One important change in this Era was within "Education." The introduction of compulsory education until the age of 14 started to make a big difference, especially for the working classes. Children were no longer allowed to work under a certain age. The whole education system started to look at what was being taught and now Reading, Writing and Arithmetic became compulsory for everyone. Sewing lessons were tailored for girls and physical education was added tot he school curriculum.
At this time, there was a gulf between the education of boys and girls. Boys were given a more efficient education, girls were expected to marry and were educated accordingly.
In 1906, the Schools Meals Act was passed and schools were allowed to serve dinners for the poorest children who were often malnourished. This was not compulsory though, and not all schools provided free meals because money for these meals had to be raised from local taxpayers. Dinners served to these hungry children were heavy and filling. A typical school meal was a thick pea soup with bread and dripping. For dessert, a fruit pudding. For the children from the poor working classes, this would have been their only daily meal.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
The whole concept of one Family living "Upstairs" and being cared for by a whole team of servants "Downstairs" is a world away from the present generation. Yet, in the Edwardian era, it seemed to be the only "way of living." To get a job as a kitchen maid, living-in, with 3 good meals a day and being paid wages, was a good alternative to the "workhouse" or to begging on the streets.
For the Family living "Upstairs," it seemed, that they lived a very "easy" life with the servants doing every little task, from helping the ladies to dress, drawing the master's bath and opening the doors, and so on.
Those living "Upstairs" and those living "Downstairs" had very different lives. We learn from the 1911 census that 1.3million people worked 'below stairs'. With millions of families living in complete poverty, going into "Service" was a much sought-after alternative to near starvation but it was not an easy life.
The "domestic servant" was at the beck and call of the Family every hour of the day. While the Family ate 9-course meals, the servants were "treated" to the leftover cold cuts, and while the Family organized their social calendar, the servants were lucky to get one day off a month.
Yet, a careful and sensible 'servant' could have a steady life and a decent old age.
The Princess Alexandra of Denmark was born at the Yellow Palace in 1844. She was the eldest daughter of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucks-burg and Louise of Hesse-Cassel. The Princess was christened Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia. Within the family she was known as "Alix."
The Princess was introduced to the Prince of Wales (her future husband) in 1861 and the couple married on 10th March 1863. He was 21. She was 18. They honeymooned at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. The couple had 5 children: Prince Albert Victor Christian, Prince George, Princess Louise, Princess Victoria and Princess Maud.
The Sandringham estate was their country retreat where they loved entertaining and house parties. The marriage was a happy one even though Bertie had many mistresses. Alix suffered with deafness. King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were crowned together at Westminster Abbey in 1901.
Queen Alexandra was involved in many charities and hospitals and made her mark on fashion. After the death of her husband (King Edward VII), she moved back into Marlborough House but kept Sandringham House, where she died on 20th Nov.1925 and she was buried next to her husband at St.George's Chapel, Windsor.
(Info from Englishmonarchs)
Prince Albert Edward, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, was born on 9th Nov.1841 at Buckingham Palace. To his family and friends, this Prince was known as "Bertie". Bertie was christened in St.George's Chapel, Windsor, on 25th Jan.1842. His mother and father embarked their first son on a strenuous educational regime devised by Prince Albert (his father). Driven hard in his youth, the heir to the throne was often overtired and rebellious. Bertie wanted a career in the army, but being the heir to the throne, he was denied this.
The Prince met Princess Alexandra (his future wife) on 24th Sept.1861 and they married at St.George's Chapel, Windsor, on 10th March 1863. They had 5 children. Prince Albert Victor, Prince George, Princess Louise, Princess Victoria and Princess Maud. During his mother's reign, Bertie undertook public duties but was always excluded by his mother from acting as her deputy until 1898.
At 50 years of age, Edward became King on the death of his mother, Queen Victoria in 1901. The new King's interests lay in foreign affairs and military and naval matters. Fluent in French and German, Edward VII made a number of visits abroad. He was also related to nearly every Continental sovereign and came to be known as the "Uncle of Europe." Edward played a part in encouraging military and naval reforms, pressing for the reform of the Army Medical Service and the modernization of the Home Fleet.
King Edward VII died on 6th May 1910 at the age of 68 and he lay in state at Westminster Hall, where a quarter of a million people filed past his body. He was buried in St.George's Chapel, Windsor, on 20th March 1910.
(Info from Royal.uk)
I have always been interested in the Edwardian Era, It's fashion, the way we lived back then, how the Law affected the Country, as well as the many inventions which even affect us today, the "Upstairs, Downstairs," as well as the many other interesting facts.
The turn from the late Victorian world into the modern Edwardian one changed life completely, and although King Edward VII's reign was very short, this King influenced the whole country in such a way that an Era was named after him.
