Was Arthur Guinness gay? Truth behind House of Guinness's big secret explained

House of Guinness has gone down a storm on Netflix, with the Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight's historical drama documenting the true story of the Guinness family.

Set immediately after the death of the family patriarch, the series follows four siblings,including Anne Guinness (Emily Fairn) as they attempt to carry on their father's legacy.

Arthur Guinness(played by Anthony Boyle)is the eldest son and he is pressured into taking up his father's role in Parliament.

However, he is hiding a huge secret that, if it were to be exposed, would bring down the Guinness family business.

Ellen Cochrane (Niamh McCormack), a Fenian, was determined to reveal the fact he had been secretly sleeping with other men - but did that really happen?

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Was Arthur Guinness gay?

The Guinness family tree is a complicated one, with many Arthurs forming the lineage.

The Arthur Guinness from House of Guinness was also known as Lord Ardilaun, and according to The Irish Times, he was said to have had "an unconventional marriage and was probably gay".

He married Lady Olivia Charlotte Hedges-White in 1871 and had no children, with Charlotte understanding Arthur's desires.

The Irish Independent also stated: "Ardilaun was probably gay and had an unconventional marriage which, it was agreed in advance, would not involve sex."

Joe Joyce, author of 2009 The Guinnesses: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Most Successful Family, also wrote about how Arthur was "probably gay".

Although, there is no detailed historical evidence that explains the extent of Arthur’s relationships in the series.

The Irish Times also explained how Lord Ardilaun was not the only homosexual member of the family, as the third Arthur Guinness was said to have had a brief affair with the young playwright, Dion Boucicault.

In the series, Arthur had fallen in love with a lawyer, who broke off the secret relationship as he did not want to be associated with all the family drama.

House of Guinness is on Netflix