A murder charge is being investigated in the death of the gay great grandson of England’s famous poet Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Hallam Augustine Tennyson was found dead in his flat with “a knife plunged into his neck” according to the Telegraph. Authorities and family members suspect it may have been one of the many “boyfriends” of the 85-year-old retired BBC executive. The Times Online reports that the kin of the poet who wrote such famous poems as “The Charge of the Light Brigade” and “The Lady of Shallot” boasted “that his sexual adventures would have horrified the Victorian Poet Laureate.”

Mr Tennyson wrote about his homosexuality in an article seven years ago. “Lord Tennyson, my great-grandfather, lived from 1809 to 1892 and would no doubt be absolutely horrified by me,” he said. “He was a sexual prude, whereas I’ve always been very liberal when it comes to sex.”

Although he was gay, Tennyson married and had two children and seven grandchildren:

“I told Margo before we married that I was homosexual, but she did not know what that meant,” he wrote. “I explained it to her, but she said she didn’t mind. Looking back, we were terribly rational about it. I went to see a psychiatrist who told me, quite ridiculously, that it was just a passing phase and that the love of a good woman could change me. Despite my homosexuality, we became engaged in 1942, and three years later we married.”

Scotland Yard is going through a list of those believed to be frequent visitors of Tennyson, provided to them by a former partner. According to reports, the retiree had an active sex life. From all accounts, Tennyson did what he wanted and had a sympathetic, loving family.

Alfred Lord Tennyson: “Crossing the Bar”

Tennyson’s gay great-grandson, 85, is found dead [telegraph]
Tennyson’s gay great-grandson stabbed to death in bed [times online]