King Edward VII(1841-1910)
Edward(born 1841) was the eldest son of queen Victoria and prince Albert. Since the reign of Victoria queen/empress was the longest, Edward was the heir and the prince of Wales for the longest period of time. He ascended to the throne at the turn of the century and his reign, lasting for about a decade, came to be known as the Edwardian era.
In 1863 Edward got married to the daughter of king Kristian IX of Denmark, Alexandra. He became father to six children over the course of time including George the Vth.
Edward had an above average appetite and he ate about five meals a day, consisting of about 10 courses each. As he became middle aged he had a waist of 48 inches. He was also known for his philandering ways and had six mistresses. In 1860 he became the first British royal to tour the US, and upon return he got involved in a scandal with an Irish actress.
Edward VII became king on the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. Although he was 59 when he became king, he restored some vitality to the monarchy. He made several royal visits and helped to prepare the way for international treaties with France and Russia. The king took a particular interest in military matters. He opposed attempts to reduce public spending on the armed forces and was a strong advocate of the Dreadnought building campaign.
A speaker of English, French, Spanish and German, Edward was touring many countries when he was the heir and upon ascension to the throne, he tried to play the role of the peacemaker, especially with France, but was unable to stop the outbreak of the first world war.
In the end his profligate ways proved to be his undoing. He was known to smoke 20 cigars daily and it is no surprise that he contracted severe case of bronchitis while in France. The time was one of political tension and he had to come back to England and tend to his matters. He breathed his last on 6 May 1910.
In 1863 Edward got married to the daughter of king Kristian IX of Denmark, Alexandra. He became father to six children over the course of time including George the Vth.
Edward had an above average appetite and he ate about five meals a day, consisting of about 10 courses each. As he became middle aged he had a waist of 48 inches. He was also known for his philandering ways and had six mistresses. In 1860 he became the first British royal to tour the US, and upon return he got involved in a scandal with an Irish actress.
Edward VII became king on the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. Although he was 59 when he became king, he restored some vitality to the monarchy. He made several royal visits and helped to prepare the way for international treaties with France and Russia. The king took a particular interest in military matters. He opposed attempts to reduce public spending on the armed forces and was a strong advocate of the Dreadnought building campaign.
A speaker of English, French, Spanish and German, Edward was touring many countries when he was the heir and upon ascension to the throne, he tried to play the role of the peacemaker, especially with France, but was unable to stop the outbreak of the first world war.
In the end his profligate ways proved to be his undoing. He was known to smoke 20 cigars daily and it is no surprise that he contracted severe case of bronchitis while in France. The time was one of political tension and he had to come back to England and tend to his matters. He breathed his last on 6 May 1910.
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