History... Did You Know?

That there was a trans person in the royal family? Me neither!

The Hidden Case of Sir Ewan Forbes, the Transgender Baronet

Despite Forbes’s deep privilege and proximity to the royal family, his journey was not an easy one.

Vanity Fair

By Hadley Hall Meares

August 6, 2025

In 1968, a new name was placed on the United Kingdom’s Official Roll of the Baronetage: Sir Ewan Forbes, the 11th Baronet Forbes of Craigievar. A quintessential Scottish gentleman, Ewan was a perfect fit for his new role. He was a caring country doctor, a doting husband, a sportsman who excelled in riding, shooting, fishing, and Scottish dance, and whose ancient, rather eccentric aristocratic clan had deep ties to the British royal family.

But was he was hiding a secret that we all know all too well!

“His grandfather had been an intimate friend of Queen Victoria; his mother was a close friend of Queen Mary; his father was aide-de-camp to King George V. And their castle, Craigievar Castle (now owned by the National Trust for Scotland), is only 30 miles away from Balmoral,” says Zoë Playdon, emeritus professor of medical humanities at the University of London and author of The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes: And the Unwritten History of the Trans Experience.

Whoa! Amazon writes about the book...

The life story of an aristocratic Scottish trans man and the secret 1968 legal case that provides “a fascinating look into the changing landscape of trans rights” (Library Journal) throughout history.

Ewan Forbes was born to a wealthy, landowning family, holders of a baronetcy, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in 1912. Assigned female at birth, his true identity was nevertheless clear even in childhood—and so, with the support of his mother, he was taken to European specialists and eventually treated with early preparations of synthetic testosterone. Raised as a boy at home but socially obliged to present himself as a girl in public until his official coming out to the Queen, Ewan grew up, became a doctor, and got married. (This required him to correct the sex on his birth certificate, which was possible at that time without much fuss.) For decades, he lived a quiet life as a husband, doctor, and a pillar of the local community.

But in 1965, Ewan’s older brother died unexpectedly—leaving Ewan, the next oldest man in the family, to inherit the baronetcy. When his cousin John—spurred on by Ewan’s sister—contested the inheritance he was forced to defend his male status in Scotland’s supreme civil court, where he prevailed.

This hugely important case would have changed the lives of trans people across the world—had it not been hidden. The hearing was conducted privately, the media were gagged, and those involved were sworn to secrecy. The case remained unknown until 1996 and is at last described here, along with the life of Ewan Forbes, for the first time. Enlightening and galvanizing, The Hidden Case of Ewan Forbes is a “remarkable…vital historical reference” (Booklist) for transgender history and the ongoing struggle for trans rights.

Wow! But was "he" trans? Or intersexed?

Vanity Fair goes on to write...

But despite his deep privilege, Ewan’s journey was not an easy one. “Like most trans people, Ewan learned from an early age to be resilient, imaginative, and courageous in facing the challenges that the world threw at him. He’s really very inspirational,” Playdon tells Vanity Fair via email. Ewan’s biggest battle would lead to an invasive court case which led to his ascendence as Baronet Forbes of Craigievar. The case would be shrouded in secrecy for years, and Playdon believes its implications set trans rights back decades.

All arrows point to intersex. KUNO writes,

By the 1920s, synthetic testosterone was being produced and Gwendolyn, Ewan’s mother, took him on a tour of all the medical facilities available. So, by the time he was 17, he was growing both chest and facial hair, and he had avoided the wrong puberty.

Zoë Playdon

Forbes struggled for years, legally and personally, to correct the gender designation of his birth. He began presenting as a young man in the 1930s. Around that time, with his mother’s help, he traveled to Germany to take advantage of early gender reassignment treatments. Then, in 1952, he fought successfully to have his birth certificate changed. He married Isabella Mitchel the same year and settled into the life of a doctor and gentleman farmer.

Starting in 1965, Forbes had to fight again in a struggle to inherit his father’s title. His status as a member of the aristocracy helped him but also resulted in the details of his court case being kept secret. While Forbes’ claim to the title was ultimately upheld, a court recognized his gender as intersex, it did not serve as a precedent other transgender people could benefit from.

I have to wonder if the royalty, inheritance, and the male line of succession had anything to do with it?

Also, the terminology has changed... trans didn't have any meaning back then and neither did intersex? Was he intersex? Was he trans? Or was "he" forced into a male persona because of a mother who wanted to keep the succession in the family?