Was "Toppy" a top? The very fruity & flamboyant tale of Henry Cyril Paget, 5th Marquess of Anglesey - Queerty

"Paget, sometimes known as "Toppy," sometimes known as "the dancing marquess," was nothing if not a relatable LGBTQ+ icon. He spent the family money recklessly, took any and every chance to dress up in insane gowns, hats, costumes, and jewels, and became known as the most famous landed homosexual of his era."

"Before dying at 29 of tuberculosis, Paget married his first cousin (as was the style at the time), inherited his family's fortune, and promptly set to work creating a theater devoted to putting on plays that would allow Paget to dress in the fanciest costumes imaginable. Paget mounted productions ranging from Oscar Wilde comedies to comic sketches, fashion shows, and Shakespeare dramas."

"Along with his troupe of actors, he performed these shows in the family castle-where he tore down the preexisting chapel to create a 150-seat theater, naturally-and on the road in a traveling caravan. His wife, who at this point was starting to get the hint, soon filed for divorce."

Henry Cyril Paget, known as "Toppy" or "the dancing marquess," was a 19th-century English nobleman who became famous for his extravagant lifestyle and theatrical pursuits. He inherited his family's wealth and used it to create an elaborate private theater in his family castle, where he produced plays ranging from Oscar Wilde comedies to Shakespeare dramas, all designed to showcase increasingly elaborate costumes and designs. Paget married his first cousin but his wife eventually divorced him as his flamboyant lifestyle became increasingly prominent. He traveled with a troupe of actors in a caravan, performing productions across the country. Despite his brief life, ending at 29 from tuberculosis, Paget became the most famous openly gay aristocrat of his era, leaving a legacy of theatrical innovation and fearless self-expression.

Read at Queerty