Is Madfabulous based on a true story? The True History of Cyril Paget's "Dancing Marquis".

He inherited a huge fortune, but within five years he blew it all on his brilliance and love of the theater. A flamboyant figure who colored the Edwardian era, he is now regarded as a lost figure in the history of homosexuality.

To think of Henry Cyril Paget, the 5th Marquis of England as an eccentric, would be an understatement. He may be a flamboyant and scandalous hedonist with a penchant for big spending and more elaborate showmanship.

Although an embarrassment to the Edwardian era, however endlessly compelling it was heavily featured in the press, his legacy is now being reassessed. His lifestyle, flamboyant personality and possible homosexuality have seen him dubbed the "Dancing Marquis" compared to the likes of Freddie Mercury and David Bowie.

Born in 1875, Paget seemed destined for scandal from the start, as rumors swirled that his father might not have been the fourth Marquess at all, but a French actor. After his mother's death as a child, he spent his early years being raised by relatives in Paris, before being summoned to the family estate Plas Newydd in Anglesey at the age of eight.

There, he was able to have a proper upbringing for a nobleman's son, including an education at Eton and a stint in the army. His family had a respectable military heritage: the first Marquess was with the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo, was hit by a cannonball and, in true British stoicism, said, "By God, sir, I've lost my leg!"

Paget's "fit" life ended in 1898, however, with the death of Marx IV. At the age of 23, he inherited the title, along with estates in Anglesey, Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Dorset, and a fortune, enough to make him a multi-millionaire today.

In just five years, Paget had blown his entire fortune and racked up enough debt to make him the multi-millionaire he is today. She bought the most expensive clothes and jewelry in bulk—when she emptied the entire window of a Parisian jeweler in one spree—threw lavish parties and coveted anything outrageous or glittering she saw.

She had undergarments woven with gold thread and a collection of machines that she had modified to emit steam in the form of rose-scented perfume.

However, it was in his love of the theater that Paget truly fulfilled all his desires. After renaming his property Anglesey Castle, he replaced the chapel with a 150-seat theatre, the Happiness, and hired professional groups to perform for free to guests and locals.

How did he become known as the "Dancing Marquis"?

Of course, Paget always put himself in the lead role in his plays, in which he wore bejeweled and often feminine clothes. In each performance, she did her "butterfly dance," moving her body in sinuous motions while waving silk dresses as wings. Newspapers soon dubbed him the "Dancing Marquis".

He even took his productions on tour across the UK and Europe and never shied away from causing a stir. He staged Oscar Wilde's The Ideal Husband just a few years after the famous Irish playwright was convicted of "gross indecency." Homosexuality

Over the years there have been many questions about Paget's sexuality. He had married his cousin, Lillian Chetwynd, the same year he inherited his title, but the relationship ended in an annulment after a few years. Apparently Paget was thrilled to see his wife's bare face only when it was covered in jewels.

However, there is no evidence that he ever had a same-sex relationship or lover. As performance historian Viv Gardner puts it, he may instead have been a "textbook narcissist": "The only person he could love and make love with was himself."

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

By 1904, the well had run dry and tens of thousands of Paget's assets had to be sold to pay off his enormous debts. The resulting series of auctions, known as the Great Anglesey Sale, lasted 40 days.

After fleeing to France - enjoying a generous pension - Paget died of complications from tuberculosis on 14 March 1905 in Monte Carlo at the age of 29.

One newspaper read: "His example will be one of the strongest arguments against our hereditary system to which the most ardent revolutionaries aspire." Another described him as a "wasted life".

His family tried to erase all memories of Marx V. As he had no heirs, the title passed to his cousin, who decided to convert the Joyous Theater into a chapel and rename the property Plas Newydd. Memoirs were obscured, leaving much of his personality to conjecture.

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

Johnny Wilkes is a former staff writer for BBC History Revealed and continues to write for the magazine and HistoryExtra. He holds a BA in History from York University.