General Notes

Name Prefix:<NPFX> King
First English king of the house of Saxe-Coburg.
Reign 1901-1910
Edward VII, b. Nov. 9, 1841, d. May 6, 1910, was nearly 60 years old when he succeeded his mother, Queen Victoria, as British monarch in 1901. As Prince of Wales, he acquired a reputation as a playboy and was heartily disapproved of by his mother, but he was also a noted sportsman, traveler, and patron of the arts. Edward and his wife, Alexandra of Denmark, presided over an unconventional social set that included members of the upper middle classes as well as the aristocracy. Although when he succeeded to the throne he had little experience in government, Edward was extremely popular during his short reign (1901-10). His celebrated tact and geniality were exploited by Conservative and Liberal governments, which encouraged his many state and informal visits to Europe and Ireland. He favored, and indirectly helped conclude, the Entente Cordiale (1904) with France.

Domestically, Edward leaned toward the Liberals but looked apprehensively on the constitutional and fiscal policies of Herbert ASQUITH and David LLOYD GEORGE, fearing that they would intensify class conflict. At the end of his life, Edward reluctantly became involved in the crisis brought about by the Liberal government's eventually successful attempt to curtail the powers of the House of Lords. He was trying to mediate between the parties at the time of his death.


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