Edward VII: The Last Victorian King [Paperback]

Christopher Hibbert (Author), Hugh Thomas (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 12, 2007

To his mother, Queen Victoria, he was "poor Bertie," to his wife he was "my dear little man," while the President of France called him "a great English king," and the German Kaiser condemned him as "an old peacock." King Edward VII was all these things and more, as Hibbert reveals in this captivating biography. Shedding new light on the scandals that peppered his life, Hibbert reveals Edward's dismal early years under Victoria's iron rule, his terror of boredom that led to a lively social life at home and abroad, and his eventual ascent to the throne at age 59. Edward is best remembered as the last Victorian king, the monarch who installed the office of Prime Minister.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The writing of history is an exercise in instruction; but that is no reason why it should not also be an exercise in rhetoric, for there is a voluptas to the texture of history that is best conveyed by good writing. Gibbon understood this, so did Macaulay and so did Carlyle in his own crabbed fashion. And so does Christopher Hibbert."--The New York Times

About the Author

CHRISTOPHER HIBBERT, "a pearl of biographers" (New Statesman), is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the author of Disraeli  (Palgrave Macmillan), The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici, The English: A Social History, and Cavaliers and Roundheads. He lives in Oxfordshire, England.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 2nd edition (June 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1403983771
• ISBN-13: 978-1403983770
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #315,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > British > King Edward VII

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Playboy King, July 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Edward VII: A Portrait (Hardcover)

He waited in the wings while his illustrious mother ruled on and on. And when his time came to strut across the kingly stage the performance was all too brief. But it was not merely a cameo role that "Bertie" was to play as Edward V11, as this portait by Christopher Hibbert makes clear.

Hibbert traces Bertie's early life as a backward child who was to become the bane of his parents, Queen Victoria and her worthy, hardworking though somewhat stuffy Consort, Prince Albert. So concerned was Albert about his son that he consulted a phrenologist, who promptly noted the "feeble quality" of Bertie's brain.

"Poor Bertie, he vexes us so much", wrote Victoria. And the vexation turned into near hysteria a few years later as a result of Bertie's escapades with young ladies definitely not thought worthy to be considered future queens.

When Victoria's long reign ended in January, 1901, the Ewardian Age began. The new king was 59 years old, portly, and going bald. But he took up his new duties with obvious relish, fully conscious of his vocation, combining hard work with his more agreeable activities of cards, racing, partying and womanizing. Aware of the dangers of war in Europe, he set out to strengthen his country's position on the continent. He had notable success in Paris. At the beginning of the visit an aide noted the subdued response of the crowds when his carriage passed. "The French don't like us", the aid whispered. "Why should they?" replied the King and continued waving. By the end of the visit the King had won the French over and had cemented the Entente Cordiale.

Hibbert writes that Edward V11 was popular as a monarch because he was a human one, and because, in spite of his racy life, he was never hypocritical or pompous. As Hibbert puts it, "he would rather sit down to a meal with an entertaining acrobat than a tedious duke."

It's easy to form an analogy between Bertie's relationships with his parents and those between the Prince Regent and his father, George 111. And it's even more tempting to form a similar analogy between the current Prince of Wales and HIS parents, though we will probably have to rely on future historians to put that into perspective.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A retitled version of "The Royal Victorians", December 17, 2009

By 

Extensive Reader "L." - See all my reviews

This review is from: Edward VII: The Last Victorian King (Paperback)

My main concern in writing this review is to warn readers that this is NOT A NEW BOOK by Christopher Hibbert, but a republished version of his previous book, "The Royal Victorians: King Edward the VII, His Family and Friends" published in 1976. That said, it is wonderful to see it in print again, as Christopher Hibbert's inimitable style makes history reading more enjoyable than fiction. I would disagree completely with the reviewer who thought this was a "heavy read"--Hibbert's talent at distillation turns heavy facts into fascinating narrative. I would recommend this book even to those who are not avid history buffs.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written, November 26, 2008

By 

N. Toby (Virginia, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Edward VII: The Last Victorian King (Paperback)

Fascinating details of Edward's life and times. Interesting for any history buff, supplemented with photos.