36. Edward VII

The Kings and Queens podcast

In the words of the Edward VII (1901-1910) ‘I don’t mind praying to the Eternal Father, but I must be the only man in the country afflicted with an eternal mother. He had to wait 59 years to become king. Though only 9 years, the king also lent his name to an era. The Edwardian era was distinct in its social and cultural change with a rejection of certain Victorian values. The era saw significant social mobility, reform yet also hedonism. In the words of W. B. Yeats ‘everybody got down off their stilts.' He was perhaps the final monarch to hold true political power. The power and influence was held over the great monarchs of Europe, his relatives, who would soon succumb to republicanism, to socialism and to war.

Politips for A-Level and Beyond https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/poli-tips

Characters

Edward VII ‘Bertie’ – King of the United Kingdom and British Dominions, Emperor of India (1901-10)
Alexandra of Denmark – Queen consort of the United Kingdom and British Dominions, Empress consort of India (1901-10)
Victoria – Queen of the United Kingdom and British Dominions (1837-1901, Emperor of India (1876-1901), mother of Edward
Prince Albert – Consort of the British monarch (1840-61), father of Edward
Victoria, Princess Royal – German Empress consort, sister of Edward
Prince Albert ‘Eddie’ – eldest son of Edward and Alexandra
Prince George – second eldest son of Edward and Alexandra and heir apparent.
Mary of Teck – former fiancé of Eddie and wife of Prince George.

Canon Birch – tutor of Edward
Frederick Gibbs – tutor of Edward

Frederick Johnstone – close university friend ofEdward
Henry Chaplin ‘Magnifico’ – close university friend of Edward

Mistresses and alleged mistresses

Nellie Clifden
Harriet Mordaunt
Daisy Greville
Lady Aylesford
Alice Keppel
Lady Randolph Churchill – mother of Winston Churchill

Charles Mordaunt – husband of Harriet
Randolph Churchill – father of Winston Churchill
Lord Blandford
Lord Aylesford
William Gordon-Cumming – army officer accused of cheating at baccarat.

Prime Ministers
Benjamin Disraeli – 1868, 1874-80
William Gladstone – 1868-74, 80-85, 86, 92-94
Lord Salisbury – 1895-1902
Arthur Balfour – 1902-05
Henry Campbell-Bannerman – 1905-08
Herbert Asquith – 1908-16

Joseph Chamberlain – Conservative MP, Colonial secretary under Balfour
David Lloyd-George – Liberal MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer under Asquith

Winston Churchill – Liberal MP, Trade Secretary and Home Secretary under Asquith
Keir Hardie – Founder of the Labour party

Lord Kitchener – British commander during the Boer War

Joseph Lister – British surgeon and medical scientist

Social reformers

Charles Booth Seebohm Rowntree Maud Pember Reeves

Credits

Land of Hope and Glory – Edward Elgar
Egyptian Fantasy – Sucre d’Orge Burlesque
Gilbert & Sullivan – Cow and Box
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