King Edward VII (1841-1910) and Queen Alexandra (1844-1925)

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

Edward VII when prince of wales

 

[Attaining Grace]

Books

They are from several different books.

I'd love to know which books they are from, please!

 

[Warren]

The Sonia Keppel posts have been moved to the Family of the Duchess of Cornwall thread where she has been discussed previously (and some pictures posted).

 

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

Images of Bertie & Alix - the early years

The Royal Pair: 1863-67
http://i33.tinypic.com/b501ld.jpg

http://i33.tinypic.com/11a98op.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/27wsxp2.jpg *All Rights Reserved*

http://i38.tinypic.com/nmz3wx.jpg

 

[Sister Morphine]

Boy, doesn't he look enthused to be photographed with her? LOL

 

[Roderick]

Boy, doesn't he look enthused to be photographed with her? LOL

Sitters for photographs taken in the Victoria era did not generally smile. I am sure you would be aware of this.

The princess could probably be described as not looking happy in the prince's company either.

 

[Warren]

Two reasons: sitters didn't smile for formal photographs, and if they did, the exposure took so long any smile would soon turn into a strained grimace.

 

[Furienna]

It must have been a pain to be photographed back in those days.

 

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

I'd love to know which books they are from, please!

Sarah A. Tooley did a photographic book of the 19th century royal family ... not sure if it is still available.

* research, research, research * can't say that enough

 

[silverstar]

Queen Alexandra

Alexandra of Denmark (1844 - 1925)
At age 16 she was chosen to be the future wife of
Prince Albert Edward (the future Edward V11 )
She married him 18 months later and became the Princess of
Wales........a title she held from 1863 to 1901 !


She was very popular with the people and with her beauty and
elegance she became a fashion icon her dress and style eagerly followed and copied by fashionable Victorian ladies.
In 1901 her husband became King Edward Vll and she became Queen Alexandra
After her husband's death in 1910 she became Queen Mother... being a Queen
and mother of the reigning monarch King George V

 

[silverstar]

oops, thought it was strange there was no
thread , I must have missed this one.........
great to have 8 pages of pics and text to read through

 

[CarolinaLandgrave]

What a great thread.... Queen Alexandra is one of my most favorite British Royals....
she personified the regal elegance of the late Victorian and Edwardian Ages.
Although from what I read she was sometime quite the spoiled and difficult person to deal with.... I think the pageantry she lent to the Monarchy put yet another jewel in the British Crown..
And she is yet another example of the great success stories of the children of King Christian IX of Denmark

And on the subject of Queen Alexandra, wasnt she a relative of Princess Mary Adelaide's mother, the Duchess of Cambridge?? Making her and her daughter-in-law, the future Queen Mary, closely related?

 

[Warren]

Here's the relationship:
Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel > Wilhelm > Louise (consort of Christian IX) > Alexandra
Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel > Augusta > Mary Adelaide of Cambridge > May of Teck (Queen Mary)

 

[CarolinaLandgrave]

Thank you, Warren. Queen Louise and Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck, were 1st cousin's.
Wasnt Princess Augusta (future Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz) married to another of their 1st cousins?

 

[Furienna]

So that makes George V and Mary second cousins?

 

[EmpressRouge]

So that makes George V and Mary second cousins?

Second cousins once removed, because they are of different generations. They were also also second cousins once removed descended from George III

Geroge III > Edward, Duke of Kent > Queen Victoria > Edward VII > George V
George III > Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge > Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck > Mary of Teck.

Mary's mother was a first cousin of Queen Victoria

 

[Warren]

Wasn't Princess Augusta (future Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz) married to another of their 1st cousins?

Here's the line showing the three ladies:
Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel > Wilhelm > Louise, consort of Christian IX > Queen Alexandra
Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel > Marie > Friedrich Wilhelm, Grand Duke of M-Strelitz, married Augusta of Cambridge
Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel > Augusta > Mary Adelaide of Cambridge > May of Teck (Queen Mary)
Friedrich of Hesse-Cassel > Augusta > Augusta of Cambridge

The Hesse-Cassel's figured large in the Danish royal family during the 19th century. The Wilhelm of Hesse-Cassel who was Queen Louise's father was married to Princess Charlotte of Denmark and their son Friedrich was raised in the Danish Court and groomed to be the future Danish King. Political considerations overruled this and Duke Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg was chosen instead and reigned as Christian IX.

Karl of Hesse-Cassel, a Field Marshal in the Danish Army, was married to yet another Princess Louise, this time of Denmark. One daughter, Marie, married King Frederik VI and another daughter, Louise, married the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, their son becoming Christian IX.

To bring the whole dynastic jigsaw full circle and to remind ourselves that we are in the British Forums, the common ancestor of all of these Glücksburgs, Hesse-Cassels, Strelitzes and Cambridges was Princess Mary, daughter of George II of Great Britain.

 

[colynsmomma]

I just found a book in my public libary about Alix. In it it said that she would not marry Edward unless he loved her. The had a very fun life. But she did not like the relationships with other ladies. She was very spirited and was the only one that QV would listen too. She was also choosen to be Edwards wife by his sister Victoria and had also been the last on the list of his father. She did not like the Germans because of the war and would only see victoria and her husband when in Germany. She loved clothes and her and Dagmar would dress alike when Dagmr was in London. When the are dressed alike you could not tell them apart and they would play tricks on people. She was very fun loving and the people loved her.

Oh can some one post pics of her and Dagmar so you can see what I am talking about. I am not good at it at all! There is one of the standing and in a carraige with matching outfits that is great.

 

[CarolinaLandgrave]

I dont think that many women would have been able to put up with all the foolishness of Edward VII.
Though not terribly educated, from what I can gather, I think Queen Victoria knew that her looks and manner would (maybe) steady Edward.
And the rise from a minor, impoverished royal house to Queen Consort of England was, in my opinion, a great "carrot" to dangle in front of Alexandra to PUT UP with Edward.....

 

[Russophile]

Good Lord with all those cousins marrying cousins it's amazing they didn't have ducks!

I was reading in "The Marlborough House Set" at what a good people person Bertie was. Too bad QV didn't trust him more. His instincts were very good.

 

[CarolinaLandgrave]

Bertie may have well been better suited to be a late 20th to 21st Century US President than a successor to Queen Victoria.....
He seems to have loved a good joke, his horses, his ladies .... and he loved the good life!
And fitting with all that, he liked to have around him all the intellectual and cultural trend-setters of the day.
I think his daughter in law, Queen Mary, was really fond of him and he of her (despite her sometimes prudish attitudes).

 

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

I think his daughter in law, Queen Mary, was really fond of him and he of her (despite her sometimes prudish attitudes).

Edward VII became close to Queen Mary especially during her engagement to Prince Albert-Victor (Eddy), Duke of Clarence & Avondale .... I recall reading in a book somewhere that he had told her to "keep Prince Eddy in line"
* He and other members of the R.F. were probably hoping that her discrete, calm, and serious personality would counterbalance Eddy's more care-free nature *

 

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

1863 Royal Newly-weds

A charming photo of King Edward & Queen Alexandra (when Prince & Princess of Wales) returning from an afternoon carriage ride at Sandringham.

*London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company*

 

[Roderick]

Edward VII became close to Queen Mary especially during her engagement to Prince Albert-Victor (Eddy), Duke of Clarence & Avondale .... I recall reading in a book somewhere that he had told her to "keep Prince Eddy in line"
* He and other members of the R.F. were probably hoping that her discrete, calm, and serious personality would counterbalance Eddy's more care-free nature *

I am sure they were hoping for this PssMarie-Elisabeth. It is interesting to note that the Prince of Wales did ask Princess May to `keep Eddy in line` because some were of the opinion that he himself had ignored his eldest son and heir for some time. Even the elder prince's secretary attested to this. It is rather extraordinary then that he expected Prince Eddy's new young bride to do this. Perhaps we would not have heard so many of the younger prince's problems and defects had his father shown more of a guiding force in his life in the years before his betrothal to May of Teck?

 

[PssMarie-Elisabeth]

It is rather extraordinary then that he expected Prince Eddy's new young bride to do this. Perhaps we would not have heard so many of the younger prince's problems and defects had his father shown more of a guiding force in his life in the years before his betrothal to May of Teck?

Well put, Roderick ... Queen Mary is believed to have complained about it to her mother, the Duchess of Teck, but Princess Mary-Adelaide was (supposedly) too anxious to see her only daughter marry an heir to the throne and did not take the complaint seriously.

King Edward VII left the rearing/upbringing of his children entirely to his wife, Queen Alexandra (and we all know the end result).

 

[Skydragon]

The earliest known colour picture of King Edward VII is to go on display after it was discovered lying in a cupboard.

Earliest colour picture of King Edward VII found lying in cupboard - Telegraph

 

[Grace Angel]

Bertie may have well been better suited to be a late 20th to 21st Century US President than a successor to Queen Victoria.....
He seems to have loved a good joke, his horses, his ladies .... and he loved the good life!
And fitting with all that, he liked to have around him all the intellectual and cultural trend-setters of the day.
I think his daughter in law, Queen Mary, was really fond of him and he of her (despite her sometimes prudish attitudes).

I think he was suited to being a sucessor to Queen Victoria, but he didn't have a long reign. It might have been better for him had he come to the throne earlier. I can't see him in the late 20th century at all, or nowadays, except maybe as British royalty. He was a people person and had charisma, things that are more important that royalty have nowadays than back then. Eddy is said to have been backward from his birth, so it's hard to know had his father taken more interest in him, whether or it would have been better, anyway, Queen Victoria once she saw that Edward VII wasn't going to be at all like Albert, took very little interest in him, as regards letting him have any serious duties. So Edward VII certainly didn't have a good model in front of him as far as parenting.

Alexandra was very loving but not perhaps not the best mother, although George V turned out well. Mary was indeed supposed to calm Eddy down. That would have been one interesting marriage, but it must be said Eddy dying so young was perhaps the best thing, although very sad. George V was a far more capable king and man, and if you are to judge Alexanrdra's parenting, look at him. He turned out great, but it's true she didn't really want her children to be independent of her.

 

[queenofthelight]

In king in colour: The Edwardians as you've never seen them before following historic discovery | Mail Online

 

[Roderick]

I think he was suited to being a sucessor to Queen Victoria, but he didn't have a long reign. It might have been better for him had he come to the throne earlier. I can't see him in the late 20th century at all, or nowadays, except maybe as British royalty. He was a people person and had charisma, things that are more important that royalty have nowadays than back then. Eddy is said to have been backward from his birth, so it's hard to know had his father taken more interest in him, whether or it would have been better, anyway, Queen Victoria once she saw that Edward VII wasn't going to be at all like Albert, took very little interest in him, as regards letting him have any serious duties. So Edward VII certainly didn't have a good model in front of him as far as parenting.

Alexandra was very loving but not perhaps not the best mother, although George V turned out well. Mary was indeed supposed to calm Eddy down. That would have been one interesting marriage, but it must be said Eddy dying so young was perhaps the best thing, although very sad. George V was a far more capable king and man, and if you are to judge Alexanrdra's parenting, look at him. He turned out great, but it's true she didn't really want her children to be independent of her.

King George V was a good king however there are accounts of his harsh attitude towards his sons as they grew up and he has many critics in this area of his life.

 

[Grace Angel]

I agree, he wasn't a great parent. Queen Mary also had the reputation of being unmaternal, although this may have been more perception than reality. The British royal family has it seems long focused on putting duty above parenting at times, although George V and Queen Mary also lived in Victorian-Edwardian times when aristocratic/ royal parents, most of them anyway, weren't hands on. Alexandra may have been too hands on though.