Was Prince Felix a closeted gay man?

[Grand_Duke_Alexei]

Hey, I was wondering if someone could help me.  I heard that Felix Yussopov was a cross-dresser, and I am not sure if I should take this rumour seriously.  Can someone help me?

[Belochka]

Hi Grand_Duke_Alexei,

Felix cautiously alludes to this in his memoir Lost Splendor.

[ashanti01]

In Greg Kings book about Felix, "The Man Who Killed Rasputin" he does write that Felix took a liking to dressing in womans clothings and applied make up.
In his laters years he would apply so much make up that when he smiled it would crack and fall into his plate. ILL....

[Annie]

He actually gives some detailed accounts of his cross dressing escapades in Lost Splendor. He was a young teenager and passed for a girl cabaret singer! He didn't mention if he kept it up after he outgrew his mother's clothes;) but he did always wear makeup, especially mascara, even into old age.

[Forum Admin]

There is a true amusing story about Felix dressing in his mother's gown and wearing her famous Pelegrina pearl necklace to the best restaurant in Petersburg, and he was "acting the part" and twirling the necklace when the string broke and the pearls went all over the place...All the waiters on their hands and knees chasing after the pearls rolling all over the floor...

[Grand_Duke_Alexei]

Lol Admin that is a hilarious story!    Thanks everyone for the book recommendations, I will be sure to read, "Lost Splendor", and "The Man Who Killed Rasputin."

[aligertz]

 :)hello all
just something about the life of Felix that has always stumped me...the prevalent wisdom in the more modern histories seem to suggest the probability that the Prince was a closeted gay man,...they point to his effeminacy,his lavish costume balls,his infatuation with Marie Antoinette and his own pleasure in dressing up in drag.the same wisdom says he was initially drawn to Rasputin because he felt his hypnotic powers could cure him of his homosexual impulses.
first let me declare there is NOTHING WRONG with being gay!
secondly would not Irina have known?

[Valmont]

And your point is........??

[aligertz]

my point is simply that IF he were what the contemporary scholars say he were then why did he not pursue psychoanalaysis in exile to continue his struggle to 'free' himself of his 'addiction'.the point is that Felix was a liar all his life,pampered half to death,used Irina,killed Rasputin just to justify his own mundane and unnecessary existence.AND the point in the end is that he is one of the most unpalatable figures in the Imperial saga.
he and the staryets deserved one another!

[Valmont]

And what is what his contemporary scholars said he was??

Please advise.

[Georgiy]

the point is that Felix was a liar all his life,pampered half to death,used Irina,killed Rasputin just to justify his own mundane and unnecessary existence.AND the point in the end is that he is one of the most unpalatable figures in the Imperial saga.

There is probably quite a lot of truth to this, I quite agree that a major part of his motivation to kill Rasputin was to make himself the talk of the town (as it were).

I have heard that Irina knew of his inclinations.  Maybe Yusupov did think Rasputin could help him overcome it. It is after-all a sin in the Orthodox Church. Probably full and frank confession with a Priest would have been of far more spiritual value and help to him than talking to Rasputin though!

_{If I have offended anyone with this post, I ask your forgiveness.}

[Johnny]

my point is simply that IF he were what the contemporary scholars say he were then why did he not pursue psychoanalaysis in exile to continue his struggle to 'free' himself of his 'addiction'.the point is that Felix was a liar all his life,pampered half to death,used Irina,killed Rasputin just to justify his own mundane and unnecessary existence.AND the point in the end is that he is one of the most unpalatable figures in the Imperial saga.
he and the staryets deserved one another!

Not only I don't find him unpalatable, I find him extremely fascinating. I don't really think he saw Rasputin to cure himself. I admire him for having the courage to persue a totally taboo lifestyle. He was a very refined man. And has it ever occured to you that he might have actually been bi-sexual? There is such a thing, you know? In that case he didn't even lie to Irina. Maybe Irina knew about his past but didn't care as long as he no longer fooled around after their marriage. The guy looked like a movie-star, had taste, was fun, was elegant and filthy-rich. He was cerainly a great catch. Speculating is an easy thing to do. The reality is that we will never know whether he killed Rasputin for other than patriotic reasons.  
As for the two deserving each other, I like Rasputin too. He was much better than many of the royals surrounding him.

[aligertz]

'contemporary' means today or current.They say NOW he was gay.I say he was a narcissist who used everyone and everything in his path.now as for your 'advise' please advise me as to what you seek and ill do my best to provide  

[Valmont]

I am not seeking anything, I just want to know  what your point is.
First, you start this thread with a question, You want to know if Felix was gay, then in your first posting you say :
"first let me declare there is NOTHING WRONG with being gay!
secondly would not Irina have known?  ".
As far as I remeber, I do not recall someone in this forum  saying being gay is wrong....but I get the idea that you are somehow defending him, which is ok, but I do not where you want to get with this opinion...
then in your second  post, you said he used Irina and that he killed rasputing to justify himself, so I still do not know what you seek regarding the question  you started this thread with...
I do not know if you know something about Felix Yussupov besides the fact that he claimed he killed Rasputin.
"Lost Splendor" even  thou I think the book is not a very reliable source historically, I think Felix expresed his points of view regarding several things  about his life, or at leat  he describes  the way he wanted things would have been, that I do not know. Maybe if you read it first, then you will have a lot of your questions, answered.

Best regards

[Robert_Hall]

I do not think Fekix was ever in any closet. And as for  the opinions of others on being gay, you might check a few former postings about the subject. It got pretty heated.
Cheers,
Robert
[also not closeted]