NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW AND THE BOSTON GLOBEThis 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 … 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
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A very detailed and interesting biography of Edward VII, giving a remarkable insight in to the society (including sex lives) and the politics of the the late 19th and early 20th century. Well written and absorbing.
A great informational book. Recommended.
I am impressed with how easy to read this biography is. I enjoy learning history, and had not realized quite how entangled in European politics Bertie was.
Rather long and detailed. A view of history from the side of a man who had nothing to do, so he became a playboy. Informative about Victoria’s character also. She’s usually portrayed as less prejudiced and vindictive.
Highly recommend if interested in the subject matter.
New pictures of the Queen and Albert. VERY different from what one sees on the tube.
Good read. Learned a lot about Edward IV, Queen Victoria, and the British Monarchy.
It is well written and throughly researched. However it is quite dense and more academic in style. Probably not a casual readers cup of tea.
A bit of an overdose on trivial detail unless you’re a total Royal fanatic. Does provide an interesting look inside the Victorian era of the British Royal Family.
The foibles of mankind are on display.
Great readable history – important to history buffs interested in 20th-21st century repercussions of 19th century event.s
Very well written and documented. I wish I had the skill to write such a book.
I learned a lot about Victoria’s oldest son. I had always believed that he caused his father’s death, and that he was only a playboy. He had a lot of faults, but this was a revelation that Albert worked himself to death, and that Bertie was a loving husband and a good king, when his time finally came.
I found this to be an interesting read. It seemed to be more based in reality than previous books I’ve read about Victoria’s reign and family interaction. Anyone who is interested in the British Monarchy will enjoy this.