Customer Reviews

Edward Vii's Children

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For five children who included a King of England, a Queen of Norway, and one potential Jack the Ripper, there's not a whole lot of interesting detail in this book. (Just kidding -- I know the Duke of Clarence was not Jack the Ripper.) But why are all biographers of royalty so skittish of coming out and saying that the oldest son, Prince Eddy, had homosexual experiences? All you ever get is just a hint about this. There's got to be information in the Royal archives or in private letters that back this up. And it was over a hundred years ago, can't they come out with some definite information now?

Anyway, getting back to this book, just basic facts about the children of Edward VII are blandly presented. It gives you an nice overview of the lives, but there's no in-depth look at the children's characters, or their lives. For instance, I read about the middle daughter, Victoria's, brief teenage crush on her cousin Tsar Nicholas II, in a totally different book (The Romanovs: Power, Passion & Tragedy). Why wasn't that tidbit included here? Also, we learn nothing about Victoria's frustration at being kept a spinster in the service of her mother Queen Alexandra, and there's nothing here about her two thwarted romances. What did Victoria think and feel about these thwarted romances? From another source, I learned that Maud and Haakon VII of Norway's marriage wasn't all that happy, either, but how bad, or good, was it really?

We don't learn the answer to these questions from this book. So in that respect, it's a disappointment. I don't mean to say I want to read trashy gossip, but this book is just too "nice", somewhat slow and bland.

a father who was busy enjoying his life food,drink and women were edward vii's passion his childern were last on his list.their mother one of the most beautiful woman in europe was selfish in her own way ,she denand to be number one in her kids lives even when they married.their parents didn't make sure they would get a good education.must of the kids didn't have fullfuling lives.

It is a most unfortunate event that the author did not dig a bit deeper into the illegitimate birth of the issue from Susan Pelham-Clinton and Edward. Instead of saying Susan took the secret to her grave when she died at age 36, there was more that could have been brought to the light. Could it be that this birth produced not one, but twin girls at Ramsgate? William E. Gladstone may have resolved the "problem" by sending one to Australia and the other sister to America. Is this pure conjecture? I don't think so.

This book would not have been so lackluster if Gladstone's personal records had been given a good search. Gladstone, a friend of Edward, was noted for never doing anything without a written record and covering over things that were potentially "sensitive" to the royal family. Victoria was "not pleased" with her eldest son or Mr. Gladstone. Even so, this book is still a good read.

Burton Dale