In 1702, the new governor-general opened the New York Assembly in an elegant hoop dress and elaborate headdress. The only problem was she was a he. Lord Cornbury had been appointed to the position because he was the cousin of Queen Anne of England. When asked about his dress, he responded that since he was representing the Queen, he would dress like her. Cross-dressing was not well-accepted in the early 18th Century. Plus, Lord Cornbury was a crappy governor. He was inept at administration. In his personal life, he was an extravagant spender, so much so that his wife had to steal to get money of her own. When he was finally removed in 1708, it was straight to debtors prison. However, he was released in 1711 and appointed to Her Majesty’s Privy Council. He did not wear dresses to those meetings.
– Strange 505
1 Comment
17thcenturyengland · April 22, 2022 at 7:22 pm
The author’s homophobia is on full display. “The problem was …” should read “This was a surprise because …”
“…it was straight to debtors prison.” REALLY … in 2022? You know better. If you don’t, get some sensativity eduction.