Henry Du Pré Labouchere

Born in London in 1831, Henry Du Pré Labouchere was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. He spent about a decade in the diplomatic service before moving fully into politics and journalism, fields where his bold style made him widely noticed.

Labouchere served as a Liberal member of Parliament and became especially well known as the founder and editor of Truth, a weekly paper launched in 1877. The magazine built its reputation on exposés, gossip, and sharp commentary, and it reflected the lively, combative voice that made him a recognizable figure in late Victorian public life.

He is also remembered for the 1885 amendment that criminalized "gross indecency" between men, a law that later became infamous in the prosecution of Oscar Wilde. Labouchere died in 1912, leaving behind a complicated legacy shaped by journalism, politics, and the culture battles of his era.