Edward VII

Edward VII (born November 9, 1841, London, England—died May 6, 1910, London) was the king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British dominions and emperor of India from 1901. He was an immensely popular and affable sovereign and a leader of society.

Albert Edward was the second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. When he was one month old, Bertie, as he was called by his family, was created prince of Wales and earl of Chester by his mother. He was placed on a demanding education regime from an early age, and although he did not excel as a student, he later attended the universities of both Oxford and Cambridge. His dalliance with an actress while serving with an army unit in Ireland (June–September 1861) caused Victoria to hold him partly responsible for the death of the prince consort, who had indeed taken his son’s brief liaison much to heart before succumbing to typhoid (December 14, 1861). Subsequently, Victoria excluded her heir from any real initiation into affairs of state. Not until he was more than 50 years old was he informed of cabinet proceedings.

On March 10, 1863, the prince of Wales married Alexandra, eldest daughter of Prince Christian (later King Christian IX) of Denmark. Five children of this union survived to maturity (George, duke of York, subsequently King George V, was the second son; the eldest, Prince Albert Victor, died of pneumonia in 1892). Alexandra was preoccupied with her immediate family, but the prince moved in a considerably wider circle, both at home and on the Continent, becoming a familiar figure in the sporting world. He was particularly given to racing, yachting, and game-bird shooting. His social activities involved him in several scandals.

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He succeeded to the throne as Edward VII following Victoria’s death on January 22, 1901, and was crowned on August 9, 1902. His reign did much to restore lustre to a monarchy that had shone somewhat dimly during Victoria’s long seclusion as a widow. In 1902 he resumed his tours of Europe. His geniality and felicitously worded addresses (conducted in French) during a state visit to Paris in 1903 helped pave the way, by winning popularity among French citizens of all ranks, for the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale of 1904. Relations with his nephew the German emperor William II were not always easy, either officially or personally. Although incapable of prolonged mental exertion, Edward was fortunate in his judgment of men. His support for the great military reforms of the secretary of state for war, Richard Burdon (later Viscount) Haldane, as well as the naval reforms of the First Sea Lord Sir John Fisher did much to avert British unpreparedness when World War I started.

In 1909 Edward became involved in a government crisis after the House of Lords rejected a budget put forth by Liberal Prime Minister H.H. Asquith. Edward’s efforts to encourage Conservatives to pass the measure proved unsuccessful. In the midst of the constitutional battle, Edward died on May 6, 1910. He was succeeded by his son George, who played a role in the passage of the Parliament Act of 1911, which deprived the House of Lords of its absolute power of veto on legislation.