On May 29th, 1884 Oscar Wilde married Constance Lloyd, the daughter of Horace Lloyd, a Queen's Council member. The two had two children together, Cyril (1885) and Vyvyan (1886). Wilde's family did not necessarily approve of Constance, as she only got an allowance of £250 a year, which would later increase to £900 after her grandfather died. Oscar lived an extravagant life, and the financial strain was one of many problems in their relationship. Wilde was reportedly "disgusted" with Constance's body after her pregnancies. Despite all of this, Wilde continued to support Constance in her endeavors. 

Nobody knows when Constance found out about her husband's homosexual extramarital activities, but in 1891 she met Wilde's lover Lord Alfred Douglas. She visited him in prison, paid his fees, and planned for a reunion later. However, after the scandal, she fled to Switzerland with her sons and changed their last names to Holland. 

(Citation: Kelly, Jennifer. "Oscar Wilde (16 October 1854-30 November 1900)." British Reform Writers, 1832-1914, edited by Gary Kelly and Edd Applegate, vol. 190, Gale, 1998, pp. 360-370. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 190. Gale Literature: Dictionary of Literary Biography, link.gale.com/apps/doc/MALMFA511353148/DLBC?u=uiuc_columbia&sid=bookmark-DLBC&xid=77f38bf7. Accessed 20 Oct. 2021.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jun/24/constance-mrs-wilde-frann…

Event date


29 May 1884

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Event date

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