The Prussian king who turned his court into a women-free zone
In short: Frederick the Great was one of history's most formidable monarchs, yet he ruled from a court that famously excluded women. While modern scholars largely agree on his primary homosexuality, the specific nature of his private life remains a complex tapestry of platonic devotion, intense romantic correspondence, and scandalous rumors.
Most modern historians identify Frederick the Great (1712–1786) as primarily homosexual, a fact that was suppressed by professional scholars for centuries following his death. His personal life was marked by an arranged marriage that produced no children and a court where favored courtiers were exclusively male. This preference was so pronounced that his palace at Sanssouci became a 'women-free zone,' and Frederick himself famously expressed a disdain for women, once ranting against them at a dinner party.
The evidence for his sexuality ranges from playful correspondence to intimate records. In 1750, he wrote a teasingly graphic note to his secretary, Claude Étienne Darget, regarding their anatomy. Furthermore, his nephew was later advised by Frederick against passive anal intercourse based on the king's own 'not very pleasant' experience. His relationships varied in intensity: some were described as romantic—such as his treatment of Hans Hermann von Katte like a 'lover with his mistress'—while others, like his friendship with Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf, involved deeply intimate letters regarding physical ailments and potency.
Frederick’s sexuality also intersected with the Enlightenment. He supported the abolition of criminal liability for homosexual acts, though he did not personally abolish them. His relationship with the philosopher Voltaire was a central intellectual partnership that spanned nearly 50 years; while some suggested an intimate bond, it is more likely they were drawn together by a mutual fascination with spirit and wit. Despite his public stoicism regarding scandalous publications like 'The Private Life of the King of Prussia,' Frederick’s private world was one of deliberate curation, where he sought to adorn himself with both great minds and handsome men.
Historians in Weimar Germany during the early 20th century were among the first to celebrate him as a queer pioneer. This shift in perspective highlights how his identity has moved from a dismissed 'unnatural vice' reported by foreign envoys to a significant study of royal intimacy and personal autonomy.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Sexuality of Frederick the Great
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