Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties. As a constitutional monarch, the Queen is limited to non- of the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927. It was formed by the merger of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland, with Ireland being governed directly from Westminster through its Dublin Castle administration and the British Dominions and Emperor of India Emperor/Empress of India was used as a title by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II, and revived by the colonial British monarchs during the British Raj in India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910. He was the first British monarch The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties. As a constitutional monarch, the Queen is limited to non- of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is a German dynasty, the senior line of the Saxon House of Wettin that ruled the Ernestine duchies, including the duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. It is also the royal house of several European monarchies, and branches currently reign in Belgium through the descendants of Leopold I, and in the United Kingdom, which was renamed the House of Windsor The House of Windsor is the current Royal House of the United Kingdom and each of the other Commonwealth realms. It is a branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , which adopted the English name Windsor by a royal proclamation of George V in 1917. The current head of the House of Windsor is Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch over the by his son, George V George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War (1914–1918) until his death in 1936. George was the first British monarch of the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Before his accession to the throne, Edward held the title of Prince of Wales Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (and formerly the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, before that the Kingdom of Great Britain and before that the Kingdom of England) and the fifteen other independent Commonwealth and was heir apparent Today these terms most commonly describe heirs to hereditary titles, particularly monarchies. They are also used metaphorically to indicate an "anointed" successor to any position of power, e.g., a political or corporate leader to the throne for longer than anyone else in history.[1] During the long widowhood of his mother, Queen Victoria Victoria was the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India of the British Raj from 1 May 1876, until her death. Her reign as the Queen lasted 63 years and 7 months, longer than that of any other British monarch before or since, and her reign is the longest of any female, he was largely excluded from political power and came to personify the fashionable, leisured elite.

The Edwardian period The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son, Edward, marked the start of a new century and the end of the Victorian era. While Victoria had shunned society, Edward was the leader of a fashionable elite which set a style influenced by the art and fashions of continental Europe—perhaps because of the King's fondness, which covered Edward's reign and was named after him, coincided with the start of a new century and heralded significant changes in technology and society, including powered flight Aviation history refers to the history of development of mechanical flight—from the earliest attempts in kites and gliders to powered heavier-than-air, supersonic and spaceflights and the rise of socialism The History of socialism in Great Britain is generally thought to stretch back to the 19th century. Starting to arise in the aftermath of the English Civil War notions of socialism in Great Britain have taken many different forms from the utopian philanthropism of Robert Owen through to the reformist electoral project enshrined in the birth of the and the Labour movement. Edward played a role in the modernisation of the British Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which operated in the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967, the reform of the Army Medical Services,[2] and the reorganisation of the British army after the Second Boer War The Second Boer War , commonly referred to as The Boer War and also known as the South African War (outside South Africa), the Anglo-Boer War (among most South Africans) and in Afrikaans as the Anglo-Boereoorlog or Tweede Vryheidsoorlog ("Second War of Liberation"), or the Engelse oorlog (English War)[citation needed] was fought from 11. He fostered good relations between Great Britain and other European countries, especially France, for which he was popularly called "Peacemaker", but his relationship with his nephew, Wilhelm II of Germany Wilhelm II (27 January 1859 – 4 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia (German: Deutscher Kaiser und König von Preußen), ruling both the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918, was poor. Edward presciently suspected that Wilhelm would precipitate a war, and four years after Edward's death, World War I brought an end to the Edwardian way of life.

Contents

Early life

Edward was born at 10:48 a.m. on 9 November 1841 in Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality. It has been a rallying point for the British people at times of national rejoicing and crisis.[3] His mother was Queen Victoria Victoria was the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India of the British Raj from 1 May 1876, until her death. Her reign as the Queen lasted 63 years and 7 months, longer than that of any other British monarch before or since, and her reign is the longest of any female, the only daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. His father was Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the husband of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, first cousin and consort A prince consort, generally speaking, is a common term for the husband of a queen regnant, unless he himself also is a king in his own right of Victoria. He was christened Albert Edward (after his father and maternal grandfather) at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 25 January 1842. His godparents were the King of Prussia King Frederick William IV of Prussia (15 October 1795 – 2 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, reigned as King of Prussia from 1840 to 1861. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel (1840 – 1857), his paternal grandfather's wife the Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (for whom the Duchess of Kent, his maternal grandmother, stood proxy), his great-uncle the Duke of Cambridge The Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge , was the tenth child and seventh son of George III and Queen Charlotte. He held the title of Duke of Cambridge from 1801 until his death. He also served as Viceroy of Hanover on behalf of his brothers George IV and William IV. His granddaughter, Mary of Teck was the Queen consort of George V, his great-grandfather's wife the Dowager Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Altenburg (for whom the Duchess of Cambridge Princess and Landgravine Augusta of Hesse-Cassel was the consort of Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, the tenth-born child, and seventh son, of George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The longest-lived daughter-in-law of George III, she was the maternal grandmother of Mary of Teck, queen consort to George V, his great-aunt, stood proxy), his great-aunt the Princess Sophia The Princess Sophia was a member of the British Royal Family, the twelfth child and fifth daughter of George III (for whom Princess Augusta of Cambridge, his first cousin once-removed, stood proxy) and his great-uncle Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.[4] He was known as Bertie to the family throughout his life.[5]

Prince Albert Edward in a sailor suit, by Winterhalter Franz Xaver Winterhalter was a German painter and lithographer, known for his portraits of royalty in the mid-nineteenth century. His name has become associated with fashionable court portraiture. Among his best known works are Empress Eugénie Surrounded by her Ladies in Waiting (1855) and the portraits he made of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (186, 1846. Royal Collection The Royal Collection is the art collection of the British Royal Family. It is property of the monarch as sovereign, but is held in trust for her successors and the nation. It contains over 7,000 paintings, 40,000 watercolours and drawings, and about 150,000 old master prints, as well as tapestries, furniture, ceramics, books, and other works of, St James's Palace.

As the eldest son of a British sovereign, he was automatically Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay at birth. As a son of Prince Albert, he also held the titles of Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Duke of Saxony. Queen Victoria created her son Prince of Wales Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (and formerly the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, before that the Kingdom of Great Britain and before that the Kingdom of England) and the fifteen other independent Commonwealth and Earl of Chester on 8 December 1841. He was created Earl of Dublin on 17 January 1850, a Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry, or knighthood, originating in medieval England. The Order is dedicated to the image and arms of St. George as England's Patron Saint, and is presently bestowed on recipients from British and other realms; it is the pinnacle of the honours system in the United Kingdom. Membership in the on 9 November 1858, and a Knight of the Thistle The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order. The Order consists of the Sovereign and sixteen Knights and Ladies, as well as certain "extra" on 24 May 1867.[6] In 1863, he renounced his succession rights to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Saxe-Coburg and Gotha or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha served as the name of the two German duchies of Saxe-Coburg and Saxe-Gotha in Germany, in the present-day states of Bavaria and Thuringia, which were in personal union between 1826 and 1918 in favour of his younger brother, Prince Alfred Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the third Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha reigning between 1893 and 1900. He was also a member of the British Royal Family, the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Kent and Earl of Ulster in the peerage of the.[7]

Education

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert determined that their eldest son should have an education that would prepare him to be a model constitutional monarch A constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a written , unwritten (i.e., uncodified) or blended constitution. It differs from absolute monarchy in that an absolute monarch serves as the sole source of political power in the state and is not legally bound by any constitution. At age seven, Edward embarked upon a rigorous educational programme devised by Prince Albert, and under the supervision of several tutors. However, unlike his elder sister The Princess Victoria, Princess Royal was the eldest child and daughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was created Princess Royal of the United Kingdom in 1841. She became German Empress and Queen of Prussia by marriage to German Emperor Frederick III. After her husband's death, she became, Edward did not excel in his studies. He tried to meet the expectations of his parents, but to no avail. Although Edward was not a diligent student—his true talents were those of charm, sociability and tact—Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, KG, PC, FRS, was a British Prime Minister, parliamentarian, Conservative statesman and literary figure. He served in government for three decades, twice as Prime Minister. A teenage convert to Anglicanism, he was nonetheless the country's first and thus far only Prime Minister who was born Jewish. He described him as informed, intelligent and of sweet manner.[8]

After an educational trip to Rome, undertaken in the first few months of 1859, he spent the summer of that year studying at the University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582, is an internationally renowned centre for teaching and research in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. It was the fourth university to be established in Scotland, making it one of the ancient universities of the United Kingdom under, amongst others, Lyon Playfair. In October he matriculated as an undergraduate at Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (Latin: Ædes Christi, the temple or house (ædēs) of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As well as being a college, Christ Church is also the cathedral church of the diocese of Oxford, namely Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. The.[9] Now released from the educational strictures imposed by his parents, he enjoyed studying for the first time and performed satisfactorily in examinations.[10] In 1861, Edward transferred to Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 160 Fellows .. Trinity considers itself to be "a world-leading academic institution with an outstanding record of education, learning and,[11] where he was tutored in history by Charles Kingsley Charles Kingsley was an English clergyman, university professor, historian, and novelist, particularly associated with the West Country and north-east Hampshire, Regius Professor of Modern History.[12] Kingsley's efforts brought forth the best academic performances of Edward's life, and Edward actually looked forward to his lectures.[13]

Early adulthood

Prince Edward at Niagara Falls The Niagara Falls are voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and, 1860

In 1860, Edward undertook the first tour of North America by an heir to the British throne. His genial good humour and confident bonhomie made the tour a great success.[14] He inaugurated the Victoria Bridge, Montreal, across the St Lawrence River, and laid the cornerstone of Parliament Hill, Ottawa. He watched Blondin Jean François Gravelet-Blondin was a French tight-rope walker and acrobat traverse Niagara Falls The Niagara Falls are voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and by highwire, and stayed for three days with President James Buchanan James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States from 1857–1861 and the last to be born in the 18th century. To date he is the only president from the state of Pennsylvania and the only one to have never married at the White House The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical style. It has been the residence of every U.S. Buchanan accompanied the Prince to Mount Vernon Mount Vernon, located near Alexandria, Virginia, was the plantation home of the first President of the United States, George Washington. The mansion is built of wood in neoclassical Georgian architectural style, and the estate is located on the banks of the Potomac River, to pay his respects at the tomb of George Washington George Washington served as the first constitutional President of the United States from 1789 to 1797,, and as the commander of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783. His role in the revolution and subsequent independence and formation of the United States was significant, and is seen by Americans as the ". Vast crowds greeted him everywhere. He met Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was an American educator and poet whose works include "Paul Revere's Ride", The Song of Hiawatha, and "Evangeline". He was also the first American to translate Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy and was one of the five Fireside Poets, Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, philosopher, and poet, best remembered for leading the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. His teachings directly influenced the growing New Thought movement of the mid-1800s. He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society and Oliver Wendell Holmes Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. , was an American physician, professor, lecturer, and author. Regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century, he is considered a member of the Fireside Poets. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table (1858). He is. Prayers for the royal family were said in Trinity Church, New York Trinity Church at 79 Broadway, New York City, is an historic, full-service parish church in the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Trinity Church is located at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street in downtown Manhattan, for the first time since 1776.[14] The four-month tour throughout Canada and the United States considerably boosted Edward's confidence and self-esteem, and had many diplomatic benefits for Great Britain.[15]

Upon his return, Edward hoped to pursue a career in the British Army The British Army is the land armed forces branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and was administered by the War, but this was denied him because he was heir to the throne. His military ranks were honorary. In September 1861, Edward was sent to Germany, supposedly to watch military manoeuvres, but actually in order to engineer a meeting between him and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, the eldest daughter of Prince Christian of Denmark and his wife Louise. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had already decided that Edward and Alexandra should marry. They met at Speyer on 24 September under the auspices of his elder sister, the Crown Princess of Prussia.[16] Edward's elder sister, acting upon instructions from their mother, had met Princess Alexandra at Strelitz in June; the young Danish princess made a very favourable impression. Edward and Alexandra were friendly from the start; the meeting went well for both sides, and marriage plans advanced.[17]

From this time, Edward gained a reputation as a playboy. Determined to get some army experience, Edward attended manoeuvres in Ireland, during which an actress, Nellie Clifton, was hidden in his tent by his fellow officers. Prince Albert, though ill, was appalled and visited Edward at Cambridge to issue a reprimand. Albert died in December 1861 just two weeks after the visit. Queen Victoria was inconsolable, wore mourning clothes for the rest of her life and blamed Edward for his father's death. At first, she regarded her son with distaste as frivolous, indiscreet and irresponsible. She wrote to her eldest daughter, "I never can, or shall, look at him without a shudder."[18]

Marriage

British Royalty
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Edward VII
Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence & Avondale
George V
Louise, Princess Royal
Princess Victoria
Maud, Queen of Norway
Prince Alexander John
Maternal grandchildren
Alexandra, Duchess of Fife
Maud of Fife

Once widowed, Queen Victoria effectively withdrew from public life. Shortly after Prince Albert's death, she arranged for Edward to embark on an extensive tour of the Middle East, visiting Egypt, Jerusalem, Damascus, Beirut and Constantinople.[19] As soon as he returned to Britain, preparations were made for his engagement, which was sealed at Laeken in Belgium on 9 September 1862.[20] Edward and Alexandra married at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on 10 March 1863. Edward was 21; Alexandra was 18.

Prince Albert Edward and Princess Alexandra at their wedding. St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, 1863

Edward and his wife established Marlborough House as their London residence and Sandringham House in Norfolk as their country retreat. They entertained on a lavish scale. Their marriage met with disapproval in certain circles because most of Queen Victoria's relations were German, and Denmark was at loggerheads with Germany over the territories of Schleswig and Holstein. When Alexandra's father inherited the throne of Denmark in November 1863, the German Confederation took the opportunity to invade and annex Schleswig-Holstein. Queen Victoria was of two minds whether it was a suitable match given the political climate.[21] After the couple's marriage, she expressed anxiety about their socialite lifestyle and attempted to dictate to them on various matters, including the names of their children.

Edward had mistresses throughout his married life. He socialised with actress Lillie Langtry; Lady Randolph Churchill (mother of Winston Churchill);[22] Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick; actress Sarah Bernhardt; noblewoman Susan Pelham-Clinton; singer Hortense Schneider; prostitute Giulia Barucci; wealthy humanitarian Agnes Keyser; and Alice Keppel. At least fifty-five liaisons are conjectured.[23] How far these relationships went is not always clear. Edward always strove to be discreet, but this did not prevent society gossip or press speculation.[24] One of Alice Keppel's great-granddaughters, Camilla Parker Bowles, became the wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, one of Edward's great-great grandsons. It was rumoured that Camilla's grandmother, Sonia Keppel (born in May 1900), was the illegitimate daughter of Edward, but she was "almost certainly" the daughter of George Keppel, whom she resembled.[25] Edward never acknowledged any illegitimate children.[26] Alexandra is believed to have been aware of many of his affairs and to have accepted them.[27]

In 1869, Sir Charles Mordaunt, a British Member of Parliament, threatened to name Edward as co-respondent in his divorce suit. Ultimately, he did not do so but Edward was called as a witness in the case in early 1870. It was shown that Edward had visited the Mordaunts' house while Sir Charles was away sitting in the House of Commons. Although nothing further was proven and Edward denied he had committed adultery, the suggestion of impropriety was damaging.[10][28]

Heir apparent

During Queen Victoria's widowhood, Edward represented her at public ceremonies and gatherings—for example, opening Halifax Town Hall in 1863,[29] Thames Embankment in 1871, Mersey Tunnel in 1886, and Tower Bridge in 1894—pioneering the idea of royal public appearances as we understand them today.[30] However, his mother did not allow Edward an active role in the running of the country until 1898.[2][31] He annoyed his mother by siding with Denmark on the Schleswig-Holstein Question in 1864 (she was pro-German) and in the same year annoyed her again by making a special effort to meet Garibaldi.[32]

Victoria visits Edward during his illness.

In 1870, republican sentiment in Britain was given a boost when the French Emperor, Napoleon III, was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War and the French Third Republic was declared.[33] However, in the winter of 1871, a brush with death led to an improvement both in Edward's popularity with the public as well as in his relationship with his mother. While staying at Londesborough Lodge, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Edward contracted typhoid, the disease that was believed to have killed his father. There was great national concern, and one of his fellow guests (Lord Chesterfield) died. Edward's recovery was greeted with almost universal relief.[10] Public celebrations included the composition of Arthur Sullivan's Festival Te Deum. Edward cultivated politicians from all parties, including republicans, as his friends, and thereby largely dissipated any residual feelings against him.[34]

In 1875, Edward set off for India on an extensive eight-month tour of the sub-continent. His advisors remarked on his habit of treating all people the same, regardless of their social station or colour. In letters home, he complained of the treatment of the native Indians by the British officials: "Because a man has a black face and a different religion from our own, there is no reason why he should be treated as a brute."[35] At the end of the tour, his mother was given the title Empress of India by Parliament, in part as a result of the tour's success.[36]

Edward was a patron of the arts and sciences and helped found the Royal College of Music. He opened the college in 1883 with the words, "Class can no longer stand apart from class ... I claim for music that it produces that union of feeling which I much desire to promote."[36] At the same time, he enjoyed gambling and country sports and was an enthusiastic hunter. He ordered all the clocks at Sandringham to run half an hour fast to create more time for shooting. This so-called tradition of Sandringham Time continued until 1936, when it was abolished by Edward VIII.[37] He also laid out a golf course at Windsor. By the 1870s the future king had taken a keen interest in horseracing and steeplechasing. In 1896, his horse Persimmon won both the Derby Stakes and the St. Leger Stakes. In 1900, Persimmon's brother, Diamond Jubilee, won five races (Derby, St. Leger, 2,000 Guineas Stakes, Newmarket Stakes and Eclipse Stakes)[38] and another of Edward's horses, Ambush II, won the Grand National.[39]

He was regarded worldwide as an arbiter of men's fashions.[40][41] He made wearing tweed, Homburg hats and Norfolk jackets fashionable, and popularised the wearing of black ties with dinner jackets, instead of white tie and tails.[42] He pioneered the pressing of trouser legs from side to side in preference to the now normal front and back creases,[43] and was thought to have introduced the stand-up turn-down shirt collar.[44] A stickler for proper dress, he is said to have admonished the Prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, for wearing the trousers of an Elder Brother of Trinity House with a Privy Councillor's coat. Deep in an international crisis, the Prime Minister informed the Prince of Wales that it had been a dark morning, and that "my mind must have been occupied by some subject of less importance."[45] The tradition of men not buttoning the bottom button of suit-coats is said to be linked to Edward, who supposedly left his undone due to his large girth.[10] His waist measured 48 inches (122 cm) shortly before his coronation.[46] He introduced the practice of eating roast beef, roast potatoes, horseradish sauce and yorkshire pudding on Sundays, which remains a staple British favourite for Sunday lunch.[47][48]

The family of the Prince of Wales illustrated in 1891 (based on a photograph from 1889): (left to right) Prince Albert Victor, Princess Maud, Alexandra, Edward, Princess Louise, Prince George and Princess Victoria.

In 1891, Edward was embroiled in the Royal Baccarat Scandal, when it was revealed he had played an illegal card game for money the previous year. The Prince was forced to appear as a witness in court for a second time when one of the players unsuccessfully sued his fellow players for slander after being accused of cheating.[49] In the same year Edward was involved in a personal conflict, when Lord Charles Beresford threatened to reveal details of Edward's private life to the press, as a protest against Edward interfering with Beresford's affair with Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick. The friendship between the two men was irreversibly damaged and their bitterness would last for the remainder of their lives.[50] Usually, Edward's outbursts of temper were short-lived, and "after he had let himself go ... [he would] smooth matters by being especially nice".[51]

In 1892, Edward's eldest son, Albert Victor, was engaged to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck. Just a few weeks after the engagement, Albert Victor died of pneumonia. Edward was grief-stricken. "To lose our eldest son", he wrote, "is one of those calamities one can never really get over". Edward told Queen Victoria, "[I would] have given my life for him, as I put no value on mine".[52] Albert Victor was the second of Edward's children to die. In 1871, his youngest son, John, had died just 24 hours after being born. Edward had insisted on placing John in his coffin personally with "the tears rolling down his cheeks".[53]

On his way to Denmark through Belgium on 4 April 1900 Edward was the victim of an attempted assassination, when Jean-Baptiste Sipido shot at him in protest over the Boer War. Sipido escaped to France; the perceived delay of the Belgian authorities in applying for extradition, combined with British disgust at Belgian atrocities in the Congo, worsened the already poor relationship between the United Kingdom and the Continent. However, in the next ten years, Edward's affability and popularity, as well as his use of family connections, assisted Britain in building European alliances.[54]

Accession

King Edward VII in coronation robes. Note the Royal Sceptre in its original form, shortly before the addition of the Cullinan I Diamond.

When Queen Victoria died on 22 January 1901, Edward became King of the United Kingdom, Emperor of India and, in an innovation, King of the British Dominions.[55] He chose to reign under the name Edward VII, instead of Albert Edward—the name his mother had intended for him to use,[56] declaring that he did not wish to "undervalue the name of Albert" and diminish the status of his father with whom among royalty the name Albert should stand alone.[57] The number VII was occasionally omitted in Scotland, even by the national church, in deference to protests that the previous Edwards were English kings who had "been excluded from Scotland by battle".[10] J. B. Priestley recalled, "I was only a child when he succeeded Victoria in 1901, but I can testify to his extraordinary popularity. He was in fact the most popular king England had known since the earlier 1660's."[58]

He donated his parents' house, Osborne on the Isle of Wight, to the state and continued to live at Sandringham.[59] He could afford to be magnanimous; it was claimed that he was the first heir to succeed to the throne in credit.[60] Edward's finances had been ably managed by Sir Dighton Probyn, Comptroller of the Household, and had benefited from advice from Edward's Jewish financier friends, such as Ernest Cassel, Maurice de Hirsch and the Rothschild family.[61] At a time of widespread anti-Semitism, Edward attracted criticism for openly socialising with Jews.[62]

Four Kings: King Edward VII (right) with his successors—(from left to right) his son, the future King George V, and grandsons, the future King Edward VIII and King George VI.

Edward VII and Alexandra were crowned at Westminster Abbey on 9 August 1902 by the 80-year-old Archbishop of Canterbury, Frederick Temple, who died only four months later. Edward's coronation had originally been scheduled for 26 June, but two days before on 24 June, Edward was diagnosed with appendicitis. Thanks to developments in anaesthesia and antisepsis in the preceding 50 years, he underwent a life-saving operation, performed by Sir Frederick Treves. This was at a time when appendicitis was generally not treated operatively and carried a high mortality rate.[63] Treves, with the support of Lord Lister, performed a then-radical operation of draining the infected appendix through a small incision. The next day, Edward was sitting up in bed, smoking a cigar.[64] Two weeks later, it was announced that the King was out of danger. Treves was honoured with a baronetcy (which Edward had arranged before the operation)[65] and appendix surgery entered the medical mainstream.

Edward refurbished the royal palaces, reintroduced the traditional ceremonies, such as the State Opening of Parliament, that his mother had forgone, and founded new orders of honours, such as the Order of Merit, to recognise contributions to the arts and sciences.[66] In 1902, the Shah of Persia, Mozzafar-al-Din, visited England expecting to receive the Order of the Garter. Edward refused to give this high honour to the Shah because the order was meant to be his personal gift and the Foreign Secretary, Lord Lansdowne, had promised the order without his consent. Edward also objected to inducting a Muslim into a Christian order of chivalry. His refusal threatened to damage British attempts to gain influence in Persia,[67] but Edward resented his ministers' attempts to reduce the King's traditional powers. Eventually, he relented and Britain sent a special embassy to the Shah with a full Order of the Garter the following year.[68]

"Uncle of Europe"

Edward VII relaxing at Balmoral, photographed by his wife, Alexandra

As king, Edward's main interests lay in the fields of foreign affairs and naval and military matters. Fluent in French and German, he made a number of visits abroad, and took annual holidays in Biarritz and Marienbad.[37] One of his most important foreign trips was an official visit to France in spring 1903 as the guest of President Émile Loubet. Following a visit to the Pope in Rome, this trip helped create the atmosphere for the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale, an agreement delineating British and French colonies in North Africa, and ruling out any future war between the two countries. The Entente was negotiated between the French foreign minister, Théophile Delcassé, and the British foreign secretary, Lord Lansdowne. Signed on 8 April 1904 by Lansdowne and the French ambassador Paul Cambon, it marked the end of centuries of Anglo-French rivalry and Britain's splendid isolation from Continental affairs, and attempted to counterbalance the growing dominance of the German Empire and its ally, Austria-Hungary.[69]

Edward was related to nearly every other European monarch and came to be known as the "uncle of Europe".[2] The German Emperor Wilhelm II, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Grand Duke Ernest Louis of Hesse, Duke Charles Edward of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Duke Ernst August of Brunswick were Edward's nephews; Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, Crown Princess Marie of Romania, Crown Princess Sophia of Greece, Empress Alexandra of Russia, Grand Duchess Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, and Duchess Charlotte of Saxe-Meiningen were his nieces; King Haakon VII of Norway was both his nephew by marriage and his son-in-law; King George I of Greece and King Frederick VIII of Denmark were his brothers-in-law; King Albert I of Belgium, King Charles I and King Manuel II of Portugal, and Tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria were his second cousins. Edward doted on his grandchildren, and indulged them, to the consternation of their governesses.[70] However, there was one relation whom Edward did not like and his difficult relationship with his nephew, Wilhelm II, exacerbated the tensions between Germany and Britain.[71]

In 1908, Edward became the first British monarch to visit the Russian Empire, despite refusing to visit in 1906, when Anglo-Russian relations were strained in the aftermath of the Dogger Bank incident, the Russo-Japanese war and the Tsar's dissolution of the Duma.[72]

Political controversies

Edward involved himself heavily in discussions over army reform, the need for which had become apparent with the failings of the Boer War. He supported the re-design of army command, the creation of the Territorial Army, and the decision to provide an Expeditionary Force supporting France in the event of war with Germany.[73] Reform of the Royal Navy was also suggested, partly due to the ever-increasing Naval Estimates, and because of the emergence of the Imperial German Navy as a new strategic threat.[74] Ultimately a dispute arose between Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, who favoured increased spending and a broad deployment, and the First Sea Lord Admiral Sir John Fisher, who favoured efficiency savings, scrapping obsolete vessels, and a strategic realignment of the Royal Navy relying on torpedo craft for home defence backed by the new dreadnoughts.[75] Edward lent support to Fisher, in part because he disliked Beresford, and eventually Beresford was dismissed. Beresford continued his campaign outside of the navy and Fisher ultimately announced his resignation in late 1909, although the bulk of his policies were retained.[76] The King was intimately involved in the appointment of Fisher's successor as the Fisher-Beresford feud had split the service, and the only truly-qualified figure known to be outside of both camps was Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson, who had retired in 1907.[77] Wilson was reluctant to return to active duty, but Edward persuaded him to do so, and Wilson became First Sea Lord on 25 January 1910.[78]

In the last year of his life, Edward became embroiled in a constitutional crisis when the Conservative majority in the House of Lords refused to pass the "People's Budget" proposed by the Liberal government of Prime Minister H. H. Asquith. The King let Asquith know that he would only be willing to appoint additional peers, if necessary, to enable the budget's passage in the House of Lords, if Asquith won two successive general elections.[10][79]

Edward was rarely interested in politics, although his views on some issues were notably liberal for the time. During his reign he said use of the word "nigger" was "disgraceful" despite it then being in common parlance.[80] While Prince of Wales, he had to be dissuaded from breaking with constitutional precedent by openly voting for Gladstone's Representation of the People Bill in the House of Lords. On other matters he was less progressive—he did not favour Irish Home Rule (initially preferring a form of dual monarchy) or giving votes to women,[10][81] although he did suggest that the social reformer Octavia Hill serve on the Commission for Working Class Housing.[82] Edward lived a life of luxury that was often far removed from that of the majority of his subjects. However, his personal charm with people at all levels of society and his strong condemnation of prejudice went some way to assuage republican and racial tensions building during his lifetime.[10]

Death

Funeral procession of King Edward VII. Windsor, 1910

Edward usually smoked twenty cigarettes and twelve cigars a day. Towards the end of his life he increasingly suffered from bronchitis.[10] In March 1910, the King was staying at Biarritz when he collapsed. He remained there to convalesce, while in London Asquith tried to get the Finance Bill passed. The King's continued ill-health was unreported and he attracted criticism for staying in France whilst political tensions were so high. On 27 April he returned to Buckingham Palace, still suffering from severe bronchitis. Alexandra returned from visiting her brother, King George I of Greece, in Corfu a week later on 5 May.

The following day, the King suffered several heart attacks, but refused to go to bed saying, "No, I shall not give in; I shall go on; I shall work to the end."[83] Between moments of faintness, the Prince of Wales (shortly to be King George V) told him that his horse, Witch of the Air, had won at Kempton Park that afternoon. The King replied, "I am very glad": his final words.[10] At half-past-eleven he lost consciousness for the last time and was put to bed. He died at 11:45 p.m.[83]

The story that Queen Alexandra invited Edward's last mistress, society beauty Alice Keppel, to the King's death-bed[84] is a myth that Alice herself propagated. In reality Alice was, most reluctantly, asked at the King's request and, in a wild fit of hysterics, she was ejected shrieking, "I never did any harm, there was nothing wrong between us. What is to become of me?"[85]

Legacy

Further information: Royal eponyms in Canada Statue of Edward VII in Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne The public park in Lisbon, named after Edward VII

Statues of Edward can be found throughout the former empire, such as those in Waterloo Place, London, Union Street, Aberdeen, Queen's Park, Toronto, North Terrace, Adelaide, Franklin Square, Hobart, Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne, and outside the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.

The lead ship of a new class of battleships, launched in 1903, was named in his honour. Many schools in England are named after Edward; two of the largest are in Melton Mowbray and Sheffield. King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital in India, the King Edward Medical University in Pakistan, King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women in Subiaco, Western Australia, and King Edward VII Hall at the National University of Singapore carry King Edward's name. The Parque Eduardo VII in Lisbon, King Edward Avenue in Vancouver and King Edward Cigars are also named after him.

As king, Edward VII proved a greater success than anyone had expected, but he was already an old man and had little time left to fulfil the role. In his short reign, he ensured that his second son and heir, George V, was better prepared to take the throne. Contemporaries described their relationship as more like affectionate brothers than father and son,[86] and on Edward's death George wrote in his diary that he had lost his "best friend and the best of fathers ... I never had a [cross] word with him in my life. I am heart-broken and overwhelmed with grief".[87] Edward received criticism for his apparent pursuit of self-indulgent pleasure but he received great praise for his affable and kind good manners, and his diplomatic skill. As his grandson wrote, "his lighter side ... obscured the fact that he had both insight and influence."[88] "He had a tremendous zest for pleasure but he also had a real sense of duty", wrote J. B. Priestley.[89] Lord Esher wrote that Edward was "kind and debonair and not undignified – but too human".[90] Edward VII is buried at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. As Barbara Tuchman noted in The Guns of August, his funeral marked "the greatest assemblage of royalty and rank ever gathered in one place and, of its kind, the last".

Edward had been afraid that his nephew, the German Emperor Wilhelm II, would tip Europe into war.[91] Four years after Edward's death, World War I broke out. The naval reforms and the Anglo-French alliance he had supported, as well as the relationships between his extended royal family, were put to the test. The war marked the end of the Edwardian way of life.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Royal styles of Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Reference style His Majesty
Spoken style Your Majesty
Alternative style Sir

Titles and styles

Honours

Arms

When he was created Prince of Wales, Edward was granted a coat of arms. These were those of the kingdom (and his mother), differenced by a label argent, of three blank points, and an inescutcheon of the shield of Saxony, representing his father. When he acceded as King, he gained the arms of the kingdom, undifferenced.[92]

Issue

See also: Grandchildren of Victoria and Albert
Name Birth Death Notes
HRH Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale 8 January 1864 14 January 1892 engaged 1891, to Princess Mary of Teck
HM King George V 3 June 1865 20 January 1936 married 1893, Princess Mary of Teck; had issue
HRH The Princess Louise, Princess Royal 20 February 1867 4 January 1931 married 1889, Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife; had issue
HRH The Princess Victoria 6 July 1868 3 December 1935
HRH The Princess Maud 26 November 1869 20 November 1938 married 1896, Haakon VII, King of Norway; had issue
HRH Prince Alexander John 6 April 1871 7 April 1871

Ancestors

Ancestors of Edward VII of the United Kingdom
16. Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
8. Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
17. Duchess Sophie Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
4. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
18. Henry XXIV, Count of Reuss-Ebersdorf
9. Countess Augusta of Reuss-Ebersdorf
19. Countess Karoline Ernestine of Erbach-Schönberg
2. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
20. Ernest II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
10. Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
21. Princess Charlotte of Saxe-Meiningen
5. Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
22. Frederick Francis I, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
11. Duchess Louise Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
23. Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
1. Edward VII of the United Kingdom
24. Frederick, Prince of Wales
12. George III of the United Kingdom
25. Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
6. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
26. Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Prince of Mirow
13. Duchess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
27. Princess Elizabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen
3. Victoria of the United Kingdom
28. Ernest Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (= 16)
14. Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (= 8)
29. Duchess Sophie Antoinette of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (= 17)
7. Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
30. Henry XXIV, Count of Reuss-Ebersdorf (= 18)
15. Countess Augusta of Reuss-Ebersdorf (= 9)
31. Countess Karoline Ernestine of Erbach-Schönberg (= 19)

See also

Notes and sources

  1. ^ He was heir apparent for 59 years, 2 months and 14 days. The current heir apparent, Charles, Prince of Wales, could surpass this on 21 April 2011. He was Prince of Wales for 59 years, 1 month and 13 days; Charles could surpass this on 9 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Edward VII, Official website of the British Monarchy, http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensoftheUnitedKingdom/Saxe-Coburg-Gotha/EdwardVII.aspx, retrieved 2 May 2010
  3. ^ Magnus, Philip (1964), King Edward The Seventh, London: John Murray, p. 1
  4. ^ London Gazette: no. 20065, p. 224, 28 January 1842.
  5. ^ Bentley-Cranch, Dana (1992), Edward VII: Image of an Era 1841–1910, London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, p. 1, ISBN 0112905080
  6. ^ Weir, Alison (1996), Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy, Revised Edition, London: Random House, p. 319, ISBN 0712674489
  7. ^ Van der Kiste, John (September 2004; online edition May 2007), "Alfred, Prince, duke of Edinburgh (1844–1900)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press), doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/346, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/346, retrieved 24 June 2009 (Subscription required)
  8. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 4
  9. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 18
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Matthew, H. C. G. (September 2004; online edition May 2006), "Edward VII (1841–1910)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford University Press), doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32975, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/32975, retrieved 24 June 2009 (Subscription required)
  11. ^ Wales, H.R.H. Albert Edward, Prince of in Venn, J. & J. A., Alumni Cantabrigienses, Cambridge University Press, 10 vols, 1922–1958.
  12. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 35.
  13. ^ Hough, Richard (1992), Edward and Alexandra: Their Private and Public Lives, London: Hodder & Stoughton, pp. 36–37, ISBN 0340558253
  14. ^ a b Bentley-Cranch, pp. 20–34
  15. ^ Hough, pp. 39–47
  16. ^ Bentley-Cranch, pp. 36–38
  17. ^ Hough, pp. 64–66
  18. ^ Middlemas, Keith; Edited by Antonia Fraser (1972), The Life and Times of Edward VII, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, p. 31, ISBN 0297831895
  19. ^ Bentley-Cranch, pp. 40–42
  20. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 44
  21. ^ Middlemas, p. 35
  22. ^ Letters written by Edward to Lady Randolph may have "signified no more than a flirtation" but were "[w]ritten in a strain of undue familiarity" (Hattersley, Roy (2004), The Edwardians, London: Little, Brown, p. 21, ISBN 0316725374 ).
  23. ^ Camp, Anthony (2007), Royal Mistresses and Bastards: Fact and Fiction, 1714–1936 . They are listed at http://anthonyjcamp.com/page9.htm.
  24. ^ Middlemas, pp. 74–80
  25. ^ Souhami, Diana (1996), Mrs Keppel and her daughter, London: HarpurCollins, p. 49
  26. ^ Ashley, Mike (1998), The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens, London: Robinson, pp. 694–695, ISBN 1 841 19096 9
  27. ^ Middlemas, p. 89
  28. ^ Priestley, J. B. (1970), The Edwardians, London: Heinemann, pp. 22–23, ISBN 0434603325
  29. ^ Holdsworth, David W. (January 2004), Halifax Town Hall, David W. Holdsworth, http://story.theholdsworths.org.uk/pages/halifax_town_hall.html, retrieved 2 May 2010
  30. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 97
  31. ^ Hattersley, pp. 18–19
  32. ^ Bentley-Cranch, pp. 59–60
  33. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 66
  34. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 67 and Middlemas, pp. 48–52
  35. ^ Bentley-Cranch, pp. 101–102
  36. ^ a b Bentley-Cranch, p. 104
  37. ^ a b Windsor, HRH The Duke of (1951), A King's Story, London: Cassell and Co, p. 46
  38. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 110
  39. ^ Middlemas, p. 98
  40. ^ Bergner Hurlock, Elizabeth (1976), The psychology of dress: an analysis of fashion and its motive, Ayer Publishing, p. 108, ISBN 9780405086441
  41. ^ Mansel, Philip (2005), Dressed to Rule, New Haven: Yale University Press, p. 138, ISBN 0300106971
  42. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 84
  43. ^ Middlemas, p. 201
  44. ^ "Try our "98'Curzons!" A few fashion hints for men", Otago Witness, 3 November 1898, http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=OW18981103.2.164, retrieved 5 May 2010, "It was actually the Prince of Wales who introduced this shape. He got them originally about eight years ago from a manufacturer called Charvet, in Paris."
  45. ^ Roberts, p. 35
  46. ^ Middlemas, p. 200 and Hattersley, p. 27
  47. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 80
  48. ^ He was not a heavy drinker, though he did drink champagne and, occasionally, port (Hattersley, p. 27).
  49. ^ Hattersley, pp. 23–25
  50. ^ Middlemas, p. 86
  51. ^ Sir Frederick Ponsonby, 1st Baron Sysonby quoted in Middlemas, p. 188
  52. ^ Middlemas, pp. 95–96
  53. ^ Battiscombe, p. 112
  54. ^ Middlemas, p. 65
  55. ^ Middlemas, p. 104
  56. ^ No English or British sovereign has ever reigned under a double name.
  57. ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 27270, p. 547, 23 January 1901.
  58. ^ Priestley, p. 9
  59. ^ The Duke of Windsor, p. 14
  60. ^ Lee, Sidney (1927), King Edward VII: A Biography, Macmillan, vol. II p. 26
  61. ^ Middlemas, pp. 38, 84, 96; Priestley, p. 32
  62. ^ Allfrey, Anthony (1991), King Edward VII and His Jewish Court, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN 0297811258
  63. ^ Mirilas, P. ; Skandalakis, J.E. (2003), "Not just an appendix: Sir Frederick Treves", Archives of Disease in Childhood 88: 549–552, doi:10.1136/adc.88.6.549
  64. ^ The Duke of Windsor, p. 20
  65. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 127
  66. ^ Bentley-Cranch, pp. 122–139
  67. ^ Hattersley, pp. 39–40
  68. ^ Middlemas, pp. 125–126
  69. ^ Nicolson, Harold (October 1954), "The Origins and Development of the Anglo-French Entente", International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs) XXX (4): 407–416
  70. ^ The Duke of Windsor, p. 15
  71. ^ Middlemas, pp. 60–61 and pp. 172–175; Hattersley, pp. 460–464
  72. ^ Middlemas, pp. 167, 169
  73. ^ Middlemas, pp. 130–134
  74. ^ Kennedy, Paul M. (2004), The Rise and Fall of British Naval Mastery, London: Penguin Books, pp. 215–216
  75. ^ See, principally, Lambert, Nicholas A. (2002), Sir John Fisher's Naval Revolution, Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press, ISBN 1570034923 For a much shorter summary of Fisher's reforms, see Grove, Eric J. (2005), The Royal Navy since 1815, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 88–100, ISBN 0333721268
  76. ^ Middlemas, pp. 134–139
  77. ^ Lambert, pp. 200–201.
  78. ^ Bradford, Admiral Sir Edward E. (1923), Life of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson, London: John Murray, pp. 223–225
  79. ^ Hattersley, p. 168
  80. ^ Rose, Kenneth (1983), King George V, London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, p. 65
  81. ^ Hattersley, pp. 215–216
  82. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 98
  83. ^ a b Bentley-Cranch, p. 151
  84. ^ Priestley, pp. 18, 180
  85. ^ Aronson, Theo (1988), The King in Love: Edward VII's mistresses, London: John Murray, pp. 251–253 ; Lamont-Brown, Raymond (1998), Edward VII's Last Loves, Stroud: Sutton Publishing, p. 131
  86. ^ Bentley-Cranch, p. 155
  87. ^ King George V's diary, 6 May 1910. Royal Archives
  88. ^ The Duke of Windsor, p. 69
  89. ^ Priestley, p. 25
  90. ^ Hattersley, p. 17
  91. ^ Middlemas, pp. 176, 179
  92. ^ Velde, François (19 April 2008), Marks of Cadency in the British Royal Family, Heraldica, http://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/cadency.htm, retrieved 2 May 2010

References

Further reading

External links

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Edward VII of the United Kingdom House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Cadet branch of the House of Wettin Born: 9 November 1841 Died: 6 May 1910
Regnal titles
Preceded by Victoria King of the United Kingdom Emperor of India 22 January 1901 – 6 May 1910 Succeeded by George V
British royalty
Preceded by The Princess Victoria Heir to the Throne as heir apparent 1841–1901 Succeeded by Prince George, Duke of Cornwall later became King George V
Vacant Title last held by Prince George, Duke of Cornwall later became King George IV Prince of Wales 1841–1901 Vacant Title next held by Prince George, Duke of Cornwall later became King George V
Peerage of England
Vacant Title last held by Prince George, Duke of Cornwall later became King George IV Duke of Cornwall 1841–1901 Succeeded by Prince George, Duke of York later became King George V
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Vacant Title last held by Prince George, Duke of Rothesay later became King George IV Duke of Rothesay 1841–1901 Succeeded by Prince George, Duke of York later became King George V
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Preceded by The Marquess of Ripon Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England 1875–1901 Succeeded by Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
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2nd Generation

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3rd Generation

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4th Generation

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5th Generation

Albert, Prince Consort* · George V of Hanover · George, Duke of Cambridge
6th Generation

Edward VII · Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha · Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn · Leopold, Duke of Albany · Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover
7th Generation

Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale · George V · John of Wales · Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha · George William of Hanover · Arthur of Connaught · Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha · Christian of Hanover · Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick
8th Generation

Edward VIII · George VI · Henry, Duke of Gloucester · George, Duke of Kent · The Prince John · John Leopold, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha · Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha · Ernest Augustus IV, Prince of Hanover · Alastair, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn · George of Hanover
9th Generation

Philip, Duke of Edinburgh* · William of Gloucester · Richard, Duke of Gloucester · Edward, Duke of Kent · Michael of Kent
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Charles, Prince of Wales · Andrew, Duke of York · Edward, Earl of Wessex
11th Generation

William of Wales · Henry of Wales · James, Viscount Severn
*not a British prince by birth, but a royal prince consort
Princes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, dukes in Saxony
1st Generation Prince Ferdinand^ · Leopold I of Belgium^
2nd Generation Ernest II^ · Albert, Prince Consort of the United Kingdom^* · Ferdinand II of Portugal^# · August, Prince of Kohary^ · Prince Leopold^ · Louis-Philippe, Crown Prince of Belgium** · Leopold II of Belgium** · Philippe, Count of Flanders**
3rd Generation Edward VII of the United Kingdom* · Alfred* · Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn* · Leopold, Duke of Albany* · Peter V of Portugal# · Louis I of Portugal# · Infante João, Duke of Beja# · Infante Fernando of Portugal# · Infante Augustus, Duke of Coimbra# · Prince Philipp · Prince Ludwig August · Ferdinand I of Bulgaria · Leopold, Duke of Brabant** · Prince Baudouin** · Albert I of Belgium**
4th Generation Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale* · George V of the United Kingdom* · Prince Alexander John* · Alfred, Hereditary Prince* · Prince Arthur* · Charles Edward* · Prince Leopold Clement · Prince Peter · Prince August Leopold · Charles I of Portugal# · Infante Afonso, Duke of Porto# · Prince Joseph · Prince Ludwig · Leopold III of Belgium** · Charles, Count of Flanders**
5th Generation Edward VIII of the United Kingdom* · George VI of the United Kingdom* · Henry, Duke of Gloucester* · George, Duke of Kent* · Prince John* · Alastair, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn* · Hereditary Prince Johann Leopold* · Prince Hubertus* · Prince Friedrich Josias · Prince August Clemens · Prince Rainier · Prince Philip · Prince Ernst · Prince Antonius* · Louis Philip, Crown Prince of Portugal# · Manuel II of Portugal# ·
6th Generation Andreas · Prince Adrian · Prince John Henry
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^ prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld until 1826 * also a prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ** also a prince of Belgium # also a member of the Portuguese Royal family
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HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Cornwall (1952–present) Edward, the Black Prince (1337–1376) · Richard II (1376–1377) · Henry V (1399–1413) · Henry VI (1421–1422) · Edward of Westminster (1453–1471) · Edward V (1470–1483) · Edward of Middleham (1483–1484) · Arthur Tudor (1486–1502) · Henry VIII (1502–1509) · Henry Tudor (1511) · Henry Tudor (1514) · Edward VI (1537–1547) · Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1603–1612) · Charles I (1612–1625) · Charles II (1630–1649) · Prince James Stuart "The Old Pretender" (1688–1689) · George II (1714–1727) · Prince Frederick (1727–1751) · George IV (1762–1820) · Edward VII (1841–1901) · George V (1901–1910) · Edward VIII (1910–1936)
Dukes of Rothesay

HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay (1952–present) David (1398–1402) · James I (1402–1406) · Alexander (1430) · James II (1430–1437) · James III (1452–1460) · James IV (1473–1488) · James (1507–1508) · Arthur (1509–1510) · James V (1512–1513) · James (1540–1541) · James VI (1566–1567) · Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1603–1612) · Charles I (1612–1625) · Charles James (1629) · Charles II (1630–1649) · Prince James (1688–1689) · George II (1714–1727) · Prince Frederick (1727–1751) · George IV (1762–1820) · Edward VII (1841–1901) · George V (1901–1910) · Edward VIII (1910–1936)
Persondata
NAME Edward VII of the United Kingdom
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Albert Edward
SHORT DESCRIPTION European royalty
DATE OF BIRTH 9 November 1841
PLACE OF BIRTH Buckingham Palace, London
DATE OF DEATH 6 May 1910
PLACE OF DEATH Buckingham Palace, London

Categories: 1841 births | 1910 deaths | Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford | Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge | British Field Marshals | Deaths from bronchitis | Dukes of Cornwall | Dukes of Rothesay | Grand Masters of the UGLE | Heads of state of Canada | Heads of state of New Zealand | House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | Kings of the United Kingdom | Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Stephen of Hungary | Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Dutch Lion | Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav | Knights of St Patrick | Knights of the Garter | Knights of the Golden Fleece | Monarchs of Australia | Owner of Epsom Derby winners | People associated with the Royal National College for the Blind | People from Westminster | People of the Edwardian era | Princes of the United Kingdom | Princes of Wales | Protestant monarchs | Recipients of the Order of the Black Eagle | Royal Fellows of the Royal Society

 

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