http://www.biography.

com/people/edward-vii-9284671
QUOTES
“William the Great [Wilhelm II] needs to learn that he is living at the end of
the nineteenth century and not in the Middle Ages.”
—Edward VII

Albert Edward was born in London on November 9, 1841. He was the eldest son of
Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. Known as "Bertie" within, he was subjected to a
strict regimen to prepare him for the throne. As was customary for members of British
royalty, Prince Edward went to Oxford and Cambridge universities and soon after
declared his desire to pursue a career in the military. His mother prohibited that idea,
because she hoped to keep him safe for the throne. During his short time in the army, he
rose to the level of lieutenant colonel through honorary promotions.

On March 10, 1863, Prince Edward married Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The
marriage, arranged by Edward's parents, produced six children, five of whom lived to
adulthood. Before his marriage but after his engagement, Edward fell into a scandalous
love affair with actress Nellie Clifton. His father, Prince Albert thought that was a
disgrace to the royal family, so the affair was ended, but two weeks later Prince Albert
fell ill and died of typhoid on December 4, 1861. Edward continued to have many
affairs during his marriage. Actresses Sarah Bernhardt and Lillie Langtry, as well as
Lady Randolph Churchill (Winston's mother) and Alice Keppel (great-grandmother of
Camilla, wife of Charles, the current Prince of Wales) were among his many affaires.

Queen Victoria retired from public life, so Edward represented her at official state
events, but with any responsability in political matters.He took his seat in the House of
Lords as the Duke of Cornwall, but had few or no administrative duties. As a result, he
spent much of his time on the London social scene, eating, drinking, gambling and
acquiring a bad reputation.

All this changed on January 22, 1901, when Queen Victoria died and he assumed the
control of Britsh throne as King Edward VII in August 1902. Edward had been the
longest heir apparent (59 years) in British history (that record has now been surpassed
by Prince Charles.)

Upon his crowning, he threw himself into his new role with energy and enthusiasm and
turned into an effective leader. His effusive personality and likable character soon won
over much of the British population. Edward used his fluency in French and German to
travel across Europe and meet with major heads of state. He had a good social circle, so
he strengthened England's relations with the rest of Europe, with the exception of his
nephew, the Germany's emperor. He helped negotiate the Triple Entente between
Britain, France and Russia, which played an important role in World War I. Following
the Boer War (1899-1902), he played an active role in reforming the military, pressing
for an army medical service and the building of the modern Dreadnought battleships.His
reforms of the military and navy prepared them well for World War I.
The Edwardian period (1901-1910) was seen as the golden age for the upper class in
Britain. Though the rigid British class system held firm, rapid industrialization
increased economic opportunity, creating conditions that allowed for more social
mobility, and with it, more social change. There was a rise in socialism and attention to
the plight of the poor as well as a push for women's voting rights. Domestically, Edward
did not support women's suffrage nor attempts to redistribute wealth through taxes.
Despite this, he was very popular with most of the British people.

In 1909, a constitutional crisis appeared over the "People's Budget" legislation that
called for unprecedented taxes on the wealthy and radical social welfare programs. The
budget was championed by Liberal Party Prime Minister Harold Asquith and his
chancellor, David Lloyd George. Privately, the king pleaded with Conservative lords to
pass the budget and avoid political division. To break the deadlock, Lloyd George
proposed the king create a large number of Liberal positions in the House of Lords to
offset the "no" votes. However, the king refused, insisting that the issue be decided by
the people in a general election. The issue remained unresolved until Edward's son
George ascended the throne and became King George V.

By 1910, Edward VII's years of smoking 12 cigars and more than 20 cigarettes a day
brought on a severe case of bronchitis. During an official event in France, he
momentarily lost consciousness, and on April 27, 1910, he returned to London. His
wife, Alexandra returned from Greece on May 5 and the next day called her children
telling them their father was gravely ill. On May 10, Edward suffered a series of heart
attacks and died. Edward VII was buried at Windsor Castle on May 20, 1910, in a
funeral attended by a massive assemblage of royalty. His legacy is marked by criticism
for his pursuit of self-indulgent pleasures but also praise for his affable personality and
diplomatic skill.