d. December 1, 1825
Alexander I, emperor of Russia from 1801 - 1825, was born in St. Petersburg. He was raised by his grandmother, Catherine the Great, and came to the throne following the assassination of his father, Paul I. He was indirectly involved in the plot to kill his father, and suffered from guilt for the rest of his life.
Alexander was crowned on september 15, 1801 in the Dormition Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin., and rumors of his homosexuality began circulating shortly thereafter. During the early part of his rule, he relied on the "Unofficial Committee," composed of four of his young companions, for political guidance and support. The results were disappointing, and Alexander's mental state deteriorated.
He spent the first part of his reign fighting Napoleon. Defeated by Napoleon and forced to sign the humiliating Treaty of Tilsit in 1807, he came back in 1812, defeating the French and liberating Europe. Alexander became a hero across the continent.
After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, he turned to religious mysticism. He hoped Through the Holy Alliance with Austria and Prussia to establish a new Christian order in Europe.
He ended his reign as a recluse.
Napoleon said about Alexander I,
"He was the slyest and handsomest of all the Greeks!"
(in that period what was called a "Greek" was what we now call a "gay"...)
http://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fam/bioa1/alexan02.html
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