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characterised him as "he most notorious aristocratic homosexual at this period". One journalist wrote, "I am driven to the conclusion from much that I have seen that there are men who ought to have been born women, and women who ought to have been born men … Bearing the form of a man, he yet had all
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of divorce on 7 November 1900; the marriage was later annulled due to nonconsummation, according to Lady
Anglesey's grandson by her second marriage, the historian Christopher Simon Sykes. The breakdown of his marriage effectively gave Paget more freedom to enjoy his self-indulgent lifestyle. By this
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According to
Christopher Sykes, he did not have sexual relations with his wife, who initially left him after just six weeks. Sykes has reported: "The closest the marriage ever came to consummation was that he would make her pose naked covered top to bottom in jewels and she had to sleep wearing the
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Julian Gault took the opportunity of his employer's absence at the theatre to steal jewellery to the value of £50,000. Distraught at the theft, Paget enlisted the help of Conan Doyle to find the stolen jewels. Gault, who was later arrested at Dover, testified in court that he had been instructed to
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until he was eight. That story seems to have been a confusion of facts. The sister-in-law, née Edith Marion Boyd, was the 4th
Marquess's aunt, one of his mother's sisters, and she did not wed Coquelin's brother Gustave until 1891. His stepmother from 1880 was an American, Mary "Minna" Livingston
384:: the only person he could love and make love to was himself, because, for whatever reason, he was 'unlovable'". The deliberate destruction by his family of those of his papers that might have settled this matter has left any assessment speculative.
154:
who was notable during his short life for squandering his inheritance on a lavish social life and accumulating massive debts. Regarded as the "black sheep" of the family, he was dubbed "the dancing marquess" for his
Butterfly Dancing, taken from
542:, alongside her husband, Charles Paget, 6th Marquess of Anglesey, but this is impossible, given that Marjorie died in 1946, Charles died in 1947; and the picture clearly shows her son, Henry Paget, 7th Marquess of Anglesey.
208:. On 20 January 1898 he married his cousin Lilian Florence Maud Chetwynd (1876–1962). Upon the death of his father on 13 October 1898, he inherited his title and the family estates with about 30,000 acres (120 km) in
429:, who destroyed all the papers of the 5th Marquess and converted the Gaiety Theatre back into a chapel. It was at least in part owing to the debts left by the 5th Marquess that the family's principal English estate at
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in 1910, commented that he "seems only to have existed for the purpose of giving a melancholy and unneeded illustration of the truth that a man with the finest prospects, may, by the wildest folly and extravagance, as
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Paget swiftly acquired a reputation for a lavish and spendthrift manner of living. He used his money to buy jewellery and furs, and to throw extravagant parties and flamboyant theatrical performances. He renamed the
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By 1904, despite his inheritance and income, Paget had accumulated debts of £544,000 (£70 million in 2023) and on 11 June was declared bankrupt. His lavish wardrobe, particularly his dressing gowns from
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steal the jewels by a French woman of his acquaintance called
Mathilde (who had taken the jewels to France and was never found). Although Gault's testimony was believed to be true, he pleaded guilty at the
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192:, a rumour that gained some currency when, according to some sources, after the death of his mother in 1877, when he was two years old, Paget reportedly was raised by Coquelin's sister-in-law in
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as "Anglesey Castle" and converted the chapel there into a 150-seat theatre, named the Gaiety
Theatre. Here he took the lead role, opulently costumed, in productions ranging from
449:. Today, the house and gardens are open to the public, and the house contains an art collection that includes a number of photographs of the 5th Marquess in theatrical costume.
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422:, who were sorry to hear of his death. In 1909, Lilian, Marchioness of Anglesey, married John Francis Grey Gilliat (a banker) by whom she had three children.
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There is no evidence for or against his having had any lovers of either sex: performance historian Viv
Gardner believes rather that he was "a classic
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Reed's designs draw inspiration from the lavish garb of the
Victorian aristocrat Henry Paget, who was, Reed said, "shamelessly his truest self".
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For three years Paget took his theatre company on tour around
Britain and Europe. His wife disapproved of his lifestyle and obtained a
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the tastes, something even of the appearance, of not only a woman, but, if the phrase be permissible, a very effeminate woman".
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464:. The tiara was apparently retained after the auctions were held to repay the debts accrued by Paget, and it was later worn by
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claimed to have likely been worn by the 5th
Marquess in his stage productions was put up for auction by the family at the 2020
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by his father's second wife, Blanche Mary Boyd. However, rumours persisted that his biological father was the French actor
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in front of an invited audience of notable local people. In 1901, the Gaiety Theatre was refurbished and fitted out with
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1139:"Height of Glamour – How the designer Harris Reed helps Harry Styles and Solange play with masculinity and femininity"
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The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, extant, extinct or dormant
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437:, had to be broken up and sold in the 1930s. The Paget family moved into Plas Newydd as their permanent residence.
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says, 'foully miscarry in the advantage of humanity, play away an uniterable life, and have lived in vain.'"
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984:"'He bought diamonds as an ordinary man buys cigarettes': The story of Britain's most eccentric aristocrat"
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565:"'He bought diamonds as an ordinary man buys cigarettes': The story of Britain's most eccentric aristocrat"
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Plas Newydd remained in the possession of the Paget family until 1976, when it was donated to the
290:. Early performances from around 1899 were mostly variety performances of song and dance numbers,
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1033:"Imagine Freddie Mercury running through a branch of Elizabeth Duke wearing a Sellotape suit"
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1082:"How to Win Against History review – spotlight shines again on a starstruck Victorian toff"
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374:
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862:"Henry Cyril Paget, 5th Marquess of Anglesey (1875-1905) in theatrical costume 1175699.1"
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reported that despite all that was known of him, he remained much liked by the people of
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following a long illness, with his ex-wife by his side, and his remains were returned to
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607:"Lilian Florence Maud Paget (née Chetwynd), Marchioness of Anglesey (later Gilliat)"
486:, a musical based on Paget's life. The award-winning show was performed at the 2017
1202:
Star Callum Scott Howells Lands Role in Biopic about Flamboyant British Aristocrat"
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before a tour of Wales and England. In 2019 the show had its Irish premiere at the
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The Other Love: an historical and contemporary survey of homosexuality in Britain
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wrote that "there is little doubt that Henry must be included in the history of
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638:"The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)"
159:, where a voluminous robe of transparent white silk would be waved like wings.
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Forbidden Lives: lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender stories from Wales
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Paget's style has often been compared to that of the flamboyant rock star
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The collection took inspiration from figures such as Henry Paget and the
360:, and the breakdown of his marriage, have led many to assume that he was
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1163:"Harris Reed on the angelic, sordid beauty of their final collection"
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In 2017 the actor and composer Seiriol Davies wrote and performed in
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stage, he had already begun to mortgage his estates to raise money.
1110:"How to Win Against History: Seiriol Davies on his 'campy' musical"
1245:. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). London: St Catherine Press. p.
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956:"Diamond tiara worn to King George VI's coronation to go on sale"
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National Trust web page for Plas Newydd Country House and Garden
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Theatre History and Historiography: Ethics, Evidence and Truth
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on 22 October and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment.
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On 10 September 1901, Paget attended the London premiere of
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Paget's outrageous and flamboyant lifestyle, his taste for
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The BBC source states that the tiara was worn in 1952 by
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cited Paget as an inspiration for his 2020 collection
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In May 2024, a biographical film about Paget called
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between 1880 and 1898, and nicknamed "Toppy", was a
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1263:Shopland, Norena (2017). "The Butterfly Dancer".
816:"Beaudesert Hall Remains, Longdon, Staffordshire"
247:Interior of Paget's Gaiety Theatre at Plas Newydd
42:Paget c. 1900 by Welsh photographer John Wickens
304:and re-opened as a public entertainment venue.
905:"A tiara, scandals and 'erased queer history'"
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765:"Would you trust this man with your fortune?"
197:King, the widow of the Hon. Henry Wodehouse.
8:
982:Saunders, Tristram Fane (23 November 2017).
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563:Saunders, Tristram Fane (23 November 2017).
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885:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
364:. Writing in 1970, the homosexual reformer
140:Henry Cyril Paget, 5th Marquess of Anglesey
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849:interactive maps of NT property ownership.
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634:inflation figures are based on data from
255:Henry Paget in theatrical costume, c.1900
1258:. London, UK. 15 March 1905. p. 10.
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704:, BBC, first broadcast 29 January 1997.
702:The Aristocracy: Born to Rule 1875–1945
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536:Marjorie Paget, Marchioness of Anglesey
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335:. At the time, Paget was living in the
142:(16 June 1875 – 14 March 1905), styled
1355:British theatre managers and producers
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752:. London: Heinemann. pp. 153–154.
497:The British-American fashion designer
412:, on his Anglesey estate, for burial.
605:Barnett, Henry Walter ("H. Walter").
425:The title passed to his first cousin
114:Henry Paget, 4th Marquess of Anglesey
7:
1395:19th-century British Army personnel
1390:19th-century British businesspeople
1137:Mead, Rebecca (27 September 2021).
1017:(in Welsh). BBC. 12 September 2017.
954:Ferry, Caroline (23 January 2020).
866:www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk
239:, Paget's country house on Anglesey
468:(wife of the 6th Marquess) at the
14:
1031:Wright, Steve (18 October 2017).
826:from the original on 25 July 2017
615:National Portrait Gallery, London
466:Marjorie, Marchioness of Anglesey
763:Gardner, Viv (10 October 2007).
595:Cokayne and Gibbs 1910, p. 141n.
1345:People educated at Eton College
1340:Royal Welch Fusiliers officers
271:and comedy to performances of
1:
1360:Male-to-female cross-dressers
1286:Peerage of the United Kingdom
1196:Hudson, David (29 May 2024).
903:Herd, George (7 March 2020).
427:Charles Henry Alexander Paget
105:Lilian Florence Maud Chetwynd
1380:19th-century British dancers
1051:"How To Win Against History"
1015:"'Freddie Mercury' Ynys Môn"
748:Hyde, H. Montgomery (1970).
720:. Little, Brown Book Group.
670:. Springer. pp. 69–70.
470:coronation of King George VI
410:St Edwen's Church, Llanedwen
184:Paget was the eldest son of
1254:"Obituary: Lord Anglesey".
611:vintage bromide print, 1902
392:Financial trouble and death
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540:coronation of Elizabeth II
484:How To Win Against History
339:in London. Paget's French
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1267:. Bridgend: Seren Books.
790:"The Marquis of Anglesey"
664:Cochrane, Claire (2016).
488:Edinburgh Festival Fringe
452:In March 2020, a diamond
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1400:Volunteer Force officers
820:British Listed Buildings
714:Costello, Peter (2012).
514:was announced, starring
190:Benoît-Constant Coquelin
30:The Marquess of Anglesey
636:Clark, Gregory (2017).
503:Thriving In Our Outrage
492:Dublin Theatre Festival
404:In 1905, Paget died in
302:electric stage lighting
1385:Marquesses of Anglesey
717:Conan Doyle, Detective
458:European Fine Art Fair
337:Walsingham House Hotel
333:Lyceum Theatre, London
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262:family's country seat
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206:Royal Welsh Fusiliers
1375:British male dancers
1302:Marquess of Anglesey
930:"The Anglesey tiara"
700:Christopher Sykes ,
516:Callum Scott Howells
326:stage adaptation of
168:The Complete Peerage
1118:. 24 September 2019
989:The Daily Telegraph
26:The Most Honourable
1365:Welsh male dancers
1080:(21 August 2017).
632:Retail Price Index
366:H. Montgomery Hyde
322:Arthur Conan Doyle
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1309:Succeeded by
796:. 5 November 1904
727:978-1-4721-0365-9
180:Family background
174:Sir Thomas Browne
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117:Blanche Mary Boyd
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148:Earl of Uxbridge
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1350:Paget family
1300:
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1211:. Retrieved
1205:
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1179:
1174:29 September
1172:. Retrieved
1166:
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1132:
1120:. Retrieved
1113:
1104:
1092:. Retrieved
1087:The Guardian
1085:
1078:Gardner, Lyn
1072:
1060:. Retrieved
1056:Curtis Brown
1054:
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994:. Retrieved
987:
977:
965:. Retrieved
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937:. Retrieved
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1330:1875 births
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550:References
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346:Old Bailey
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1122:16 April
1094:16 April
1090:. London
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909:BBC News
881:cite web
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824:Archived
733:11 March
292:sketches
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316:Theft
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