I saw the movie “Wilde” last night and it portays his two sons as being moved to Switerland (his wife refuses to change their last name, but it’s not clear what happens).
So, my question: what happened to his sons and does Oscar have any direct descents? He died in 1900 at middle age, so he could have grandkids alive today.
Thanks.
Wilde’s son Cyril died in World War I. His second son, Vyvyan, married and had a son of his own, Merlin, who is an author and has published several books about his famous grandfather. Merlin’s son Lucien attended Oxford as a classics major.
So Oscar Wilde has at least one grandson and one great-grandson alive.
Nitpick: Oscar’s wife Constance changed her and the children’s last name to Holland, after her great-great-grandfather Holland Watson. Oscar’s son Vyvyan dropped “Oscar” as his middle name.
You might want to read the book Son of Oscar Wilde written by Vyvyan. It’s rather sad. The kids had an awful time for a while. No one told them what was going on, and they got sent to some rather harsh boarding schools. The descriptions of Oscar as a loving daddy are charming.