The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Book Type: Hardcover
Author:
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, History
Book Type: Hardcover
An excellent biography of a much-underestimated monarch. I came to it expecting to mock the "playboy prince," and came away from it with an appreciation of how Bertie overcame a seriously dysfunctional childhood and young adulthood and matured into a man who understood his role in keeping the delicate balance of power in early 20th-century Europe, and probably saved the constitutional monarchy in the UK after Victoria's "poor little me" retreat into professional widowhood. (Fans of the British drama on the young Victoria, featuring the lovely Jenna Coleman, be prepared for a shock. She was a ghastly woman, a terrible parent, and not even that great shakes as a wife.)
One things I found most interesting was setting the record straight on his reputation as a parent. Famously, George V supposedly said "My father was frightened of his mother. I was frightened of my father and I am damned well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me." He almost certain never said that, and if he did, it was terribly unfair -- Bertie seems to have adored his children, and had very warm, healthy relationships with them right into adulthood.
I only regret that someone decided to retitle the book, My copy (an early eiditon from the library) is entitled "Bertie: A Life of Edward VII" and somehow, that seems right for this most sociable of kings!
One things I found most interesting was setting the record straight on his reputation as a parent. Famously, George V supposedly said "My father was frightened of his mother. I was frightened of my father and I am damned well going to see to it that my children are frightened of me." He almost certain never said that, and if he did, it was terribly unfair -- Bertie seems to have adored his children, and had very warm, healthy relationships with them right into adulthood.
I only regret that someone decided to retitle the book, My copy (an early eiditon from the library) is entitled "Bertie: A Life of Edward VII" and somehow, that seems right for this most sociable of kings!
