Jane Ridley has written a landmark study of Edward VII, the playboy prince known as Bertie who saved the monarchy.
Edward VII was fifty-nine when he finally came to power and ushered out the Victorian age. The eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Bertie was bullied by both his parents. Denied any proper responsibilities, the heir to the throne spent his time eating (which earned him the nickname ‘Tum Tum’), pursuing women (which Queen Victoria held to be the reason for Albert’s early demise), gambling, going to house parties and race meetings, and shooting pheasants. His arranged marriage to the stunning Danish princess Alexandra gave him access to the European dynastic network; but his name was linked with many beauties, including Lillie Langtry and Winston Churchill’s mother.
This magnificent biography provides new insight into the life of the prince while painting a vivid portrait of the age in all its excess and eccentricity.
‘After this irreverent new life of Edward VII, royal biography will never be the same again’ A. N. Wilson
