Beau Brummell - Was he gay?

He died of syphilis in a French asylum in 1840.

A more detailed article. At one point he claimed to be in love with another man's wife and insisted on leaving their home, where he was a guest. The host said nonsense, his wife didn't love Beau, but Brummell left.

From this article, after he fled to France, "The Duchess of York, a very amiable lady, sent him not only money, but a table-cover worked with her own hands. This steadfast friendship of her Royal Highness seems to show that after all the vain coxcomb must have had something good in him. Lord Sefton moreover paid him a visit; so did Wellesley Pole and Prince Puckler Muskau, the Prussian nobleman who once made a small splutter in the literary line."

Gaaaay!

He wasn't gay. He was just British.

Yes, he was gay. He had a torrid affair with the Prince Regent; they even discussed marriage at one point, with Brummell seeking out the most eminent surgeons in the hope of having a sex-change. However, Brummell and the Prince were disheartened to discover that medical science had not advanced to the point that this was possible. His downfall came when the Prince while topping Brummell accidentally ripped his expensive silk breeches. Brummell called him a fat fiend, and the Prince ended their “friendship”.

This is from the 1954 film, Beau Brummell.

I gave it half a chance.

Brummell? Why, certainly, he could be quite gay, especially after quaffing more than a few snifters of brandy -- such a scathing wit he oft had!

Alas, on the days when his cravats failed to meet his exacting expectations, or his breeches threw a stubborn wrinkle, why, he could verily fall into a slough of despondency all the day!

Surely, that was the thrust of your query, OP, was it not? I cannot conceive that that question of yours in that might impugn dear Brummell's honor with any other, perhaps... risqué implication.

I didn't realize that Peter Ustinov had a Hollywood career in his pre-fat (well, pre-truly fat) days, r6! Love that pic.

Dearest Prinnie,

I know Brummell was a witty fellow sometimes prone to melancholy but I also wondered if he was a witty fellow sometimes prone for receiving male guests.

[quote]sometimes prone for receiving

Don't try this again.

There's a good BBC movie about him called This Charming Man with James Purefoy as Brummell and Hugh Bonneville as the Prince Regent.

[quote]At one point he claimed to be in love with another man's wife and insisted on leaving their home, where he was a guest. The host said nonsense, his wife didn't love Beau, but Brummell left.

Either you omitted something or this story has no point.

He was never fully dressed without a smile.

R11. Prone - prōn - adjective 1. likely to or liable to suffer from, do, or experience something, typically something regrettable or unwelcome. unwelcome. "years of wearing tight leggings had left the dandy prone to an aching groin"

2. lying flat, especially face downward. "I was lying prone on a feather bed, awaiting my immaculately dressed lovers."

Edited: " . . . sometimes lying prone for receiving male guests. . ."

I don’t know, Dahling. He never sucked my cock.

I remember that series, r12. It was okay, nothing special really.

R13. I omitted something. Too lazy to find the quote from the article at R2 and fix it. I believe his shallow dabbling with women was not sexual. He claimed to be in love with a host's wife but there is no evidence anything came of it. His association with the Duchess of York appears to be friendship. I couldn't find any evidence of Brummell having sexual involvement with women.

R8, I reread your reply. Love it.

Thank you to everyone who replied without correcting my grammar, punctuation, or sentence structure.

Waaah, my image didn't come through. Trying again.

Damn! I'll try again.

The silent BB film TCM showed last night was really great. John Barrymore was perfect.