The Iconic Eccentric Who Broke Every Rule 

Have you ever known a man in the 19th century to gut a chapel? What if we told you he turned it into a theater for his own bizarre performances? As crazy as that sounds, it’s not as bad as burning through your entire inheritance in just five years. There’s a lot to learn about Henry Paget, a man who made the most of what he had. 

John Wickens (1865–1936) on Wikimedia

1. Born Into Scandal

Henry Paget’s life started and ended in scandal. Born in 1875, he was the eldest son of the 4th Marquess and Blanche Mary Boyd, his father’s second wife. However, rumors of his true parentage swirled almost immediately; people believed his real father was a French actor named Benoît-Constant Coquelin, and those rumors didn’t go away.

Unknown photographer on Wikimedia Commons

2. His Mother Passed Away Young

Gossip only worsened after the passing of his mother in 1877. At just two years old, Henry went to live with Coquelin’s sister. He remained there until he was eight, which is when his father remarried and brought Henry to live in Plas Newydd, Anglesey. 

Unknown photographer on Wikimedia Commons

3. A Somewhat Lonely Childhood

It’s alleged that his childhood was rather lonely—after all, 19th-century parents weren’t exactly known for their warmth. With little more than a nanny and a small gaggle of dogs at his side, Henry was ultimately left to his own devices.

Unknown photographer on Wikimedia Commons

4. Man in Uniform

Thankfully, not all hope was lost for a social circle. He not only landed a spot at Eton College but also earned an impressive commission as a Lieutenant in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. As if school and new titles weren’t enough, his life would soon lead him down the path to love.

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5. He Married His First Cousin

Well, maybe not love, but certainly marriage. In January 1898, he married his first cousin, Lilian Florence Maud Chetwynd. The act may seem strange by today’s standards, but it was hardly unique for the time. What was unique, however, was their honeymoon—during their time in Paris, Henry allegedly bought an entire window display of diamonds for his newly betrothed. 

Unknown photographer on Wikimedia Commons

6. Early Inheritance, Early Shenanigans

That kind of extravagance would only grow after Henry’s father passed away in October. He inherited a wealth of land and estates. It was the kind of money only an eccentric young man would know what to do with. 

Unknown photographer on Wikimedia Commons

7. Diamonds are Forever

Henry had no problems sharing the wealth with his new bride—though not in the way you’d expect. At Henry’s request, historian Christopher Sykes wrote that Lilian slept encumbered with diamonds and emeralds. He would also marvel at her unclothed figure, often donning her head-to-toe in jewels. 

Henry Walter Barnett (1862–1934) on Wikimedia

8. Strange Love Short-Lived

It’s easy to assume that sort of reverence lasts forever, but their marriage only lasted six weeks before Lilian unofficially left him. It would take another three years before she had the entire thing annulled due to nonconsummation. 

John Wickens (1865–1936) on Wikimedia

9. New Names on the Estate

A crumbling marriage didn’t impede Henry’s true passion—the theater. If anything, the divorce allowed him to chase his passion for acting, which he did by gutting Plas Newydd. He renamed it “Anglesey Castle” and converted the chapel into a 150-seat theater called “Gaiety Theatre.” A proper performer deserves a proper stage, after all. 

Waterborough on Wikimedia

10. A Patron of the (Free) Arts

That freshly baked theater set the stage for Henry’s lead role in pantomimes and plays. Initial acts took place in 1899, performed for a select group of notable locals who watched his song and dance (often for free). Performances soon evolved into Oscar Wilde and Shakespeare plays.  

Unknown photographer on Wikimedia Commons

11. Extravagant Wealth and Taste

It takes a special soul to reinvent a chapel, but Henry’s peculiarities didn’t end there. With so much money at his disposal, there was no stopping him from building an extravagant wardrobe of furs, diamond-encrusted robes, and jackets covered in emeralds. His car also converted exhaust fumes into rose-scented perfume. 

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12. Dubbed “The Dancing Marquess”

Look, when you wear a white silk gown and perform “the Butterfly Dance” on stage, people are going to notice. With moves inspired by Loie Fuller, Henry would often don the stage during intermissions and dance, waving his gown to look like wings. The whole thing was a little weird and it earned him the monicker, “the dancing marquess.” 

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13. Jewel Heist Under His Own Nose

The filthy rich make just as many enemies as friends, and Henry was robbed in 1901 by his own valet. While away at Arthur Conan Doyle's stage adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, Julian Gault nabbed about $63,000 in jewels from the eccentric. As you can imagine, Henry wasn’t too pleased with the discovery and actually used Doyle’s help to retrieve the loot, which he eventually did. 

Herbert Rose Barraud (1845-1896) on Wikimedia

14. An Unlovable Narcissist? 

Henry was practically born of scandal, but rumors about his life never ceased—particularly about his sexuality. Though his marriage was technically unconsummated, there aren’t any records that he ever dated anyone. His cross-dressing and bizarre behavior led many to question his sexuality while others, like performance historian Viv Gardner, merely believed him a raging narcissist. Ralph Cleaver on Wikimedia

15. He Went Bankrupt

We don’t have to tell you that rose-scented cars and underwear lined with gold are expensive, but someone should have told Henry. Despite the massive inheritance, this free bird found himself bankrupt by 1904, and everything went downhill pretty quickly afterward. 

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16. A Life Cut Short

In 1905, Henry passed away in Monte Carlo. He was just shy of his 30th birthday and lost his battle with tuberculosis. Though estranged after the divorce, his ex-wife was there and remained by his side until he was sent back to his Anglesey estate. 

Photographer died most probably 70 years ago on Wikimedia

17. Love Him or Hate Him

The Times reported that no one accepted his coffin upon arrival. He had no family to collect him before the funeral either. With so many members already gone or scandalized by his lifestyle, Henry was laid to rest without much recognition. However, The Times also reported that he was well-loved by people in Bangor, who were rather upset to learn of his fate. 

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18. Lavish Estate Sales

It took several days of auctions to sell just about everything Henry owned, including his wardrobe and his dogs. Some of his clothing alone raked in $100,000 at the time, which was sold to pay off creditors when he was still alive. 

Unknown photographer on Wikimedia Commons

19. Trying to Erase History

The title and remaining land passed to his first cousin, Charles Henry Alexander Paget, who was pretty unhappy with Henry’s mannerisms and irresponsibility. Charles converted the theater back into a chapel, the estate was renamed Plas Newydd, and all of Henry’s letters and diaries were destroyed.

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20. An Undying Legacy

Try as they may, Henry’s family couldn’t erase him. Films and award-winning musicals were made about his life. Fashion designers based their collections on him. He’s even frequently compared to Freddie Mercury. He may have gone a little overboard with his life, but that’s exactly why he’s remembered. 

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