Born in Lancing, Sussex, Britain, his father was John Sholto Douglas,
the 8th. Marquis of Queensberry (1844-1900). Alfred Douglas was brought
up at Kinmount, the family home in Dumfriesshire, but by his late teens
his parents were divorced and the home sold.
He began writing poetry while an undergraduate at Oxford, and his
first serious poem was "Autumn Days"
which was published in The Oxford Magazine
in 1890. Known to his friends as "Bosie,"
he is best remembered for his relationship with Oscar Wilde, who said of
him that he "understands me and my art, and
loves both. I hope never to be separated from him." Wilde’s praise
notwithstanding, Bosie is often considered one of the premiere
scoundrels in all of English literature, and had a decisive influence
upon Wilde’s ill-fated attempt to litigate against the Marquis of
Queensberry.
