Edward VII (1901–1910) – The Playboy King Who Gave Britain the Edwardian Age

Who Was Edward VII?

Edward VII was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Known to his family as “Bertie,” he spent an extraordinary 59 years waiting to become king. Victoria became increasingly frustrated by her son's love of parties, gambling, racing, food and women and kept him away from serious royal business for much of her reign.

When Victoria finally died in 1901, Bertie became Edward VII at the age of 59. After decades of Victorian seriousness and mourning, the new king brought a very different atmosphere to the monarchy. Edward loved fashionable society, grand hotels, restaurants, horse racing and entertaining, and his short reign gave its name to the elegant Edwardian era.

Edward VII

The Playboy Prince

Edward had been enjoying himself long before he became king. He travelled extensively, attended parties, gambled, ate enormous meals and had numerous affairs. His mistresses reportedly included actresses, aristocratic women and famous society beauties. His mother was not impressed.

Victoria partly blamed Edward's behaviour for the death of Prince Albert. Shortly before Albert died, he had travelled to Cambridge to confront his son over a scandal involving an actress. Albert returned home ill and died weeks later. Victoria was devastated and wrote bitterly about Edward afterwards, although Albert actually died from illness rather than from his son's behaviour.

Edward nevertheless became extremely popular socially. He helped establish the idea of the modern fashionable prince, appearing at restaurants, theatres, racecourses and society events rather than remaining hidden inside royal palaces.

Young Bertie, Prince of Wales

Queen Alexandra – The Glamorous Queen

Edward married the beautiful Danish princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863.

Alexandra became enormously popular with the British public and was considered one of the great beauties of her age. Women copied her clothes, jewellery and hairstyles. When illness left her with a slight limp, fashionable society women supposedly even began imitating the way she walked—the rather bizarre “Alexandra limp.”

Their marriage produced six children, although one died in infancy. Edward's numerous affairs clearly complicated their relationship, but Alexandra remained queen beside him and outlived him by 15 years. Their second son would eventually become George V, grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II.

King Edward & Queen Alexandra

The Uncle of Europe

Victoria was called the “Grandmother of Europe”, and Edward inherited an extraordinary network of royal relatives.

His sister had married the German Emperor Frederick III, making German Kaiser Wilhelm II Edward's nephew. His wife Alexandra's sister married Tsar Alexander III of Russia, while other relatives occupied thrones across Europe. Edward therefore knew many European rulers personally and used those relationships surprisingly effectively.

He particularly helped improve Britain's relationship with France, traditionally Britain's great rival. In 1904 Britain and France signed the Entente Cordiale, settling several colonial disagreements and establishing a much friendlier relationship. Edward's charm and diplomacy helped earn him the nickname “Edward the Peacemaker.” Sadly, four years after Edward's death, many of his royal relatives would be fighting one another in World War I.

Edwardian London – Let's Have Some Fun Again

Edward's reign helped give London a completely different social atmosphere.

After decades of Victoria dressed in black, fashionable society embraced restaurants, theatres, luxury hotels, shopping and nightlife. Places such as The Ritz, the Savoy and fashionable restaurants of the West End became part of London's glamorous social scene.

Motorcars began appearing on the streets, electric lighting was spreading, the London Underground was expanding and wealthy Londoners enjoyed an increasingly modern city.

Edwardian London

But Edwardian Britain wasn't glamorous for everyone. Huge differences remained between rich and poor. While wealthy society enjoyed enormous country houses, servants, elaborate dinners and fashionable London, millions of working-class Britons lived very different lives.

That's worth remembering when we picture the elegant world of Downton Abbey: the Edwardian age looked rather different depending on which side of the staircase you lived on.

Buckingham Palace Gets Its Famous Front

Here's a useful London connection.

The Buckingham Palace Edward knew did not quite look like the Buckingham Palace we see today. The familiar white stone east façade—the side facing The Mall where the famous balcony is located—was refaced in its present form after Edward's death, under George V, in 1913.

But Edward did modernise palace life. He introduced more elaborate entertaining and helped make Buckingham Palace once again a lively centre of royal society after Victoria's long periods away. Edward liked his palaces to feel like places where people actually had fun.

Cigars, Food and a Very Large Waistline

Edward loved eating.

A royal day could involve enormous breakfasts, multi-course lunches, afternoon tea and elaborate dinners. He also smoked heavily—particularly cigars and cigarettes. Unsurprisingly, his waistline expanded considerably as he aged.

Edward's lifestyle eventually caught up with him. He suffered from bronchitis and other health problems and died in Buckingham Palace in 1910 aged 68 after a series of heart attacks. Queen Alexandra reportedly allowed his final mistress, Alice Keppel, to visit him as he lay dying. And there's a wonderful modern royal connection: Alice Keppel's great-granddaughter is Queen Camilla. Royal circles can be surprisingly small.

Three Things to See

Buckingham Palace

Edward made Buckingham Palace fashionable and lively again after the later Victorian years. He modernised parts of the palace and filled it with dinners, receptions and visiting royalty. When you're looking at the famous front façade, though, remember that Edward wouldn't recognise it exactly—the exterior we see today was completed under his son George V.

The Ritz & Edwardian Piccadilly

If you want to experience a little Edwardian glamour, walk along Piccadilly. The Ritz opened in 1906 during Edward's reign, bringing an extraordinary new level of luxury to London. Edwardian high society embraced fashionable hotels, restaurants and entertaining, and this part of London still carries much of that atmosphere.

The king himself was famously fond of good food and fashionable company, so this is very much his London.

Marlborough House

Beside St James's Palace stands Marlborough House, which became Edward and Alexandra's London home while he was Prince of Wales.

Their social circle became known as the Marlborough House Set—aristocrats, politicians, financiers and fashionable society figures who surrounded the future king.

Today the building is associated with the Commonwealth, but its Victorian and Edwardian history was considerably more glamorous.

Did You Know? – Edward VII Made the Dinner Jacket Fashionable

Edward loved clothes and helped influence men's fashion. According to the traditional story, his tailor Henry Poole & Co. on Savile Row created a shorter, informal evening jacket for the Prince of Wales as an alternative to the traditional tailcoat.

An American visitor later encountered the style and took the idea back to the United States, where it became associated with the fashionable Tuxedo Park club in New York.

Hence the American name: Tuxedo. In Britain, we generally call essentially the same evening outfit a dinner jacket. So next time your American guests put on a tuxedo, you can tell them its history has a rather wonderful connection to a British king and Savile Row.

Historical Highlights

1841 – Albert Edward “Bertie” is born.

1863 – Marries Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

1901 – Queen Victoria dies and Edward finally becomes king aged 59.

1904 – Britain and France sign the Entente Cordiale.

1906 – The Ritz opens in London.

1908 – London hosts the Olympic Games.

1910 – Edward VII dies at Buckingham Palace.

Imagine This...

It's the early 1900s and London suddenly feels lighter. Queen Victoria's long reign is over, electric lights illuminate fashionable restaurants and theatres, motorcars are beginning to compete with horse-drawn carriages and wealthy society is pouring into grand hotels such as the Ritz and Savoy. At the centre of this fashionable world is Edward VII, the ageing king who spent almost six decades waiting for the throne and has absolutely no intention of spending his remaining years sitting quietly in a palace. He loves food, racing, clothes, parties and people, but behind the playboy image he is also using his extraordinary network of European relatives and his natural charm to improve Britain's relationships abroad. The Victorian age has disappeared remarkably quickly. Welcome to Edwardian London.

Guide's Insider Tip

When you're walking along Piccadilly, look at the Ritz and imagine London at the beginning of the twentieth century. Motorcars were appearing, electric lighting was transforming nightlife and wealthy Edwardians were discovering a new world of luxury hotels and fashionable restaurants. This was exactly the sort of London Edward VII enjoyed.

Then walk towards St James's Palace and Marlborough House. Before becoming king, Edward spent decades here as Prince of Wales, surrounded by the fashionable “Marlborough House Set.” It gives you a wonderful contrast with his mother Victoria over at Buckingham Palace: while she increasingly withdrew from society after Albert's death, Bertie was busy creating his own glittering social world just down the road.

And if you're near Savile Row, remember the dinner jacket story. Edward VII's influence wasn't limited to politics and palaces—the man even helped change the way gentlemen dressed for dinner.

What Happened Next?

When Edward VII died in 1910, the crown passed to his son George V. George was quieter, more serious and far less flamboyant than his father. He would need to be.

Only four years later, Europe descended into World War I, and Britain's royal family suddenly faced a rather awkward problem: they had a very German family name at exactly the moment Britain was fighting Germany. George's solution was simple. He changed it.

The House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha disappeared.

The House of Windsor was born.