The Heir Apparent_A Life of Edward VII, The Playboy Prince

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND THE BOSTON GLOBE This richly entertaining biography chronicles the eventful life of Queen Victoria's firstborn son, the quintessential black sheep of Buckingham Palace, who matured into as wise and effective a monarch as Britain has ever seen. Granted unprecedented access to the royal archives, noted scholar Jane Ridley draws on numerous primary sources to paint a vivid portrait of the man and the age to which he gave his name. Born Prince Albert Edward, and known to familiars as "Bertie," the future King Edward VII had a well-earned reputation for debauchery. A notorious gambler, glutton, and womanizer, he preferred the company of wastrels and courtesans to the dreary life of the Victorian court. His own mother considered him a lazy halfwit, temperamentally unfit to succeed her. When he ascended to the throne in 1901, at age fifty-nine, expectations were low. Yet by the time he died nine years later, he had proven himself a deft diplomat, hardworking head of state, and the architect of Britain's modern constitutional monarchy. Jane Ridley's colorful biography rescues the man once derided as "Edward the Caresser" from the clutches of his historical detractors. Excerpts from letters and diaries shed new light on Bertie's long power struggle with Queen Victoria, illuminating one of the most emotionally fraught mother-son relationships in history. Considerable attention is paid to King Edward's campaign of personal diplomacy abroad and his valiant efforts to reform the political system at home. Separating truth from legend, Ridley also explores Bertie's relationships with the women in his life. Their ranks comprised his wife, the stunning Danish princess Alexandra, along with some of the great beauties of the era: the actress Lillie Langtry, longtime "royal mistress" Alice Keppel (the great-grandmother of Camilla Parker Bowles), and Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston. Edward VII waited nearly six decades for his chance to rule, then did so with considerable panache and aplomb. A magnificent life of an unexpectedly impressive king, The Heir Apparent documents the remarkable transformation of a man?and a monarchy?at the dawn of a new century. Praise for The Heir Apparent "If [ The Heir Apparent ] isn't the definitive life story of this fascinating figure of British history, then nothing ever will be." ? The Christian Science Monitor " The Heir Apparent is smart, it's fascinating, it's sometimes funny, it's well-documented and it reads like a novel, with Bertie so vivid he nearly leaps from the page, cigars and all." ?Minneapolis Star Tribune "I closed The Heir Apparent with admiration and a kind of wry exhilaration." ? The Wall Street Journal "Ridley is a serious scholar and historian, who keeps Bertie's flaws and virtues in a fine balance." ? The Boston Globe "Brilliantly entertaining . . . a landmark royal biography." ? The Sunday Telegraph "Superb." ? The New York Times Book Review From the Hardcover edition A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK This richly entertaining biography chronicles the eventful life of Queen Victoria's firstborn son, the quintessential black sheep of Buckingham Palace, who matured into as wise and effective a monarch as Britain has ever seen. Granted unprecedented access to the royal archives, noted scholar Jane Ridley draws on numerous primary sources to paint a vivid portrait of the man and the age to which he gave his name. Born Prince Albert Edward, and known to familiars as "Bertie," the future King Edward VII had a well-earned reputation for debauchery. A notorious gambler, glutton, and womanizer, he preferred the company of wastrels and courtesans to the dreary life of the Victorian court. His own mother considered him a lazy halfwit, temperamentally unfit to succeed her. When he ascended to the throne in 1901, at age fifty-nine, expectations were low. Yet by the time he died nine years later, he had proven himself a deft diplomat, hardworking head of state, and the architect of Britain's modern constitutional monarchy. Jane Ridley's colorful biography rescues the man once derided as "Edward the Caresser" from the clutches of his historical detractors. Excerpts from letters and diaries shed new light on Bertie's long power struggle with Queen Victoria, illuminating one of the most emotionally fraught mother-son relationships in history. Considerable attention is paid to King Edward's campaign of personal diplomacy abroad and his valiant efforts to reform the political system at home. Separating truth from legend, Ridley also explores Bertie's relationships with the women in his life. Their ranks comprised his wife, the stunning Danish princess Alexandra, along with some of the great beauties of the era: the actress Lillie Langtry, longtime "royal mistress" Alice Keppel (the great-grandmother of Camilla Parker Bowles), and Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston. Edward VII waited nearly six decades for his chance to rule, then did so with considerable panache and aplomb. A magnificent life of an unexpectedly impressive king, The Heir Apparent documents the remarkable transformation of a man'and a monarchy'at the dawn of a new century. Praise for The Heir Apparent "Superb."'The New York Times Book Review (Editors' Choice) "So often, after finishing a great slab of a biography, one feels a weary disenchantment with the project and its subject. Not in this case. I closed The Heir Apparent with admiration and a kind of wry exhilaration. If it was an overdose, it was an overdose of champagne."'The Wall Street Journal "If [The Heir Apparent] isn't the definitive life story of this fascinating figure of British history, then nothing ever will be."'The Christian Science Monitor "Ridley is a serious scholar and historian who keeps Bertie's flaws and virtues in fine balance."'The Boston Globe "The Heir Apparent is smart, it's fascinating, it's sometimes funny, it's well-documented and it reads like a novel, with Bertie so vivid he nearly leaps from the page, cigars and all. From the first page, Ridley drew me into the story of (let's face it) someone I wasn't particularly interested in. Know an Anglophile' Buy them this book."'Minneapolis Star Tribune From the Hardcover edition This richly entertaining biography chronicles the eventful life of Queen Victoria's firstborn son, the quintessential black sheep of Buckingham Palace, who matured into as wise and effective a monarch as Britain has ever seen. Granted unprecedented access to the royal archives, noted scholar Jane Ridley draws on numerous primary sources to paint a vivid portrait of the man and the age to which he gave his name. Born Prince Albert Edward, and known to familiars as "Bertie," the future King Edward VII had a well-earned reputation for debauchery. A notorious gambler, glutton, and womanizer, he preferred the company of wastrels and courtesans to the dreary life of the Victorian court. His own mother considered him a lazy halfwit, temperamentally unfit to succeed her. When he ascended to the throne in 1901, at age fifty-nine, expectations were low. Yet by the time he died nine years later, he had proven himself a deft diplomat, hardworking head of state, and the architect of Britain's modern constitutional monarchy. Jane Ridley's colorful biography rescues the man once derided as "Edward the Caresser" from the clutches of his historical detractors. Excerpts from letters and diaries shed new light on Bertie's long power struggle with Queen Victoria, illuminating one of the most emotionally fraught mother-son relationships in history. Considerable attention is paid to King Edward's campaign of personal diplomacy abroad and his valiant efforts to reform the political system at home. Separating truth from legend, Ridley also explores Bertie's relationships with the women in his life. Their ranks comprised his wife, the stunning Danish princess Alexandra, along with some of the great beauties of the era: the actress Lillie Langtry, longtime "royal mistress" Alice Keppel (the great-grandmother of Camilla Parker Bowles), and Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston. Edward VII waited nearly six decades for his chance to rule, then did so with considerable panache and aplomb. A magnificent life of an unexpectedly impressive king, The Heir Apparent documents the remarkable transformation of a man -- and a monarchy -- at the dawn of a new century. - Jacket flap. King Edward the VII, affectionately called Bertie, was fifty-nine when he took the throne in 1901, upon the death of his mother Queen Victoria. To everyone's great surprise, this playboy prince sobered up and became an extremely effective leader and the founder of England's modern monarchy. For readers of Sally Bedell Smith's Elizabeth the Queen and Robert K. Massie's Catherine the Great. "This is not only the best biography of King Edward VII; it's also one of the best books about royalty ever published." So began the London Independent's review of this wonderfully entertaining biography of Britain's playboy king-a Prince Charles of the Victorian age, only a lot more fun-who waited for nearly six decades to get his chance to rule. A notorious gambler, glutton and womanizer (he was dubbed "Edward the Caresser"), the world was his oyster as this aging Prince of Wales took advantage of his royal entitlements to travel, hunt, socialize, over-indulge-he smoked a dozen cigars a day-and bed a string of mistresses and married women in addition to his own wife. His mother Queen Victoria despaired: "Bertie, I grieve to say, shows more and more how totally, totally unfit he is for ever becoming king." And yet by the time he died in 1910, after only nine years on the throne, he had proven to be a hard working, effective king and an ace diplomat, at home and abroad. A bestseller in the UK, this "exhaustively researched, richly colorful and wittily observed biography" (the London Sunday Times) is a tremendously entertaining read for history buffs and royal watchers. Chronicles The Eventful Life Of Queen Victoria's Firstborn Son, The Quintessential Black Sheep Of Buckingham Palace, Who Matured Into As Wise And Effective A Monarch As Britain Has Ever Seen.--publisher's Description. Introduction: The Eighty-nine Steps -- Youth. -- Victoria And Albert 1841 -- Our Poor Strange Boy 1841-1856 -- Neither Fish Nor Flesh 1856-1860 -- Bertie's Fall 1861 -- Marriage 1861-1863 -- Totally Totally Unfit ... For Ever Becoming King 1863-1865 -- Alix's Knee 1865-1867 -- Marlborough House And Harriett Mordaunt 1868-1870 -- Annus Horribilis 1870-1871 -- Expanding Middle. -- Resurrection? 1871-1875 -- India 1875-1876 -- The Aylesford Scandal 1876 -- Lillie Langtry 1877-1878 -- Prince Hal 1878-1881 -- Prince Of Pleasure 1881-1887 -- William 1887-1889 -- Scandal 1889-1890 -- Nemesis 1890-1892 -- Daisy Warwick 1892-1896 -- We Are All In God's Hands 1897-1901 -- King -- King Edward The Caresser 1901-1902 -- Edward The Confessor Number Two 1902 -- King Edward The Peacemaker 1903-1905 -- Uncle Of Europe 1905-1907 -- King Canute 1908-1909 -- King Of Trumps 1909-1910 -- The People's King March-may 1910. Jane Ridley. Originally Published In Great Britain In 2012 By Chatto & Windus. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 607-698) And Index. Retail This richly entertaining biography chronicles the eventful life of Queen Victoria's firstborn son, the quintessential black sheep of Buckingham Palace, who matured into as wise and effective a monarch as Britain has ever seen. Granted unprecedented access to the royal archives, noted scholar Jane Ridley draws on numerous primary sources to paint a vivid portrait of the man and the age to which he gave his name. Born Prince Albert Edward, and known to familiars as "Bertie," the future King Edward VII had a well-earned reputation for debauchery. A notorious gambler, glutton, and womanizer, he preferred the company of wastrels and courtesans to the dreary life of the Victorian court. His own mother considered him a lazy halfwit, temperamentally unfit to succeed her. When he ascended to the throne in 1901, at age fifty-nine, expectations were low. Yet by the time he died nine years later, he had proven himself a deft diplomat, hardworking head of state, and the architect... Family tree of Edward VII Family tree of Alexandra Introduction : The eighty-nine steps Part one : Youth. Victoria and Albert 1841 "Our poor strange boy" 1841-1856 "Neither fish nor flesh" 1856-1860 Bertie's fall 1861 Marriage 1861-63 "Totally totally unfit ... for ever becoming king" 1863-65 Alix's knee 1865-67 Marlborough House and Harriett Mordaunt 1868-70 Annus horribilis 1870-71 Part two : Expanding middle. Resurrection? 1871-75 India 1875-76 The Aylesford scandal 1876 Lillie Langtry 1877-78 Prince Hal 1878-81 Prince of pleasure 1881-87 William 1887-89 Scandal 1889-90 Nemesis 1890-92 Daisy Warwick 1892-96 "We are all in God's hands" 1897-1901 Part three : King. King Edward the Caresser 1901-02 "Edward the Confessor number two" 1902 King Edward the peacemaker 1903-05 Uncle of Europe 1905-07 King Canute 1908-09 King of Trumps 1909-10 The people's king : March-May 1910 Conclusion Afterword : Bertie and the biographers About the author