In this article we will look at the period in England when King Edward VII ruled it . The biography, accession to the throne, the politics of the king are quite interesting. It should be noted that he is one of the few oldest princes of Wales who later came to rule the country. Edward VII lived a very eventful and interesting life, but in more detail everything will be described below.
The 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 on the boy getting a decent education, accessible only to respectable people. By the way, he himself had such an education. However, Edward fundamentally disagreed with this. He studied at home, and the tutors of the prince often informed his father about the boy’s misbehavior. After receiving a severe reprimand, Edward calmed down for a short while.
It should be noted that such riots had very serious reasons. By nature, the prince was very cheerful and loved to do what he liked and to have fun. But his daily routine from childhood was scheduled by minute. Moreover, they all consisted of classes. The maximum that Edward allowed was a calm walk in the park. Riding and rowing lessons were very rare. The future king was not allowed to play with peers. Even books to read were carefully selected. Obviously, this is why the king did not like to remember his childhood.
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, by 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 of law, in Prince Edinburgh attended a course in industrial chemistry, and in Cambridge he studied languages, history and literature. The life of the heir to the throne was quite eventful, as his biography tells. King Edward VII, after he saw a free life, more and more came out of the hyper-custody 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. On his return, he received a letter from the Queen Mother who said that he was now an adult and could live without parental control. He was assigned a residence - the palace of Whitelage, which was located in the county of Serrey.
Prince of Wales family
It should be noted that the prince was not bad at all 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 amusements. After he flew out of the parental nest, he had a lover.
The prince also led a rather unusual life for his family. All men of his family preferred to serve in the navy, while Edward chose an army career, and he quite successfully communicated with his peers officers. All this confused the family of the prince. At the family council, it was decided that he would get married soon.
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 persons took place on March 10, 1863 in the church of St. George in Windsor. After the marriage, the couple moved to Sandrigam. After some time, this place became the center of England's social life, as the reigning Queen Victoria, the mother of Edward, began to live more secluded after the death of her husband, which happened in 1961.
Attitude towards children and spouse
The spouses 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 the day after birth). It should be noted that the birth of children affected Alexandra's life, she began to go out less, and her husband got a little cooler for her, although he loved the children and paid attention to them. However, the princess taught herself not to pay attention to it. Still, Edward loved his children and was very fond of Alexandra herself, showering her with expensive gifts and giving her his attention.
And the mistresses of the heir to the throne were already becoming a byword. Throughout his life, in addition to short-term affair and fleeting meetings with the ladies, he had constant lovers, and this relationship lasted quite a long time.
Accession to the throne
King Edward VII came to the throne only after the death of his mother, when this happened in 1901. Prior to this, he did not intervene in the affairs of state administration, since his mother considered her son to be very frivolous. In fact, this was not so. During his free life, when his activities for the country were limited to social events, he acquired many useful contacts, since he traveled a lot. This played a role after accession to the throne.
The heir became king at the age of 59. The coronation ceremony itself took place on the ninth of August 1902. However, initially she was scheduled for June twenty-sixth of the same year, but it turned out that Eduard 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 the heir to be crowned as Albert Edward I, since his first name was Albert (everyone called him Berti even in childhood). However, many considered this name to be German, and therefore, to avoid conflict, the heir to the throne was crowned as Edward VII. He also came from another dynasty, so now power has passed to the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty.
The political activities of the king
The reign of King Edward VII is marked by good nature and a desire for peace in the country and in the whole world. He was able to conduct foreign affairs of the state, since he was fluent in the language of omissions and half-hints, that he is so popular in diplomatic society, where important things are done that way. In addition to personal acquaintances with the heads of state, his trump card was that the ruler was fluent in several foreign languages. This all 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 fully developed. In Europe he was considered the king-peacemaker. He never aspired to war. This is evidenced by the following case. In 1903, when an armed conflict occurred between France and Great Britain, it was Edward who persuaded French President Laube not to start a full-scale war. This meeting influenced the policies of the three countries, as a result of the creation of an alliance of three states - the Entente. It includes the UK, France and Russia.
A small conflict and deterioration in relations between Russia and England occurred during the Russo-Japanese War. At this time, despite the agreement, Britain supplied its warships to Japan. Only when it was three years after the end of hostilities did the parties come to an agreement. King Edward traveled to Russia to negotiate with Nicholas II, and they came to an agreement that satisfied both states.
The plus was that the king of England was related to almost all the monarchs in Europe who ruled at that time. Sometimes he was even called "Uncle of Europe."
Edward Awards and Some Posts
Edward VII, king of England, received several awards during his life. 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.
In addition, the King of England was the great master of the United Great Lodge of England. Let's just say that he did not hide his passion for Freemasonry at all, sometimes even publicly made speeches on this subject. Back in 1908, the king opened the summer Olympic Games, which were held in London.
Last years
The last years of the king's life were marked by frequent diseases - especially bronchitis. He also often had bouts of excruciating cough and shortness of breath. Of course, all this could not but affect the general condition of his body. He weakened every day, but held on. When he was dying, all his relatives and even his last lover Alice Keppel were present nearby (with the permission of the queen). Edward VII died on the sixth of May 1910 in Buckingham Palace. The funeral was very solemn, there were many sincere condolences, since 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 was no coincidence that his name - “King Edward VII” - was named British armadillo, a series of which came out 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 called by his name (King Edward VII). The hospital still exists. It should be noted that the hospital was originally a military, and it was founded by one of the king's lovers - Agnes Kaiser. Their connection did not end 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 traveling and army affairs. From the moment he stepped on the path of independence, he always had lovers, sometimes even several at the same time. The most famous were 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 had been surrounded by prohibitions since childhood, eventually felt a taste for life and never refused her gifts. The king was a rather peaceful man whom many loved and respected, this can be testified to by the moment of his death, when his relatives gathered to pay tribute.