Henry Granville

[bunny]

| ~ • ~ | Character Basics | ~ • ~ |

.:Name:. Henry Granville
.:Nick Name:. Hen
.:Rank:. Nobility; Second Son to Lord Granville (Deceased), Brother to the current Lord Granville, Knighted by Her Majesty Queen Charlotte
.:Age:. 36 (born in winter 1776)

| ~ • ~ | Appearance | ~ • ~ |

.:Physical Appearance:. Henry is thin but toned; he keeps active. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He wears his hair with curls usually, but sometimes he tames it to be straighter. Henry wears brighter colors than his contemporaries, preferring purples and blues to the darker neutral tones. He carries himself like a nobleman, a picture of perfection.
.:Height:. 5’10”
.:Portrayed by:. Julian Ovenden

| ~ • ~ | Personality | ~ • ~ |

.:Personality:. To most of the Ton, Henry is a mysterious creature -- but ever polite and cordial. He holds himself with a level of restraint, acting like the perfect gentleman. He can also be sassy with those he feels comfortable with. Henry becomes almost a different person in the comfort of his own home, carefree and open. He believes in the finer things in life and most importantly art, and he enjoys throwing parties in his home and studio where everyone can be themselves. No one needs to hide around him. He accepts everyone for who they are and encourages them to release the shackles of society (at least, in private). As he says - second sons have all the fun without the responsibility of being a lord. Henry is also incredibly warm and comforting, a soothing presence and a good friend. Henry is open about his sexuality in private, and he and his wife Lucy have a very strong partnership (they are close friends) in order to keep the illusion of a happy marriage.
.:Skills:. Painting, Sketching, Charcoal, Drawing - he dabbles in other forms of art, but oil painting is his primary form. He can also sing and play piano.
.:Weaknesses:. Henry feels too deeply and perhaps can be too forward and curt. He has a bleeding heart and can be an incorrigible flirt. He may potentially have wandering eyes, especially for a certain person. . . He also can be secretive and closed off when he has to be to protect himself. He also enjoys overindulging in alcohol and opium. Henry also has a strained relationship with his older brother and younger sister. He prefers people to be their honest selves and hates the ruse that everyone plays in the Ton.

| ~ • ~ | History | ~ • ~ |

.:Birthplace:. Sheffield, England
.:Family:. Father: Lord Hadley Granville (deceased), Mother: Dowager Countess Ophelia Granville (estranged), Brother: Lord Hugh Granville (estranged), Sister: Marchioness Helen Hamilton (estranged), various nieces & nephews
.:Occupation:. Royal Painter
.:History:. Henry Granville was born as the second son to Lord Hadley Granville, Earl of Sheffield, and his wife Ophelia. In his youth, Henry knew he was different; instead of being interested in politics like his older brother Hugh, he had always been interested in art. He would stare for hours at paintings in the family home in the countryside, admiring the brush strokes, and would find himself drawing or coloring instead of his homework from his governess. His father was not the kindest man and ruled with an iron fist, trying to dissuade Henry from the arts. Alas, Henry would not give up on his passion, and when Ophelia took interest in Henry’s paintings, he was enrolled in the Royal Academy of Art. He would never say he had the happiest of childhoods, but painting gave him an outlet to unleash his pain, his anger, his sorrow. He was a prodigy, impressing his instructors with his young age and his command with a brush. He was one of the youngest students to start having his art displayed in public galleries. His father begrudgingly supported him, but it slowly grew to pride when members of the Ton took interest in his son’s work. They still always had a strained relationship.

Especially because Henry knew he was gay at a relatively young age. Henry was never interested in women, not in the same boyish way his friends did. And as he grew older, he found himself not wanting to have a wife; he had no attraction to the opposite sex. However, he started finding his fellow male students at the Academy to be enticing. He started a brief relationship with his friend Ignacio who had come from Italy. It was his doorway into that world -- of beauty, of art, of life. He became freer away from his family, partaking in artists parties and being acquainted to sex and debauchery in all forms. It freed him from that oppressive nature of his father, of the Ton and all of their rules. That was the life Henry was drawn to, and he threw himself into it head first.

But reality came crashing back down on him when his brother found out. It was decided that he needed a wife before scandal hit. His father knew as well, and they tried to arrange a marriage for Henry to quickly integrate back into high society. Henry had other ideas, trying to sneak off with the other bachelors with wandering eyes at the parties. However, Lucy Eden also had wandering eyes. She approached him for a dance when they were both in their mid twenties; she had become a spinster in the eyes of her mother, and Lady Eden was eager to pawn her off to a gentleman, any gentleman. Lucy had seen Henry and his disinterest with the others, and instead of enticing him with her body, she enticed him with her mind. They quickly became friends; their personalities were well-suited with each other, and he told her his truth. Which, in turn, had them create a fortuitous relationship: Henry would have a wife of high status, and Lucy would have the freedom to do whatever she liked with the security of a husband. They both were artists at heart, caring more about the bohemian lifestyle than the Ton ballrooms. So they set out to be one of the more well-known underground hideaways.

Henry’s talent as a painter finally caught the eye of the king and queen, and he had his first commission of a portrait of Charlotte from King George (when he was of more sound mind). Charlotte was so pleased by it that she made him the court painter, always commissioning him for paintings of her whims. (Usually portraits of her dogs, which Henry is fine with painting.) He has a very good reputation in the Ton for his talents and is usually commissioned by the high aristocracy for portraits, landscapes, and more.

| ~ • ~ | Member Info | ~ • ~ |

.:Name or Online Alias:. Bunny
.:Your Pronouns:.
.:Are you 18+:.
.:How Did You Find Us:. A friend recommended me!

[The Writer]