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Is Madfabulous based on a true story? The real history of ‘Dancing Marquess’ Henry Cyril Paget

Is Madfabulous based on a true story? The real history of ‘Dancing Marquess’ Henry Cyril Paget

He inherited a vast fortune, only to blow it all within five years on all things sparkly and his love of theatre. A flamboyant character adding colour to the Edwardian age, he is now being celebrated as a lost figure in the history of homosexuality

Vintage black-and-white studio portrait of a seated aristocrat wearing an ornate theatrical costume with a winged headdress

Jonny Wilkes

Published: October 16, 2026 at 11:30 AM

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To call Henry Cyril Paget, fifth Marquess of Anglesey, an eccentric would be an understatement. A flamboyant, scandalous hedonist with a lust for big spending and showmanship might be more accurate.

Although an embarrassment to the Edwardian era, albeit an endlessly compelling one featured heavily in the press, his legacy is now under re-evaluation. His lifestyle, his exuberant personality and his possible homosexuality have seen the so-called ‘Dancing Marquess’ compared to the likes of Freddie Mercury and David Bowie.

Who was Henry Cyril Paget?

Born in 1875, Paget seemed destined for scandal from the beginning as rumours spread that his father may not have been the fourth marquess at all, but a French actor. After his mother died when he was a toddler, he spent his early years being raised by relatives in Paris before, at the age of eight, being summoned to the family estate of Plas Newydd in Anglesey.

There, he could have an appropriate upbringing for a nobleman’s son, including an education at Eton and a stint in the military. His family had a revered military heritage: the first marquess had been with the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Waterloo, being hit with a cannonball and famously remarking in true British stoicism, “By God, sir, I’ve lost my leg!”

The ‘appropriateness’ of Paget’s life ended in 1898, however, upon the death of the fourth marquess. At the aged of 23, he inherited the title along with estates in Anglesey, Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Dorset, and a fortune sufficient to make him a multi-millionaire today.

A stately stone estate building with bright red autumn ivy covering its exterior walls, set against a blue sky with visitors walking on the green lawn

Plas Newydd in Anglesey, North Wales. Paget inherited the estate upon the death of his father in 1898 | Credit: Getty Images

What did Paget spend his money on?

In just five years, Paget had blown through his entire fortune and wracked up debts sufficient to make him the opposite of a multi-millionaire today. The ultimate spendthrift, he bought the most expensive clothes and jewellery in bulk – once emptying the whole front window display of a Parisian jewellers in a single spree – hosted lavish parties and coveted any outrageous or sparkly thing he saw.

He had underwear woven with gold thread and a collection of cars that he had converted so that the fumes came out as rose-scented perfume.

It was in his love of theatre, however, that Paget truly indulged every single desire. Having renamed his estate as Anglesey Castle, he replaced the chapel with a 150-seat theatre, dubbed the Gaiety, and hired professional troupes to put on shows for guests and locals, free of charge.

How did he become known as the ‘Dancing Marquess’?

Of course, Paget always put himself in the lead of his plays, in which he wore jewel-encrusted costumes and often women’s dresses. Every performance, he would do his “butterfly dance”, moving his body in sinuous motions while waving silk robes as wings. The newspapers soon called him ‘the Dancing Marquess’.

He even took his productions on tours across Britain and Europe, and never shied away from causing a stir. He staged Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband only a few years after the famed Irish playwright had been convicted of ‘gross indecency’ for his homosexuality.

Black-and-white photograph of an ornate, Gothic-style private theater interior, featuring rows of empty chairs facing a decorated stage backdrop with a tropical landscape scene.

The interior of Paget’s theatre, the Gaiety – here, he performed several extravagant plays alongside professional troupes | Credit: Wiki

Was Henry Cyril Paget homosexual?

Over the years there have been many questions about Paget’s sexuality. He had married his cousin, Lillian Chetwynd, the same year that he inherited his title, but the relationship ended after a couple of years with an annulment having never been consummated. Supposedly, Paget was most excited at seeing his wife’s naked form only when covered in jewels.

There is no evidence, though, that he ever had a same-sex relationship or lover. As performance historian Viv Gardner put it, he may have been a “textbook narcissist” instead: “The only person he could love and make love to was himself.”

Regardless, many still believe that Paget should be celebrated as a LGBT+ icon.

What happened when the money ran out?

By 1904, the well had run dry and tens of thousands of Paget’s belongings had to be sold off to pay his colossal debts. The resulting set of auctions, known as the Great Anglesey Sales, lasted 40 days.

Having absconded to France – in possession of a still-generous pension – Paget died in Monte Carlo on 14 March 1905, aged 29, from complications of tuberculosis.

“His example will remain one of the strongest arguments against our hereditary system that the most ardent revolutionist would wish for,” read one newspaper. Another described his as a “wasted life”.

His family attempted to expunge all memory of the fifth marquess. As he had no heir, the title went to his cousin, who set about turning the Gaiety Theatre back into a chapel and renaming the estate as Plas Newydd. Paget’s diaries were destroyed, leaving much of his character up to speculation.

In recent years, Paget has inspired a musical, How to Win Against History, and the 2026 film Madfabulous.

Authors

Jonny WilkesFreelance writer

Jonny Wilkes is a former staff writer for BBC History Revealed, and he continues to write for both the magazine and HistoryExtra. He has BA in History from the University of York.