Princess Seraphina: Britain’s first drag queen
Meet Princess Seraphina, Britain’s first (and most fabulous) drag queen and an early advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
Image: 18th century cartoon depicting male and female crossdressing | Public Domain
Forget modern divas like RuPaul and Baga Chipz. When it comes to the OG of drag queens it’s hard to look past Princess Seraphina.
Before disco balls, death drops and Drag Race (yes, we’re hooked here at Sky HISTORY), this queen was sashaying through 18th-century London in a flowing white gown and scarlet cloak. Even more impressive, she was out there strutting her stuff when just existing as a queer person could land you in prison. Or worse.
So who was she exactly? And how did she become one of Britain’s earliest recorded drag queens?
A bit of background
Princess Seraphina’s real name? John Cooper. Not a huge amount is known about his early life and given the era (George II was King at the time) that’s no surprise. No Instagram to document the glow-up, no 'before she was famous' tabloid spreads in The Sun. What we do know is that by the late 1720s, Cooper had become a familiar face on the London scene. And not just any face, but one with rouge, curls and a knack for dramatic entrances.
He lived just off the Strand and worked as a gentleman’s servant, but his evenings were where things got interesting. By night John Cooper became Princess Seraphina, a regular in London’s underground queer community.
A Molly House local
His favourite haunt? Molly Houses. These weren’t your everyday pubs. They were secretive spaces where gay men (known as 'mollies') could gather, dress how they pleased and be themselves.
And Seraphina? She wasn’t just there for the gossip. She moonlighted as a 'molly messenger' whose job was to ferry letters between suitors and arrange clandestine meetups between upper class gay men. The Georgian-era equivalent of Tinder, if you will.
Her moment in the spotlight (or the courtroom)
Princess Seraphina might’ve gone down as just another London molly, had it not been for a night out in 1732 that took a turn. After enjoying a few drinks, she was attacked by a man named Thomas Gordon. He robbed her at knifepoint and made off with her clothes and jewellery. To add insult to injury, Gordon threatened to report her for sodomy (then a capital offence) if she told anyone what happened.
Princess Seraphina wasn’t having it.
Instead of relenting, she marched to the police station and reported the crime. Yes, in full knowledge that doing so might risk her life. The bravery of that, in the 1700s, is nothing short of extraordinary.
At the trial, witnesses accepted and even celebrated her as a woman. Most happily referred to Princess Seraphina using she/her pronouns and told the court she was glamorous, respected and undisputedly feminine. Against the odds, the courts didn’t prosecute her for her identity. Instead, they convicted Gordon for robbery. No doubt Britain’s gay kings and queens from throughout history would have approved of the verdict.
More than just petticoats and powder
Princess Seraphina’s story might seem like a colourful historical footnote but it’s far more than that. She was a LGBTQ+ trailblazer in rouge and ruffles. A fan-wielding queen who dared to speak up in a world that wanted her silent.
It’s easy to forget that drag wasn’t always sequins and sold-out shows. It was a way to express identity, desire and joy in a world that didn’t make room for any of it. Her legacy lives on in every queen who steps onto a stage, every person who finds themselves in drag and every community that creates space for difference. In many ways, we have Princess Seraphina to thank for modern celebrations like Pride Month and LGBT History Month.
A legacy that lives on
We owe a lot to Princess Seraphina. Not just because she stood up for herself when the world told her not to, but because she laid the groundwork for what drag would become: bold, expressive, joyful, political and unapologetically queer.
Drag might feel mainstream now, celebrated everywhere from nightclubs to brunches to bingo halls, but back then? It was nothing short of revolutionary. Princess Seraphina reminds us that drag isn’t a fleeting trend. It’s a timeless art form with deep and powerful roots.
So next time you're watching Drag Race, scrolling past a queen in full glam on TikTok or even admiring ancient Egyptian queens like Cleopatra, give a little nod to Princess Seraphina. Britain’s OG drag queen and still, arguably, one of its most fabulous.
Want more insights like this one? Join the Sky HISTORY newsletter for fresh takes on the past, delivered straight to your inbox.
