King Edward VII, The ‘Uncle Of Europe’
Public DomainKing Edward VII was the second child and oldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
The second child of Queen Victoria, Edward, was born on Nov. 9, 1841, less than a year after his older sister. As the queen’s first son, he became the heir to the throne.
As a boy, “Bertie” received a rigorous education to prepare him for leadership. However, he was a rebellious child — and this trait followed him into young adulthood.
Edward earned a reputation as a playboy early on. When he was 20, he was observing the Royal Army in Ireland when he had officers help him sneak an actress named Nellie Clifden into the camp. He spent three nights with her, and when his parents found out, they were enraged.
Prince Albert made a special trip to chastise him, and when Albert died two weeks later, Queen Victoria blamed her son. She refused to let Edward play a significant role when it came to royal duties until he was well into his 50s.
As Prince of Wales, however, Edward did travel the world from Canada to India for ceremonial purposes. He even visited the United States on the invitation of President Buchanan in 1860, making him the first heir to the British throne to visit the former colonies.
Public DomainEdward (far right) pictured with Queen Victoria, Czar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra (who was Queen Victoria’s granddaughter), and their oldest daughter, Olga.
Edward married Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863. In total, the couple had six children, including the future King George V.
After Queen Victoria’s death on Jan. 22, 1901, Edward was crowned King of England. He was a popular monarch who inspired many male fashion trends and was known for his charm and sociable nature. This, paired with his familial relation to nearly every other monarch across the continent, led Edward to become known as the “uncle of Europe.”
Edward died in 1910 at age 68, likely due to complications related to his heavy smoking habit. He was succeeded by his son, King George V — the grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II.
