Edward VII: The Last Victorian King by Christopher Hibbert (PDF)

Description

A riveting biography that vividly captures the life and times of the last Victorian king.To his mother, Queen Victoria, he was “poor Bertie,” to his wife he was “my dear little man,” while the President of France called him “a great English king,” and the German Kaiser condemned him as “an old peacock.” King Edward VII was all these things and more, as Hibbert reveals in this captivating biography. Shedding new light on the scandals that peppered his life, Hibbert reveals Edward’s dismal early years under Victoria’s iron rule, his terror of boredom that led to a lively social life at home and abroad, and his eventual ascent to the throne at age 59. Edward is best remembered as the last Victorian king, the monarch who installed the office of Prime Minister.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐In a really peculiar error, Hibbert describes Queen Victoria’s death as being on June 22, 1901. (Page 187). Victoria had died on the twenty second of January 1901). Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, was a naturally affectionate boy, but unfortunately he was not intellectual and a poor student. Constantly compared to Vicky, the Princess Royal, one year older, and who was exceptionally bright and who loved learning and sopping up knowledge, poor Bertie labored under an excruciatingly long day given to hours of study without relief, encouragement or praise when he occasionally did well. Once when he asked his mother if the pink was the female of the carnation, he was ridiculed when his funny little observation should have been cherished. Bertie reacted with tantrums, stamping of feet and throwing things and the tighter the screws were turned the worse he got. He was commonly referred to by the family as Poor Bertie. Even a phrenologist, who felt the contours of Bertie’s head, dismissed the poor child’s brain as being of feeble quality.Bertie grew up, his life severely regimented but he obtained some level of freedom in a tour of Canada and the United States where he was joyfully received and he conducted himself well. On his return he spent some time at both Oxford and Cambridge and was inducted into the army in Ireland. His army buddies tucked one Nellie Clifton, an amiable hustler, into his bad and Bertie entered a new era for him, the pleasures of the flesh. which he pursued with relish.The Prince Consort, when he heard of Bertie’s fall from grace, almost went off the deep end. How a man who had sired nine children could get into such an hysterical twit over Bertie’s first sexual escapade is quite remarkable. But the unwelcome revelations of Nellie appeared to culminate in the Prince’s terminal illness. At age 42, Albert gave up and wasted away. and Queen Victoria placed Albert’s’ death at Bertie’s door, remarking that the sight of her son “makes her shudder.”Bertie was married to the beautiful Danish princess Alexandra as a sort of safety valve. However Victoria refused to make Edward privy to affairs of state or even allow him to represent her in public .Edward therefore had nothing to do so he embarked on a life of hedonism. Victoria harped and harped about his behavior, including Alix in her incessant criticism, tut-tutting as though she were scolding six year olds. However, Edward quickly developed into a playboy, relishing cards, women and parties and shooting pheasants. He killed so many birds it’s a wonder the species survived.Some of the most entertaining parts in the book concern the relationship between Kaiser Wilhem II and Edward, his uncle. They actually detested each other, but Wilhelm could be difficult with a rather unstable personality, with mercurial changes in mood from bombastic to rude to sullen. It was sort of a case of one-upmanship, each trying to outclass the other with everything from yachts to protocol.Queen Victoria lived to be 81 and when she finally gave up the ghost the elderly 59 year old Prince of Wales embarked on his new career of King with relish. In spite of his sexual proclivities he combined quite skillfully business and pleasure. He was well liked because he was no hypocrite and like his mother he had considerable horse sense. Ten years of life were left for him with the ushering in of the Edwardian Era. Although the long accounts of Edward’s women get rather tedious, what amazed me the most was that the society ladies were just as promiscuous as he was. But of course Edward wasn’t just anybody and there was status at being associated with him man or woman.As king, Edward worked hard at state affairs and the pursuit of pleasure. He was popular because most Englishmen could identify with him as he had the same vices they had. “Edward VII” is a good read, although burdened a bit with too much uninteresting detail.

⭐It was interesting to learn more about this transitional king. Tough act to follow and wasn’t a wartime king. I liked the details about his personal habits, etc. and about his relationship with his wife.Was startled, however, to see that a major error slipped past the editor–Queen Victoria died in January 1901, not June.

⭐It’s a very interesting book chronicling the life of King Edward VII. At the start of the book, it almost mimic most books on his family and about his mother, but with a little more focus on him. It’s a very interesting book and I haven’t found much ebook on him, hence so far I think this book is informative and feeds my curiosity about his personal life, relationship with his family members and his marriage. I notice that at the end of his mother’s life and later part of his life, he and his younger siblings weren’t in good terms and there’s a portrayal of his resentment towards his younger sister Princess Beatrice and everything his mother stood for, that he wanted to be rid of. I wish there was more info detailing the last years of his life in this book. But overall this book is an interesting read, as interesting as it gets.

⭐Sadly this biography by Christopher Hibbert is very dry and boring. I couldn’t read it, although I’ve read many of Hibbert’s other books and I enjoyed them, and I like reading, English, Russian and French history. Oddly the print is usually tiny it’s like a pin prick it’s really absurd and very annoying, it’s only workable with magnifying glasses, and there are NO PHOTOGRAPHS which is unusual and a poor idea for a biography. I don’t recommend this book, there are other far more interesting books out on Edward V11.

⭐A beautifully-written (I recommend any book by Christopher Hibbert) biography of Edward VII, who was Queen Victoria’s son and reigned – all too briefly due to his mother’s longevity – from 1901 to 1910. Intellectually lightweight, given over to the pleasures of the table, the shooting field and the boudoir, and spoiled in a way only royals experience, Edward nonetheless was thought of as a hard-working and conscientious monarch, who did his duties and was generally liked by those who knew or knew of him except, perhaps, the Kaiser. Not a great man in the grand scheme of things, but he obviously enjoyed life, and this exceptionally readable work tells us much about aristocratic life towards the end of Europe’s long peace. I couldn’t escape the feeling that it would have been a pleasure to actually meet and know Edward, although having an attractive wife would have complicated the matter.

⭐Bought this book for my Dad and said that he had a hard time putting it down.He reads a lot and rarely has ever said about any other book.

⭐As i am an avid fan of Nineteenth Century Royalty and especially the reign of Queen Victoria and her royal proginy i found this book to be especially interesting and well researched as far as facts and various names of individuals which transversed the “drama” of her reign. Edward being the first born son after the birth of Big Sister Vicky had to live up to great expectations from both parents as he would one day wear the Crown of the Empire. It is a bit sad that he was always being compared to his older sister by both parents; however this is a fault which many parents are guilty of, royalty included. I am going to give this book a great review…

⭐It was great to read how personable Edward VII was….that he remembered specific details about people he hadn’t seen in years…

⭐Edward was nearly 60 years of age when he became King. Nowadays most wealthy men of that age are looking to retire – certainly not looking to become King & Emperor as he did.Hibbert has written a portrait of a very real human being. Edward or Bertie as he was to his family had what most people would call a difficult childhood; one cannot imagine having the form of education he had – very much the irresistable force against the immovable object. Yet, Edward had the real people skills that cannot be taught and Hibbert brings this to life.Books on Edward are possibly difficult to research as upon his death, Edward instructed that all his personal papers be destroyed – something that Queen Alexandra too instructed upon her death in 1925. However, read this and purchase the DVD series of Edward the Seventh and you have a rich portrait of a King sadly destined to wait more years than he was ever to rule. One can sense how saddened he would have been to see his nephews and son go to war against each other just over 4 years after his death and how he would have reacted to the Czar’s assassination with his family, one cannot comprehend.What we are left with is a story which has been excellently researched and sheds contemporary light on a King who rightly deserves his place in history; who was aware of the need for the continuity of monarchy and ensured that he would never be forgotten.This is a book that was enjoyable to read and one I couldn’t put down. I had a liking for Edward as a monarch after watching the series, now I intend to purchase Sir Phillip Magnus’ book on Edward to compare with this one. I recommend it and consider it would make excellent research material for students studying British life prior to World War I as the style of writing is clear and concise.Buy it! You won’t be disappointed.

⭐Thorough and well written as any Christopher Hibbert’s biographies. Definitely worth it!

⭐I do read a lot of biographies and this is now one of my favourites. This King was a bit of a jack tha lad, and you cannot help but like the man. Great read.

⭐A very interesting biography of this racy King. Well researched and written.

⭐bit long winded in places but interesting story

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