her walking at George II's coronation:---'She that drew the greatest number of eyes was indisputably lady Orkney; she displayed a mixture of fat and wrinkles, and no little corpulence. Add to this the inimitable roll of her eyes, and her gray hairs, which by good fortune stood directly upright, and it is impossible to imagine a more delightful spectacle. She had embellished all this with considerable magnificence, which made her look as big again as usual.' . . . ." (Strickland. Lives of the Queens of England: , Vol. 8: 10)
" . . . King William though did not remarry after Queen Mary's death.; yet he did take to himself a mistress, Elizabeth Villiers, who had been one of his late wife's ladies-in-waiting." (The British Chronicles, Vol. 1: 353)
". . . . was one of the ladies-in-waiting to Princess (afterwards Queen) Mary at the time of her marriage with William of Orange. She became the prince's mistress, for although 'destitute of personal attractions and disfigured by a hideous squint,' she was a woman of considerable talents, and 'to the end of her life great politicians sought her advice.' In 1693 William employed her in vain to try and induce the Duke of Shrewsbury to accept office. . . . " (The Dictionary of English History: 1038)
Physical appearance & personal qualities.
" . . . All that is known regarding the personal qualifications of the rival of Mary II is left by the graphic pen of lady Mary Wortley Montagu:---'Mrs. Villiers had no beauty, but she contrived to thaw the phlegmatic heart of William III, and make him very bountiful, by granting her the private estates in Ireland belonging to his uncle, James II. After the death of her royal lover she became a high tory, if not a Jacobite, and was very busy with Harley and Swift in expelling the whigs.' Swift calls her 'the wisest woman he ever knew,' and leaves her portrait as a legacy in his will. We presume it not exactly correspond with that sketched by lady Mary, whose wit was equalled, if possible by her malice. She describes her walking at George II's coronation:---'She that drew the greatest number of eyes was indisputably lady Orkney; she displayed a mixture of fat and wrinkles, and no little corpulence. Add to this the inimitable roll of her eyes, and her gray hairs, which by good fortune stood directly upright, and it is impossible to imagine a more delightful spectacle. She had embellished all this with considerable magnificence, which made her look as big again as usual.' . . . ." (Strickland. Lives of the Queens of England: , Vol. 8: 10)
Personal & family background.
"Villiers, Elizabeth – (1657 – 1733), British courtier. Elizabeth Villiers was the daughter of Colonel Sir Edward Villiers, of Richmond in Surrey, and his wife Lady Frances Howard, the daughter of Theophilus Howard, second Earl of Suffolk. Elizabeth was cousin to Barbara Villiers the mistress of Charles II, whilst her mother was governess to Mary and Anne, the daughters of James II. Elizabeth and her sister Anne accompanied Mary Stuart to the Dutch court at The Hague, after her marriage with William II (1677). Nimble-minded and witty, but considered no beauty she became the mistress of King William III (1688 – 1702) though their relationship produced no children. She accompanied the queen to England (1689) where her liaison with William continued. This was the cause of much distress to Queen Mary, and because of a cast in her eye, Elizabeth was popularly referred to as ‘Squint-eyed Betty.’
Affair's benefits.
"William granted considerable estates in Ireland to Elizabeth which had formerly belonged to James II, though these grants were later revoked by the parliament (1699). With the queen’s death (1694) William arranged for Elizabeth to be married (1695) to George Hamilton (1666 – 1737), who was created earl of Orkney (1696) in recognition of Elizabeth’s services to the crown. Jonathon Swift was impressed by her mental capacities, though not by her looks, and she was consulted by Sir Robert Harley during the later government crisis (1709 – 1710) during the reign of Queen Anne. She attended the coronation of George II (1728) where Lady Mary Wortley-Montagu left a cuttingly unkind description of her appearance at this event. Elizabeth Villiers died (April 19, 1733) aged seventy-five, in London. Her three surviving daughters by Hamilton were: Lady Anne Hamilton (1701 – 1756). She succeeded her father as second Countess of Orkney (1737 – 1756) and was married to William O’Brien (c1693 – 1777), fourth Earl of Inchiquin and left issue; Lady Frances Hamilton (1702 – 1772). She became the wife of Thomas Lumley (died 1752), third Earl of Scarborough, and left issue; and Lady Henrietta Hamilton (1704 – 1732). She became the first wife of John Boyle (1707 – 1762), fifth Earl of Cork and Orrery, and left issue." (Women of History - V)
". . . She married George Hamilton, afterwards Earl of Orkney. William bestowed on her a grant of part of the old crown property in Ireland (estimated at £24,000, though really only about £4,000 a year), and this grant became very unpopular when grossly exaggerated in value by the commission sent to inquire into the Irish forfeitures (1699). It was against Lady Orkney, Woodstock, and Keppel that the Resumption Bill of 1700 was chiefly directed." (Pulling. The Dictionary of English History: 1038).
". . . She married George Hamilton, afterwards Earl of Orkney. William bestowed on her a grant of part of the old crown property in Ireland (estimated at £24,000, though really only about £4,000 a year), and this grant became very unpopular when grossly exaggerated in value by the commission sent to inquire into the Irish forfeitures (1699). It was against Lady Orkney, Woodstock, and Keppel that the Resumption Bill of 1700 was chiefly directed." (Pulling. The Dictionary of English History: 1038).
" . . . The eldest daughter, Elizabeth, was Maid of Honour to Mary of Orange, and married Lord George Hamilton (third son of William, Duke of Hamilton), who was created Earl of Orkney. She became the mistress of William III, and as such obtained immense grants of land, which caused great scandal and public invective. She is said, however, not in other respects to have abused her influence with the King, and she founded an English school at Middleton, Cork. . . ." (The Great Governing Families of England, Vol. 2: 115)
Effects on lovers' family, other people and society.
Effects on lovers' family, other people and society.
" . . . More problematic was the role of Elizabeth Villiers, sister of Bentinck's wife and William's mistress. Though not known for her beauty,she was intelligent, cunning and wit y and clearly appealed to William more than did Mary. Bentinck often secretly ushered Elizabeth through his own apartments to those of William. However,a strong dislike of his sister-in-law and a sense of loyalty to Mary -- who clearly suffered emotionally from the liaison-- led him into perhaps the only outright conflict with his master. When Mary confronted her husband with her knowledge of his amorous affair, both Bentinck and his wife Anne sided with the Princess. William was furious and temporarily banished his confidant from court. . . ." (Onnekink. The Anglo-Dutch Favourite: The Career of Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland: 23)
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| Arnold van Keppel 1st Earl of Albemarle |
Arnold van Keppel (1670-1718)
1st Earl of Albermarle 1697Lover in 1686.
Dutch courtier, army officer & royal favourite.
Page of Honour to William III 1685
Groom of the Bedchamber 1695
Master of the Robes 1695
Commander of the First Life Guards 1699
Major-General 1697
Son of Oswald van Keppel & Anna Geertruid van Lintelo.
Commander of the First Life Guards 1699
Major-General 1697
Son of Oswald van Keppel & Anna Geertruid van Lintelo.
Husband of Geertruid Johanna Quirina.
Young, handsome, lively, a keen womanizer.
" . . . Then in 1692 a young Dutchman named Arnold Joost van Keppel attracted William's attention. Keppel was twenty-three, handsome, and in every way Bentinck's opposite, being lively and amusing and a keen womanizer. Soon Keppel had more access to the king than the older man, and Bentinck's apartments in Kensington Palace with their private door into William's were reassigned to Keppel. . . ." (Crompton. Homosexuality and Civilization: 405)
Handsome, lively, remarkable grace & sprightly manners.
"Of all the King's followers, Albemarle possessed the strongest hold on his affections. This nobleman had few of the characteristics usually attributed to the Dutch. He was neither portly of person nor grave in demeanour, nor, it must be added, of thrifty habits; but his very handsome features were animated by a lively disposition, and accompanied by remarkable grace and sprightliness of manners. Perhaps it was the contrast between his natural gaiety and William's constitutional phlegm that rendered him so acceptable to that monarch." (Keppel. The Life of Augustus, Viscount Keppel, Vol 1: 3)
Arnold the womaniser & seducer.
" . . . The Keppels were, of course, descended from Arnold Joost van Keppel, the protege and favourite of William III, whose youth and good looks made such an impression on the Dutchman that many believed they were lovers. But Keppel was a notorious womaniser and nearly caused one international scandal 'by trying to seduce the mistress of the Elector of Bavaria and who did cause another by having a child by Mme de Richelieu, the latter, a daughter of Hortense Mancini was renowned for her beauty and later went on to become the mistress of Henri Jules, Prince de Conde, son of 'La Grande' Conde." (Royal Sex)
Personal and family background.
Personal and family background.
" . . . Arnold Joost van Keppel, Lord of Voorst, was a younger son of Bernard van Pallant, Lord of Keppel, the representative of a noble house in Gelderland. Like his rival the Earl of Portland, Arnold Van Keppel rose to eminence from being a Page to William III. He came to England with that monarch at the Revolution, and his manners and person being prepossessing, he soon rose high in favour with his master through the aid of Lord Sunderland and Mrs. Villiers, who wished to destroy the influence of Lord Portland. . . ." (Northon. Court Magazine, and Monthly Critic: 129)
Physical appearance & personality.
"The advantages for which the Earl of Albemarle was principally distinguished, were his lively and ingratiating manners, his open and handsome countenance, his invariable good humour and kindness of heart, and the very free manner in which he spent his money and entertained his friends. John Macky says of him,---'He was King William's constant companion in all his diversions and pleasures . . . is beautiful in his person; open and free in his conversation; very expensive in his manner of living; about thirty years old.' . . ." (Jesse. Memoirs of the Court of England, Vol. 1: 238)
Keppel's distinct advantages.
"The advantages for which the Earl of Albemarle was principally distinguished, were his lively and ingratiating manners, his open and handsome countenance, his invariable good-humour and kindness of heart, and the very free manner in which he spent his money, and entertained his friends. . . ." (Memoirs of the Court of England from the Revolution in 1688 to the Death of George II: 238)
Character or persona.
" . . . King William awarded him...108, 634 acres of confiscated land in Ireland, even though he was a lad barely of age who not rendered his adopted country any service. This grant was not upheld by Parliament. . . ." (The Peerage: 1684)
"The affection of King William for Lord Albemarle continued unabated to the end of his life, and his was the last name he ever uttered. In 1699, the King had given him his fine seat of Loo in Holland, and at his death bequeathed him the lordship of Beevoorst and 200,000 guelders, the only legacy he gave away from the Prince of Nassau, whom he made his heir. . . ." (Keppel. The Life of Augustus, Viscount Keppel: 7)
Favoured by other VIPs, too.
Character or persona.
" . . . He was a cheerful young man, that had the art to please, but was so much given up to his own pleasures, that he could scarce submit to the attendance and drudgery that was necessary to maintain his post... He was not cold nor dry... [T]he Earl of Albemarle had all the arts of a court, was civil to all, and procured many favours. . . ." (Jesse. Memoirs of the Court of England, Vol. 1: 237)
Affair's benefits.
Affair's benefits.
" . . . On the 10th of February, 1696, he was created Baron Ashford, of Ashford in Kent, Viscount Bury in Lancashire, and Earl of Albemarle, in Normandy. . . [T]he new peer was enriched as well as ennobled, having been promoted to the rank of general in the army, and entrusted with the command of the Horse Guards, and the Swiss in Holland, together with a legacy of 200,000 guilders. . . [H]e held places of great profit and dignity under Queen Anne and George I. . . ." (Northon. Court Magazine: 129)
"...Arnold Joost van Keppel, the sixteen-year-old lover of King William III, came over with William from Holland in 1688 and was rewarded for his affections with the earldom of Albemarle and a clutch of other titles." (Lacey. Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II: 52)
"...Arnold Joost van Keppel, the sixteen-year-old lover of King William III, came over with William from Holland in 1688 and was rewarded for his affections with the earldom of Albemarle and a clutch of other titles." (Lacey. Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II: 52)
" . . . King William awarded him...108, 634 acres of confiscated land in Ireland, even though he was a lad barely of age who not rendered his adopted country any service. This grant was not upheld by Parliament. . . ." (The Peerage: 1684)
"The affection of King William for Lord Albemarle continued unabated to the end of his life, and his was the last name he ever uttered. In 1699, the King had given him his fine seat of Loo in Holland, and at his death bequeathed him the lordship of Beevoorst and 200,000 guelders, the only legacy he gave away from the Prince of Nassau, whom he made his heir. . . ." (Keppel. The Life of Augustus, Viscount Keppel: 7)
Favoured by other VIPs, too.
" . . . Lord Albemarle, however, was not the mere idle courtier the bishop's sketch of him would lead us to infer. He bore a distinguished part in King William's campaigns, and after the decease of his royal master, served with much credit under the Duke of Marlborough and the Prince Eugene, with both of whom he lived on terms of much intimacy and friendship. . . Lord Albemarle's pleasing manners seem to have procured him many complimentary embassies. At the death of Queen Anne, he was sent by the States General to congratulate her successor, George the First, upon his accession to the throne. The same year he attended Caroline, Princess of Wales, from Hanover to Rotterdam; and in 1717 he was nominated by the nobles of Holland to compliment the Czar Peter on his arrival in Amsterdam. He died the following year." (Keppel. The Life of Augustus, Viscount Keppel: 5)
Spouse & children.
Spouse & children.
He " . . . married in 1701, Gertrude, daughter of Adam Vander Duin, lord of St. Gravemear, in Holland, and had two children, William Anne his successor. . . , and Sophia, who married to John Thomas, Esq., brother of Sir Edward Thomas, Baronet, of Wenvoc Castle. . . ." (Northon. Court Magazine: 129)
Achievements & Honours: Baron van Keppel; Page of Honour to the Prince of Orange (1688); Groom of the Bedchamber to King William III (1691-1695); Knight of Zutphen (1692); Herr van der Voorst in Gelderland (1692); Knight of Holland & West Friesland (after 1692); Master of the Robes (1695-1697); Major-General (1697); 1st Earle of Albemarle (1696/97); 1st Baron Ashford (1696/97); 1st Viscount Bury (1696/97); Colonel, 1st Horse Guards (1698); Knight, Order of the Garter (1700); Sat in the Nobles of the States General (1702); Lord of Breevost and 200,000 guilders (1701/02); Doctor of Laws (Hon.), Cambridge University (1705); Commander of Dutch Forces in Battle of Ramilles (1706); Commander of Dutch Forces, Battle of Oudenarde (1708); Battle of Denain (1712).
". . . His [William III] new fascination was one of his page-boys, a rakish fop named Arnold Joost van Keppel. Keppel had captured the king's attention when he suffered a riding accident in 1691, an eerie echo of the James I-Robert Carr affair. But it was not until after Mary's death---when she, and by her directive, Elizabeth, were both out of his picture---that William fixated on Keppel. . . ." (Carroll. Royal Affairs: 247)
Achievements & Honours: Baron van Keppel; Page of Honour to the Prince of Orange (1688); Groom of the Bedchamber to King William III (1691-1695); Knight of Zutphen (1692); Herr van der Voorst in Gelderland (1692); Knight of Holland & West Friesland (after 1692); Master of the Robes (1695-1697); Major-General (1697); 1st Earle of Albemarle (1696/97); 1st Baron Ashford (1696/97); 1st Viscount Bury (1696/97); Colonel, 1st Horse Guards (1698); Knight, Order of the Garter (1700); Sat in the Nobles of the States General (1702); Lord of Breevost and 200,000 guilders (1701/02); Doctor of Laws (Hon.), Cambridge University (1705); Commander of Dutch Forces in Battle of Ramilles (1706); Commander of Dutch Forces, Battle of Oudenarde (1708); Battle of Denain (1712).
". . . His [William III] new fascination was one of his page-boys, a rakish fop named Arnold Joost van Keppel. Keppel had captured the king's attention when he suffered a riding accident in 1691, an eerie echo of the James I-Robert Carr affair. But it was not until after Mary's death---when she, and by her directive, Elizabeth, were both out of his picture---that William fixated on Keppel. . . ." (Carroll. Royal Affairs: 247)
"William's second love was another young Dutchman, Arnold Joost Keppel, who consoled him in his final years. When Madame heard that Keppel had almost 'died of grief' at the king's death in 1702, she remarked sadly, reflecting on the self-seeking greed of Monsieur's lovers, 'We have hardly seen any similar friendship here in my husband's circle.'. . . ." (Homosexuality and Civilization: 348)
"Despite the rumors about his relationship with William, if the king had been homosexual, the world would have heard about it long before they decided to gossip about Keppel. Servants could be bought for a song, and foreign ambassadors were always eager to send damaging information back to their homelands. Certainly Bentinck, the straight arrow in every way who knew William better than anyone, would have raised the issue of the king's proclivities years before the Keppel kerfuffle. Although the scandal reached international proportions as the gossip spread from drawing rooms to military camps to foreign courts, what is most likely that the middle-aged William saw the young flamboyant Keppel as the son he never had. Or not. In any event, the king's outsized indulgence toward his protege sparked jealousy from others---particularly his oldest and dearest friend, the man who had risked his own life to save his sovereign's." (Carroll. Royal Affairs: 248)
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| Arnold van Keppel 1st Earl of Albemarle |
Arnold van Keppel's other lovers were:
1) Hortense Mancini, Duchesse de Mazarin.
"Keppel was a ladies' man as well. Toward the beginning of William's reign, when Keppel was a mere colonel in the Horse Guards, he commenced a torrid affair with a sultry older woman, Hortense Mancini, who had been one of Charles II's mistresses. . . ." (Carroll. Royal Affairs: 247)
"Her current inamorato was the Earl of Albermarle, Arnold Joost van Keppel, rumoured love interest of none other than King William III of England. Van Keppel, however, was adept at this apparent balancing act (as, it appears, was the Duchesse herself) and certainly went on to leap to the heterosexual side of the fence with a vengeance. Hortense was more than twenty years older than the Earl so that the entrance upon the stage of a younger woman creates for us a familiar scenario. Adding stridency to the plot is the fact that this young woman was Hortense's own daughter, Marie-Charlotte, Marquise de Richelieu, who had carried on the family tradition by vaulting a convent wall, having been put behind it by her husband and father to seek her fortune in freedom. . . ." (Shadow on Earth: Hortense Duchess Mazarin)
2) Marie-Charlotte de La Porte Mazarin (1662-1729)
Daughter of: Armand-Charles de La Porte, Duc de Meilleraye & Hortense Mancini, Duchesse de Mazarin.
Wife of: Louis-Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, Duc d'Aiguillon. (Carroll. Royal Affairs: 247)
" . . . Then he dumped Hortense for her daughter, Marie-Charlotte, but that relationship did not last long." (Carroll. Royal Affairs: 247)
1) Hortense Mancini, Duchesse de Mazarin.
"Keppel was a ladies' man as well. Toward the beginning of William's reign, when Keppel was a mere colonel in the Horse Guards, he commenced a torrid affair with a sultry older woman, Hortense Mancini, who had been one of Charles II's mistresses. . . ." (Carroll. Royal Affairs: 247)
"Her current inamorato was the Earl of Albermarle, Arnold Joost van Keppel, rumoured love interest of none other than King William III of England. Van Keppel, however, was adept at this apparent balancing act (as, it appears, was the Duchesse herself) and certainly went on to leap to the heterosexual side of the fence with a vengeance. Hortense was more than twenty years older than the Earl so that the entrance upon the stage of a younger woman creates for us a familiar scenario. Adding stridency to the plot is the fact that this young woman was Hortense's own daughter, Marie-Charlotte, Marquise de Richelieu, who had carried on the family tradition by vaulting a convent wall, having been put behind it by her husband and father to seek her fortune in freedom. . . ." (Shadow on Earth: Hortense Duchess Mazarin)
2) Marie-Charlotte de La Porte Mazarin (1662-1729)
Daughter of: Armand-Charles de La Porte, Duc de Meilleraye & Hortense Mancini, Duchesse de Mazarin.
Wife of: Louis-Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, Duc d'Aiguillon. (Carroll. Royal Affairs: 247)
" . . . Then he dumped Hortense for her daughter, Marie-Charlotte, but that relationship did not last long." (Carroll. Royal Affairs: 247)
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Hans Willem Bentinck |
William Bentinck (1649-1709)
1st Earl of Portland
1st Earl of Portland
Dutch nobleman & royal favourite.
Page to William III of Orange 1664.
Husband of:
1. Anne Villiers (d.1688) mar 1678
2. Jane Martha Temple (1672-1751) Baroness Berkeley 1700.
" . . . But William's strongest and most enduring bonds throughout his lifetime were with men. Of these, the most important was William Bentinck, a Dutch aristocrat a year older than William who had entered his household as a page at the age of sixteen. Like William, he was serious, capable, and conscientious; he soon became his closest friend, advisor, and trusted political intimate, a role he was to play for three decades. When at age twenty-five the prince's life was threatened by smallpox, his doctors, following a custom of the day, decreed that a young man of his own age should share his bed 'to draw off the fever.' Bentinck, who had faithfully attended William in the sick room, volunteered. The prince recovered; Bentinck himself contracted the disease but survived." (Crompton. Homosexuality and Civilization: 405)
Physical appearance & personal qualities.
"Unlike William, Hans Willem was a healthy boy with a strong constitution. As a young man he once took the field as officer immediately after having recovered from a near-fatal smallpox. According to the anonymous chronicler 'Monsieur de B.', describing him as a grown-up, Hans Willem 'was quite tall, a bit stiff, blond-haired tending to red . . . the face, though not irregular, had nothing attractive'. He had little inclination for intellectual pursuits; Gilbert Burnet later spoke of the 'defects of his education'. As a younger son, Hans Willem was probably trained and prepared for service in the army. . . ." (The Anglo-Dutch Favourite: 9)
The pageboy who saved his sovereign's life.
"Meanwhile, rumors that William was gay surfaced from time to time over the years as well, although given the chance to cat around, he had numerous heterosexual liaisons, most of which were kept under wraps. It is possible that when William was fourteen years old he developed a crush on Hans Willem Bentinck, who that year entered his household as a pageboy. Ten years later, when William was felled by smallpox, he was certain that Bentinck had save his life by sharing his bed, as it was commonly believed that a healthy person sleeping beside a smallpox patient would draw some of the illness into themselves. Bentinck would go on to become William's closest and most trusted adviser. In 1689, after the Glorious Revolution, William naturalized Bentinck a British subject and created him Earl of Portland and made him a Knight of the Garter in 1697." (Royal Affairs: 240)
"Meanwhile, rumors that William was gay surfaced from time to time over the years as well, although given the chance to cat around, he had numerous heterosexual liaisons, most of which were kept under wraps. It is possible that when William was fourteen years old he developed a crush on Hans Willem Bentinck, who that year entered his household as a pageboy. Ten years later, when William was felled by smallpox, he was certain that Bentinck had save his life by sharing his bed, as it was commonly believed that a healthy person sleeping beside a smallpox patient would draw some of the illness into themselves. Bentinck would go on to become William's closest and most trusted adviser. In 1689, after the Glorious Revolution, William naturalized Bentinck a British subject and created him Earl of Portland and made him a Knight of the Garter in 1697." (Royal Affairs: 240)
Affair's beneficiaries.
"Although due to the lack of relevant source material it is not feasible to get a clear picture of Bentinck's client network, evidence suggests that his power was mainly concentrated at Court. He managed to allot significant posts to his relatives and dependants (sic). In 1680 for instance, he had his cousin Van Voorst appointed steward. . . . " (Onnekink. The Anglo-Dutch Favourite: 22)
"Although due to the lack of relevant source material it is not feasible to get a clear picture of Bentinck's client network, evidence suggests that his power was mainly concentrated at Court. He managed to allot significant posts to his relatives and dependants (sic). In 1680 for instance, he had his cousin Van Voorst appointed steward. . . . " (Onnekink. The Anglo-Dutch Favourite: 22)
" . . . The perception that she and others shared of William's homosexuality was based largely on his attachment to a Dutch nobleman, William Bentinck, who had become his page at fifteen and a life-long valued friend and adviser. Apparently Bentinck (whom William had made earl of Portland after he assumed the English throne) felt less constrained in Paris than in Holland and Britain, for when he was sent to France as ambassador in 1697, Madame remarked, no doubt with some exaggeration, that 'all those who came with my lord Portland' were openly involved in same-sex relations." (Crompton. Homosexuality and Civilization: 348)
Effects on lovers' families, other people & society.
". . . Early in their marriage, she (that is, Queen Mary) had come to adore William, ever (sic) after fearing she would lose half of herself every time he went off to war. His long affair with Elizabeth Villiers, even if it had grown platonic over time, had broken her heart. . . . " (Carroll. Royal Affairs: 246)
". . . Early in their marriage, she (that is, Queen Mary) had come to adore William, ever (sic) after fearing she would lose half of herself every time he went off to war. His long affair with Elizabeth Villiers, even if it had grown platonic over time, had broken her heart. . . . " (Carroll. Royal Affairs: 246)
Bentinck's other lovers were:
1) Susannah Willis
"...In 1675 Bentinck had a remarkable opportunity of shewing (sic) his affection for his master, and securing his attachment. The prince falling ill of the smallpox, it was thought necessary by the physicians that he should receive the natural warmth of a young person lying in the same bed with him. Bentinck, though he never had the disease, offered himself for this purpose; and during sixteen days and nights never quitted him. He caught the distemper in a dangerous manner; but he had unchangeably fixed the prince's kindness for his whole future life...." (A'Beckett. A Universal Biography, Vol. 1: 411)
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