James Buchanan, the 15th President of the United States, remains the only commander-in-chief to never marry—a fact that fueled speculation during his lifetime and continues to intrigue historians today. The reasons behind his lifelong bachelorhood are complex, woven from personal tragedy, political ambition, and whispers of a forbidden love that could never be openly acknowledged.
The Shadow of Lost Love
Early in life, Buchanan was engaged to Ann Coleman, the daughter of a wealthy Pennsylvania iron magnate. Their courtship ended in disaster when a misunderstanding—possibly fueled by rumors of Buchanan’s alleged financial motives—led Ann to abruptly break off the engagement in 1819. Days later, she died under mysterious circumstances, with some accounts suggesting suicide by overdose. The tragedy haunted Buchanan for the rest of his life.
“I have no happiness but what centers in her,” he wrote despairingly after her death. He later claimed, “I feel that happiness has fled from me forever.” Some historians argue this loss hardened him against romantic attachments, while others suspect it became a convenient shield to deflect questions about his personal life.
Politics as a Substitute for Family
Buchanan threw himself into his career with singular focus, rising from Congressman to Secretary of State and eventually the presidency. “I am now ‘solitary and alone,’” he wrote after his close companion, Senator William Rufus King, left Washington in 1844, “having no companion in the house with me.”
His niece, Harriet Lane, whom he adopted after the death of her parents, became his de facto First Lady. When pressed about his marital status, Buchanan often deflected with humor or pragmatism. “Marry? I never had time,” he once quipped. “My public duties have always consumed my whole attention.”
The William Rufus King Factor
Buchanan’s most enduring relationship was with King, a fellow senator who became Vice President under Franklin Pierce. The two lived together for over a decade in Washington, prompting contemporary gossip. Andrew Jackson called King Buchanan’s “better half,” while others mockingly referred to them as “Aunt Fancy and Miss Nancy.”
Their letters brimmed with affection. When King was appointed Minister to France in 1844, Buchanan lamented, “I am now ‘solitary and alone.’ I have gone a-wooing to several gentlemen, but have not succeeded with any one of them.” After King’s death in 1853, Buchanan never formed another close bond.
A Deliberate Enigma?
Buchanan’s refusal to marry—and his intense male friendships—led to speculation even in his lifetime. Detractors whispered about his “peculiar bachelor habits,” while allies dismissed such talk as political mudslinging. Modern historians remain divided: Was he a closeted gay man in an era when such identity couldn’t exist? A heartbroken widower-by-circumstance? Or simply a man wedded to his career?
“History has judged him harshly for many things,” wrote biographer Jean Baker, “but perhaps we’ve failed to see the man behind the myths—one who loved deeply, if not conventionally.”
Legacy of Loneliness
Buchanan’s presidency (1857–1861) was a failure—his inability to prevent the Civil War overshadowing all else. In retirement, he lived alone, defending his legacy in memoirs but never explaining his personal choices. When asked late in life why he never married, he reportedly sighed and said only: “Some men are not destined for such happiness.”
Whether by fate, heartbreak, or hidden truth, James Buchanan remains a puzzle—a president whose empty White House mirrored, perhaps, the empty spaces in his heart.