King of England Edward VII: biography, board, politics

In this article, we will consider that period in England, when it was ruled by King Edward VII. Biography, accession to the throne, the king's policies are quite interesting. It should be noted that he is one of the few oldest princes of Wales, who later began to rule the country. Edward VII has lived a very busy and interesting life, but more details about everything will be described below.

Childhood and youth of the little prince

Edward VII was born in November 1841 in London. The education of the little prince was very strict. From the very childhood his father insisted on getting a decent education for a boy, accessible only to respectable people. By the way, this education was his own. However, Eduard fundamentally disagreed with this. He studied at home, and the prince's tutors often informed his father about the unworthy behavior of the boy. Having received a severe reprimand, Eduard calmed down for a short time.

It should be noted that such riots had very good reasons. By nature, the prince was very cheerful and loved to do what he liked, as well as entertain. But his regime of the day from the very childhood was painted by the minute. And all of them consisted of classes. The maximum that Edward allowed was a quiet walk through the park. Very rarely there were lessons of riding and rowing. To play with peers to the future king was not allowed. Even books for reading were carefully chosen. Obviously, that is why the king so did not like to remember his childhood.

Adult life of the heir to the crown of England

The further life of the Crown Prince was also predetermined. Although Edward wanted to become a military man, he decided to go to university after the decision of his father. He listened to several courses in well-known and respectable educational institutions. Oxford gave him knowledge of the legal sciences, in Edinburgh, the Prince 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 intense, as his biography tells. King Edward VII, after he saw a free life, more and more came out from under the hyperope of his parents.

In 1860, the Prince went on a journey 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 who reported that he was now an adult and could live without parental control. He was assigned a residence - the Whitelight Palace, which was in the county of Serrei.

The Prince of Wales Family

It should be noted that the prince was very good-looking 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 such companies and amusements the prince had a huge amount. After he flew out of the parent's nest, he had a lover.

Also, the prince led a rather unusual life for his family. All men of his kind 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 prince's family. On the family council, it was decided to marry him soon.

The chosen one was a European princess, and very attractive. The heir fell in love with Alexander (that's her name). It was a really strong feeling, and mutual. The wedding between crowned individuals took place on March 10, 1863 in the church of St. George in Windsor. After the wedding, the couple moved to Sandrigem. After a while, this place became the focus of secular life in England, as the ruling Queen Victoria, Edward's mother, began to live more solitary 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 George, and three daughters - Louise, Victoria and Magdalene (there was one more, the sixth child who was born last, but he died the day after birth). It should be noted that the birth of children affected the life of Alexandra, she began to go out less, and her husband somewhat cooled to her, although he loved children and paid attention to them. However, the princess accustomed herself not to pay attention to it. Edward still loved his children and was very fond of Alexander herself, showering her with expensive gifts and giving her his attention.

And the mistresses of the heir to the throne became already a byword. Throughout his life, in addition to short-lived intrigues and fleeting encounters with ladies, he had permanent mistresses, and this relationship lasted long enough.

Accession to the throne

On the throne, King Edward VII entered only after the death of his mother, when it happened in 1901. Before that, he did not interfere in the affairs of state administration, since his mother considered her son very frivolous. In fact, it was not so. During his free time, when his activities for the country were limited to secular events, he acquired numerous useful acquaintances, as he traveled a lot. This played a role after the accession to the throne.

The king became the heir at the age of 59. The coronation ceremony itself was held on August 9, 1902. However, she was originally appointed on June 26th 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 was crowned as Albert Edward I, since his first name was Albert (he was even called Bertie as a child). However, many considered this name 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 passed the Saxe-Coburg-Gothic dynasty.

Political activities of the King

The reign of King Edward VII is marked by good nature and the desire for peace in the country and in the whole world. He managed to conduct external affairs of the state, since he perfectly mastered the language of half-words and half-hints, which is so popular in a diplomatic society, where important cases are conducted in this way. In addition to personal acquaintance with the heads of state, his trump card was that the ruler perfectly mastered several foreign languages. This all influenced his role in world politics. Although his mother, Victoria, and considered her son to be extremely disorderly.

Of course, the King had such qualities. But when he entered the throne after the death of his mother, his diplomatic talent developed to the full. 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 which a union of three states - the Entente - was created. It includes the United Kingdom, 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 arrangements, Britain supplied its warships to Japan. Only when it was three years after the end of hostilities, the parties reached an agreement. King Edward went 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 monarchs in Europe who ruled at that time. Sometimes he was even called "Uncle of Europe".

Edward's Awards and some positions

Edward VII, King of England, during his lifetime received several awards. On May 28, 1844, he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and in 1901 he received the Albert medal in the Royal Society of Arts.

In addition, the King of England was a great master of the United Grand Lodge of England. Let's just say, he did not hide his passion for Freemasonry at all, sometimes even publicly made speeches on this topic. As early as 1908, the King opened the Summer Olympic Games, which took place in London.

Last years

The last years of the king's life were marked by frequent illnesses - bronchitis in particular. Also often he had attacks of excruciating cough and wheezing. Of course, all this could not but affect the general condition of his body. He was weaker every day, but he held on. When he was dying, all his relatives and even his last lover Alice Keppel (with the permission of the queen) were present nearby. He died Edward VII on May 6, 1910 in Buckingham Palace. The funeral was very solemn, there were many sincere condolences, since the deceased king was really loved and respected.

Interesting facts about the life of King Edward VII of England

The king, in addition to foreign affairs, was very interested in naval issues. Obviously, it was not by chance that his name - "King Edward VII" - was named British battleship, a series of which was released in the 1900s. These ships participated in various naval conflicts, and also were part of the Atlantic Fleet.

He was also the first trustee of the hospital, which was called his name (King Edward VII). The hospital still exists. It should be noted that initially the hospital was a military one, and it was founded by one of the beloved King - Agnes Kaiser. Their connection did not stop until Edward's death.

In addition to his passion for seamanship, the king was fond of women. Perhaps, it was his next passion after travel and army affairs. From the moment he stepped on the path of independence, he always had beloved, sometimes even several at the same time. The most famous were the actresses Lilly Langtry and Sarah Bernhardt. He also was in connection 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 rich life and an interesting biography. Edward VII, who since childhood was surrounded by prohibitions, eventually felt a taste for life and never gave up her gifts. The king was a fairly peaceful man, whom many loved and respected, this may be indicated by the moment of his death, when his relatives gathered to pay tribute.