Edward Heath

[Hilts]

Was the recently departed former Tory Prime Minister a Homosexual?

[Loosehead]

I don't know of any evidence to suggest he was, I think he was just happy being a bachelor.

[bernardo]

I don't think that he was gay.  But that doesn't mean that he was happy being a bachelor.  I think that it is more likely that the various women friends he knew were more happy that he was a bachelor.  Judging by the obituaries, he seems to have been stiff and awkward with women, and probably never quite met the right one.  I think that if he were gay, there would have been more specific whispers or rumours about it by now - e.g. compare and contrast with the rumours which exist about youthful same-sex relationships by John Gielgud or Harold Macmillan etc.

[lecheekyworm]

We always thought he was but that was because he was without a partner.  Does it really matter.

[ludwig]

I don't think he was. I'm sure some relationship would have come to light if he was. e,g a 'fact finding' mission to Morocco with a handsome young 'research assistant'  or whatever. But I don't think there was ever any hint of it.

[ursula62]

I remember when I was a child there were rumours ... but is it really anyone's business but his own? And now that he's dead does anyone apart from his family really have reason to care?

He was a prime minister whose actions affected the British nation (Entry into Europe) and a much admired public figure, and, whatever our personal politics,  we should try and remember him for those things rather than digging into his private life.

[Grunty]

There was a girl friend years ago.  He was very shy and I think she ended the relationship when she thought it wasn't going anywhere.  He was very upset and never had a serious relationship afterwards.  He kept her picture beside his bed for many years.

[isine]

How do you know that grunty?

[Peter Pedant]

There was a private eye photie of him and a gurl on his yacht with a suitable title - god what a t*t or words to that effect. Front page of course

Most of the electorate thought he was 'that way', you know.....

[shaneystar]

He was great friends with the concert pianist Moira Lympany who had hoped that she would ask him to marry her.There was an excellent documentary on tv ,last week I think, about him.I think that he was a rather shy man around women.He had a long standing relationship with another woman but she ditched him because I suppose he dithered about asking her to marry him.When the guy interviewing asked him if he had been upset that the relationship ended ,he replied "of course".

[mfewell]

Please don't go there hilts, it's been a bad enough evening on this site as it is. Your question is neutrally worded with the trigger cocked ready for prejudice, but it really would have been better not asked.

[Hilts]

And who appointed you forum guardian?? This is a genuine question on the back of somebody mentioning "Gay Rumours" surrounding his time at Number 10. I'd never heard this before so I asked the question.

You neither know enough about my posts on here and certainly know nothing about me in the real world to determine wether this post had a cocked trigger of prejudice at all. On what do you base your oversensitive overeaction?

I thank the posters of sensible answers to my question.

[mfewell]

Hilts, I wasn't trying to imply that you were prejudiced, but others could be. As to not knowing you, true of course, but then ditto you me.

[bernardo]

I don't think there is anything wrong with asking this question at all - it is merely a matter of curiosity (historical or otherwise). 

[mfewell]

Yes I am sorry, and it wasn't best worded. Set against the bizarre backdrop of what was happening on this site that evening (looked like a missile attack!), I thought oh no not another. I apologise to Hilts and all. Can we get that particular answer withdrawn please ?