British Royals Edward’s social life was very much public knowledge; he was renowned for his drinking, and womanising EDWARD VII England, 1841-1910 Known for his womanising and his excesses, Edward lived with the disapproval of his mother Queen Victoria until her death, but as king he became more popular than she ever had He used his easy-going nature and friendliness to forge new relationships with Britain’s European neighbours Brief Bio 1901-1910 Edward VII The prince who disappointed Queen Victoria became one of Britain’s most popular monarchs E very monarch lives in the shadow of their predecessor, but few kings have taken the crown from so fearsome a ruler as Queen Victoria Edward VII, born Albert Edward in 1841, sat on the throne for the first time at the age of 59, having spent most of his life living with the disapproval of his mother However, having enjoyed the benefits of his royal standing throughout his life, he would go on to win the hearts of his people and make the monarchy more popular than it had been in a very long time Born to Victoria and her beloved Prince Albert on November 1841, Edward was held to an incredibly high standard from a very early age Victoria and Albert were determined that the boy would work hard and be given the very best education, but it became apparent that he did not work best within 156 the guidelines that his parents had set out for him He was desperate to play a role in the army, but that was declared absolutely forbidden He would later be given a rank that was purely honorary, much to his chagrin During his teens, Edward improved academically but his talents were far more social, and he began to create a reputation for himself as a society figure When the time came for Edward to marry, he fell for Princess Alexandra of Denmark, a match that was created by his sister Victoria while mostly disapproved of by his parents However, while visiting Ireland in 1861 during the marriage preparations, Edward had a fling with an actress called Nellie Clifden Word got out and, despite the fact that he was extremely ill, Prince Albert visited his son to scold him in person Albert died shortly vk.com/englishlibrary vk.com/bastau