In this article we will look at the period in England when it was ruled by King Edward VII. Biography, accession to the throne, the policy of the king are quite interesting. It should be noted that he is one of the few oldest Princes of Wales who came to rule the country late. Edward VII lived a very eventful and interesting life, but everything will be described in more detail below.
Childhood and youth of the little prince
Edward VII was born in November 1841 in London. The upbringing of the little prince was very strict. From childhood, his father insisted that the boy receive a decent education, available only to respectable people. By the way, he himself had such an education. However, Edward disagreed with this fundamentally. He studied at home, and the prince's tutors often reported to his father about the boy's misbehavior. After receiving a severe reprimand, Eduard calmed down for a while.
It should be noted that such riots were based on very seriousgrounds. By nature, the prince was very cheerful and liked to do what he liked, as well as to have fun. But his daily routine from childhood was scheduled by the minute. And all of them consisted of classes. The maximum that Edward was allowed was a quiet walk in the park. Riding and rowing lessons were very rare. The future king was not allowed to play with peers. Even the books to read were carefully selected. Obviously, this is why the king did not like to remember his childhood so much.
The adult life of the heir to the crown of England
The future life of the crown prince was also predetermined. Although Edward himself wanted to become a military man, at the decision of his father, he went to study at the university. He attended several courses in well-known and reputable educational institutions. Oxford gave him knowledge in legal sciences, in Edinburgh the prince attended a course in industrial chemistry, and in Cambridge he studied languages, history and literature. At the same time, the life of the heir to the throne was quite eventful, as his biography tells. King Edward VII, after seeing a free life, increasingly left the overprotection of his parents.
In 1860, the prince went on a trip to the American continent, namely to countries such as Canada and the United States. This trip gave him the long-awaited freedom. Upon his return, he received a letter from the Queen Mother informing him that he was now an adult and could live without parental supervision. He was assigned a residence - Whitelage Palace, which was located in the county of Surrey.
The Prince of Wales Family
It should be noted that the prince was very handsome and many women looked at him. In addition, he had a good-natured character, and sociability was his main feature. Edward VII in any company became his own. And the prince had a huge number of such companies and entertainments. After he flew away from his parent's nest, he had a lover.
Also, the prince led a rather unusual life for his family. All the men of his family preferred to serve in the navy, while Edward chose an army career, and he quite successfully communicated with his fellow officers. All this brought confusion to the prince's family. At the family council, it was decided that he would soon marry.
The chosen one was a European princess, and very attractive. The heir fell in love with Alexandra (that was her name). It was a really strong feeling, and mutual. The wedding between the crowned ladies took place on March 10, 1863 at St. George's Church in Windsor. After the marriage, the couple moved to Sandrigham. After a while, this place became the focus of social life in England, as the reigning Queen Victoria, Edward's mother, began to live more secluded after the death of her husband, which happened in 1961.
Attitude towards children and spouse
The couple had five children: two sons - Albert Victor and Georg, and three daughters - Louise, Victoria and Magdalene (there was another, sixth child, who was born last, but he died a day after birth). It should be noted thatthe birth of children influenced Alexandra's life, she began to go out less, and her husband cooled somewhat towards her, although he loved children and paid attention to them. However, the princess taught herself not to pay attention to it. Eduard still loved his children and was very affectionate towards Alexandra herself, showering her with expensive gifts and giving her his attention.
And the mistresses of the heir to the throne were already the talk of the town. Throughout his life, in addition to short-term affairs and fleeting meetings with ladies, he had constant mistresses, and these relationships lasted long enough.
Ascension to the Throne
King Edward VII came to the throne only after the death of his mother, when it happened in 1901. Prior to that, he did not interfere in the affairs of government, as his mother considered her son very frivolous. Actually, it wasn't. During his free life, when his activities for the country were limited to social events, he acquired numerous useful contacts, as he traveled a lot. This played a role after taking the throne.
The heir became king at the age of 59. The coronation ceremony itself took place on August 9, 1902. However, it was originally scheduled for June 26 of the same year, but it turned out that Edward had an attack of appendicitis, so the event was postponed for two months. It should be noted that this happened for the first time.
Everyone expected that the heir would be crowned as Albert Edward I, since his firstthe name was Albert (everyone called him Bertie even in childhood). However, many considered this name to be German, and therefore, in order to avoid conflict, the heir to the throne was crowned as Edward VII. He also came from another dynasty, so now the power has passed to the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty.
King's political activities
The reign of King Edward VII is marked by good nature and desire for peace in the country and in general throughout the world. He was able to conduct the foreign affairs of the state, because he was fluent in the language of omissions and half-hints, which is so popular in a diplomatic society, where important business is conducted in this way. In addition to personal acquaintances with the heads of state, his trump card was that the ruler was fluent in several foreign languages. All this influenced his role in world politics. Although his mother, Victoria, considered her son to be extremely careless.
Of course, the king had such qualities. But when he came to the throne after the death of his mother, his diplomatic talent developed to the fullest. In Europe, he was considered a peacemaker king. He never aspired to war. This is evidenced by the following case. In 1903, when an armed conflict broke out between France and Great Britain, it was Edouard who convinced French President Laube not to start a full-scale war. This meeting influenced the policy of the three countries, since as a result a union of three states was created - the Entente. It includes the UK, France and Russia.
A little conflict anddeterioration in relations between Russia and England occurred during the Russo-Japanese War. At this time, despite the agreements, Great Britain supplied its warships to Japan. Only when three years had passed after the end of hostilities did the parties come to an agreement. King Edward went to Russia to negotiate with Nicholas II, and they came to an agreement that satisfied both states.
Plus, the king of England was related to almost all the monarchs in Europe who ruled at that time. Sometimes he was even called “Uncle Europe.”
Eduard's awards and some positions
Edward VII, King of England, received several awards during his lifetime. On May 28, 1844, he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and in 1901 he received the Albert Medal from the Royal Society of Arts.
Besides this, the King of England was the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England. Let's just say that he did not hide his passion for Freemasonry at all, sometimes he even made public speeches on this topic. Back in 1908, the king opened the Summer Olympic Games, which were held in London.
Recent years
The last years of the king's life were marked by frequent illnesses - bronchitis in particular. He also often had bouts of agonizing coughing and shortness of breath. Of course, all this could not but affect the general condition of his body. He was getting weaker every day, but he held on. When he was dying, all his relatives and even his lastbeloved Alice Keppel (with the permission of the queen). Edward VII died on May 6, 1910 at Buckingham Palace. The funeral was very solemn, there were many sincere condolences, as the deceased king was really loved and respected by everyone.
Interesting facts from the life of King Edward VII of England
The King, in addition to foreign affairs, was very interested in naval matters. Obviously, it is no coincidence that his name - "King Edward VII" - was named British ironclad, a series of which was released in the 1900s. These ships participated in various maritime conflicts, and were also part of the Atlantic Fleet.
He was also the first trustee of the hospital, which was named after him (King Edward VII). The hospital still exists today. It should be noted that the hospital was originally a military one, and one of the king's lovers, Agnes Kaiser, founded it. Their connection did not stop until the death of Edward.
In addition to his passion for maritime affairs, the king was also fond of women. Perhaps this was his next passion after travel and military affairs. From the moment he set foot on the path of independence, he has always had lovers, sometimes even several at the same time. The most famous were the actresses Lilly Langtry and Sarah Bernhardt. He was also in touch with Alice Keppel, which also ended only with the death of the sovereign.
Conclusion
As you can see, the King of England had a rather eventful life and an interesting biography. Edward VII, who from childhood was surrounded by prohibitions, infinally got a taste for life and never refused its gifts. The king was a rather peaceful man who was loved and respected by many, as evidenced by the moment of his death when his loved ones gathered to pay their respects.
