Constance Lloyd was the beautiful young daughter of Anglo Irish aristocrats when Oscar Wilde, fresh from America, ‘Walt Whitman’s kiss still on his lip’, met her. She fell instantly, and he, knowing a good thing when he saw it, proposed to his "grave, shy little Artemis with violet eyes".
Even his staunchest supporters were surprised at the speed of the engagement. Many have tried valiantly since to portray it as a love match. It seems more likely Constance provided a smokescreen for his homosexuality, then still a crime.
This is exclusive subscriber content. Already a subscriber? Sign in
