xxstefaniereadsxx's review
informative
slow-paced
3.0
Edward VII was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He was born in 1841, and died in 1910. He served in the role of Prince of Wales for almost sixty years before finally attaining the throne. In his role as the Prince of Wales, he completed duties of a mostly ceremonial nature. His mother did not think he was keen enough to have any political dealings or influence, and he was largely kept out of it. This book begins with his birth an early education, which I thought were absolutely awful. Queen Victoria was known to not like infants, and I think that Edward (called Bertie by the family) was negatively impacted by that. I also think that he was negatively impacted by being a royal child. He simply was not treated like your run of the mill child that got to play and do whatever. He was required to do the most asinine studies and forced into prim and proper behavior, which I cannot imagine is easy for a child. The book was slightly slow and boring through these early years, but got more interesting as he aged and began to take on more roles and get into shenanagins. I enjoyed reading about his world travels and the people and places he came into contact with. He was certainly, what would would nicely call someone like this, a womanizer. He very much enjoyed eating, drinking, gambling, and other such activities. He reportedly (and most probably) had a good number of illegitimate children, often taking on the role of godfather instead of father to them. His wife, Alexandra of Denmark, was well liked throughout Europe. He, of course, cheated on her left and right. One notable mistress of his is Alice Keppel, the grandmother of Prince Charles' (the current Prince of Wales) mistress Camilla Parker Bowles. (Yes, I know he married her, and I am not a fan of hers. It is also interesting to note that Edward and Charles have many of the same qualities...fashionable dress, parties, whoring, and being stuck in the Prince of Wales role for an obscene amount of time.)
Edward VII ensured that his son, George V, was better prepared for his role as a monarch than Edward himself was. He also fostered good relationships with most of Europe, though not with his nephew, German Emperor Wilhelm II. He was not impressed by the political views and aspirations of Wilhelm, and was proven right when World War I broke out just four years after his death. He was a very personable man, and was generally well liked, despite his anti-German feelings. I really didn't know much about him, as I have only really read about the daughters of Queen Victoria, so I learned a lot from this book. I also really enjoyed seeing the technological advances coming around, such as cars, electric lights, telephones, etc. I am so used to reading about royals way before this period or in the current period, that it was really interesting to see the reactions to the technology from people in the Victorian Era. Overall, this was a pretty informative book.
Edward VII ensured that his son, George V, was better prepared for his role as a monarch than Edward himself was. He also fostered good relationships with most of Europe, though not with his nephew, German Emperor Wilhelm II. He was not impressed by the political views and aspirations of Wilhelm, and was proven right when World War I broke out just four years after his death. He was a very personable man, and was generally well liked, despite his anti-German feelings. I really didn't know much about him, as I have only really read about the daughters of Queen Victoria, so I learned a lot from this book. I also really enjoyed seeing the technological advances coming around, such as cars, electric lights, telephones, etc. I am so used to reading about royals way before this period or in the current period, that it was really interesting to see the reactions to the technology from people in the Victorian Era. Overall, this was a pretty informative book.
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