The Edwardian King And Queen

The King and his Consort of this Era were well thought of. Edward VII waited 59 years to become King, holding the title Prince of Wales for longer than any of his predecessors. Whilst his mother reigned, Edward was excluded from political power and received little "training" to become King. As a result, he came to personify the fashionable, leisured elite. Travelling throughout Britain performing ceremonial duties and representing Britain abroad, Edward became a success to the people who met him. However, his reputation as a playboy Prince soured his relationship with his mother.

When Edward finally became King, he played a role in the modernization of the British Home Fleet and the reorganization of the British Army. Now, as King, Edward re-instituted traditional ceremonies as public displays and broadened the range of people with whom Royalty socialized. Edward VII did his best to foster good relations between Britain and other European countries. However, his relations with his nephew, Kaiser Wilhelm II, was poor --- did our English King have an insight into the future? During Edward VII's reign, technology and society changed with breath-taking speed, and within ten years, the modern had completely taken hold of life in England. The Edwardian Era was named after Edward VII.

Queen Alexandra was Edward VII's Consort. Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia was born in 1844 in Denmark, her family being relatively obscure until her father was chosen to be King to the Danish Throne. At the age of sixteen, Alexandra was chosen as the future wife of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, and they married eighteen months later in 1863. This Princess of Wales was popular and her style of dress was copied by fashion-conscious women. Even when Queen Consort, Alexandra kept her public duties restricted to charitable works, leading a good example for all the ladies of the gentry back then. King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra had six children with one of the sons succeeding him and becoming George V.
When her husband died in 1910, the Queen Consort became the Queen Mother although she was more generally styled Her Majesty Queen Alexandra.

King Edward VII died age 68 in 1910. Queen Alexandra died age 80 in 1925. Both are buried in Windsor Castle.