William II

Norman king William Rufus, just who succeeded his grandfather William the Conqueror and ruled for 13 years, was actually generally William the Red for their florid complexion. A ruthless ruler, permanently falling out in clumps together with the chapel, he had been described by medieval historian Frank Barlow hence: “A rumbustious, devil-may-care soldier, without normal dignity or social graces, without any cultivated preferences and little tv show of spiritual piety or morality. Certainly, per his experts, addicted to every method of vice, specifically crave and especially sodomy.” In addition to
Elizabeth I
, the unpopular master is our only post-1066 xxx monarch to never wed. He had been fatally shot by an arrow while looking within the brand new woodland. Yet not by Cupid.

Sherlock Holmes

It really is an operating laugh into the
current BBC reboot
featuring Benedict Cumberbatch’s cheekbones that everybody assumes the Baker Street investigator is actually homosexual. The only real female to just take Holmes’s interest was Irene Adler, their adversary in A Scandal in Bohemia and described as “the woman”. The exact opposite sex stays a mystery to Holmes, exactly who says: “Their unique objectives are so inscrutable. How could you develop on this type of quicksand? Their many trivial activities may suggest volumes, their particular many extraordinary conduct may rely on a hairpin.” Their inventor, Conan Doyle, added: “Holmes is really as inhuman as Babbage’s calculating equipment and simply as prone to fall-in really love.”

Leonardo da Vinci

Musician, designer, musician, mathematician, creator, veggie, the leading figure with the Italian Renaissance and manager of an admirable mustache – but marriage is amongst the a few simple points that doesn’t show up on polymath Leonardo’s packed CV. Little is famous about his exclusive existence except that he had friendships with Cecilia Gallerani (topic in the portrait woman with an Ermine

)

, and Milanese princesses Beatrice and Isabella d’Este. They are generally thought to have been homosexual, confirmed by their close connection together with male individuals and the homoeroticism of their work. Had been the guy right, gay or maybe just too busy getting the very best genius the world has actually ever viewed? The guy continues to be because enigmatic just like the Mona Lisa’s smile.

Sir John Falstaff

“I am not saying only amusing in myself nevertheless cause that wit is during various other guys.” Shakespeare’s much-loved design is actually a proto-

Guys


Behaving Poorly

breed of bachelor, a larger-than-life rogue, rogerer and riotously funny roister-doister. Across three performs, the dissolute knight places Prince Hal in colourful scrapes, engages in large carousing during the Boar’s Head Inn, check outs prostitutes and, suffers “consumption of the purse”, becoming the buffoonish suitor to two wealthy married ladies. When he directs all of them identical really love emails, they wreak payback. Falstaff was actually greatly well-liked by viewers –

The Merry Wives


of Windsor

ended up being quickly created to meet the Queen’s wish for a lot of plump outdated cad – and rightly continues to be very now.

Leonardo DiCaprio

What is it about the title Leonardo? There are two main of them on this subject listing. Since George Clooney partnered last year, baby-faced five-time Oscar nominee DiCaprio has taken over once the A-list solitary leading man. In his hell-raising youthfulness, he had been frontrunner of tastefully known as 1990s Los Angeles wolfpack the Pussy Posse and it is nevertheless some thing of a “modeliser”, having got relationships with high-profile garments horses such as Gisele Bündchen and club Refaeli, along with actress Blake Lively and, rumour features it, Rihanna. Not surprising laddish bantersauruses on social media have actually nicknamed him #LeoDiCHAPrio

Ted Heath

As Bernard Levin typed inside paper, it had been “an ironical remark” throughout the permissive community that UNITED KINGDOM had to wait until the 70s for a virgin primary minister. The only unmarried PM of the past century and simply the next of all time, Sir Edward offered at No 10 from 1970 to 1974. A classical organist and conductor of near-professional requirement, he was expected to wed concert pianist Moura Lympany or youth friend Kay Raven but never ever had gotten round to sometimes. Heath stated he would been too hectic constructing a vocation postwar to pursue matters associated with the center together with “perhaps taken excessive as a given”. He died a decade before this month.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Despite encroaching deafness, fanatical commitment to songs and an irascible character (now typically put-down to manic depression), the German composer had several enchanting attachments during his 56 many years however they happened to be affected by class problems. The guy decrease for Austrian countess Julie Guicciardi but ended up being too modest to think about marrying their. It was a similar story with aristocratic Hungarian widow Josephine Brunsvik, more apt person of his mystical “Immortal Beloved” page. Beethoven longed-for wedded satisfaction, composing: “Love, and love by yourself, can perform providing thee a happier life. O God, allow me to at size find their – she, just who may strengthen me personally in advantage – just who may legally be mine.”

James Buchanan

The bachelor president, who filled the White residence before Abraham Lincoln, remains the sole United States frontrunner to never get married but his single condition had been tinged with catastrophe. Within his 20s, the Pennsylvanian Democrat fell in love with Ann Coleman, daughter of a wealthy metal mill proprietor. Her household didn’t look at him as marriage product and very quickly after Buchanan’s suggestion was actually refused, Ann passed away under strange situations, suspected is committing suicide. Buchanan swore off wedding but kept the woman letters until his or her own demise. In afterwards existence, eyebrows were brought up at his close relationship with Alabama senator William R King. Ex-president Andrew Jackson nicknamed them “Miss Nancy” and “Aunt Fancy”.

Al Pacino

Aged 75, the movie symbol is actually Hollywood’s longest-serving bachelor. He’s outdated many fellow thesps, such as Tuesday Weld,

Carlito’s Method

co-star Penelope Anne Miller and Diane Keaton, their screen partner in

The Godfather

. The guy is served by three kiddies: one by behaving mentor Jan Tarrant and IVF twins with actress Beverly D’Angelo. “I guess I believe like i am hitched often times,” muses Pacino. “I have children, We have relationships using their mothers and other women I’ve been with for some time. Perhaps it is the types of women i am with who have beenn’t forcing the challenge. Nevertheless when I consult with my married pals, we comprehend each other, and so I must be doing things appropriate.” Hoo-hah.

Bertie Wooster

PG Wodehouse’s comic champion Bertram Wilberforce Wooster wouldn’t have got into nearly as many scrapes had the guy already been hitched. Besides, their valet Jeeves in many ways fulfils the character of long-suffering partner. Bertie does recommend many times – to icy blonde Lady Florence Craye (exactly who informs him “your Aunt Agatha… labeled as you a spineless invertebrate and encouraged me highly never to get married you”), United states rooms on millionaire‘s daughter Pauline Stoker, scarily stylish Honoria Glossop, soppy passionate Madeline Bassett and reckless girl with red hair Bobbie Wickham – but once the charms of their intended’s “lovely account” put on down, the guy has a tendency to see engagement merely as a trap that Jeeves must extricate him. What ho!