Edward VII

Née Albert Edward. 1841-1910. King of England 1901-1910. Son of Queen Victoria, who belonged to the house of Hanover, and her husband Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. He married Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863. They had three sons and three daughters.

In his younger years and his middle age Albert indulged in gambling and extramarital affairs, which included him in several divorce cases. His wife Alexandra seemed to not mind his affairs and pretended that nothing happened. He had a series of mistresses, one of which was the actress Lily Langtry.

Edward VII was, by the time he became king, an educated, worldly and polite man, who had relations to royal houses in Europe. His characteristics made him very popular not only in Britain, but in Europe as a whole.

In his reign politics focused on social politics, for example retirements and schools. He also founded the Order of Merit in 1904, which honours people who deserve special mention in science, literature and arts.

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Bibliography:

Britannia Staff Article. Edward VII. <http://www.britannia.com/history/monarchs/mon59.html>

British Broadcasting Company. Edward VII. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/edward_vii_king.shtml>

Encyclopædia Britannica. Edward VII. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/179793/Edward-VII>

Mike Mahoney. Edward VII. <http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/saxe_coburg_gotha.htm>

Pugh, Martin. State and Society: A Social and Political History of Britain 1870-1997. London: Arnold,1994.