Lesbianism in Victorian England

In Victorian England, terms such as lesbian and sapphic came into use for female relationships. For some time, the Victorians never seemed to consider criminalising female homosexuality.

Apocryphally, these were also due to be criminalised in the 1885 legislation know as the Labouchere Amendment, until Queen Victoria declared them impossible, whereupon the clause was omitted – a joke that serves to underline a common, and commonly welcomed, ignorance, at a time when lurid, fictionalised lesbianism was often figured as an especially repulsive and seductive French vice.

“The single best thing about coming out of the closet is that nobody can insult you by telling you what you’ve just told them.” – Rachel Maddow

One of the first people to break the amendment was Oscar Wilde. The judge sentenced him to two years hard labour, although he wished he could punish him even more saying that, “this is the worst case I have ever tried.” A week earlier, the same judge tried a case of child murder.

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Salvador Dali broke his jaw while putting his fist in his mouth as a party trick. He was trying to impress the woman who would later become his wife.

Odontophobia is the fear of teeth.

Queen Victoria wore a bridal veil made from human hair.

According to USA Today, North Koreans must abide by one of 28 approved haircuts. Unmarried women must have short hair, but married woman have many more options. The hair of young men should be less than 2 inches long, older men can go as long as 2¾.

Since 1968 onwards, more Americans have died from gunfire on home soil than in all the wars in United States history.

See other: Quite Interesting Facts

Georgian Sexual Affairs

One very striking indicator of the way the 18th-century sexual revolution petered out was embodied in the Royal Family. It used to be said that George III had 58 grandchildren, only one of whom was legitimate.

William IV of the United Kingdom

This turns out to be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is nonetheless true that the sexual antics of Queen Victoria’s dissolute uncles — the Duke of Clarence (later William IV) with his ten illegitimate children by the actress Mrs Jordan, the innumerable mistresses of the Prince Regent and so on — do make our Prince Harry’s occasional indiscretions in nightclubs seem pretty tame.

Prince Edward, Victoria’s father, lived with his mistress, Madame St Laurent, for 27 years until the only heir to the English throne — Princess Charlotte — died in 1817. He duly did his duty, chucked his mistress and married a German princess in order to produce the future Queen Victoria.

His brother, the Duke of Clarence, was trying the same in a race to produce an heir. He dumped Mrs Jordan and had a baby by the future Queen Adelaide — sadly, they lost the child.

The Victorian era, noted for its middle-class values of homely monogamous prudery, introduced quite a different tradition at court.

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Queen Victoria smoked when in Scotland to keep midges away during picnics.

Queen Victoria of Great Britain

The creator of the London Eye shares the same birthday as Gustave Eiffel.

The Toyota MR2 is an embarrassing name in France, because “MR2” sounds similar to Emmerdeux, the French for Shit. Similarly, the Ford Pinto is embarrassing in Brazil, because Pinto is slang for Tiny male genitals.

Brendan Behan was asked to write an advertising slogan for Guinness. He wrote, “Guinness makes you drunk.”

The ancient Greeks believed that otters killed crocodiles by running into their open mouths, eating their entrails, and running out again.