The Life of King Edward VII - with a sketch of the career of King George V
568 pages
English

The Life of King Edward VII - with a sketch of the career of King George V

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568 pages
English
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Project Gutenberg's The Life of King Edward VII, by J. Castell HopkinsThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away orre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.netTitle: The Life of King Edward VIIwith a sketch of the career of King George VAuthor: J. Castell HopkinsRelease Date: April 20, 2008 [EBook #25112]Language: English*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LIFE OF KING EDWARD VII ***Produced by Stacy Brown, Juliet Sutherland and the OnlineDistributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.netTHE LIFE OFKING EDWARD VIIWITH A SKETCH OF THE CAREER OFKING GEORGE VBy J. CASTELL HOPKINS, F.S.S.Author of "Queen Victoria, Her Life and Reign;" "Lifeand Work of Mr. Gladstone;" "The Story of theDominion", &c., &c.Profusely IllustratedCopyright 1910, byW. E. Scull.EDWARD VII, KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREATBRITAIN AND IRELAND AND OF THE BRITISH DOMINIONSBEYOND THE SEAS, AND EMPEROR OF INDIABorn November 9, 1841. Ascended the throne January 22, 1901.Died May 6, 1910PREFACEDuring a number of years' study of British institutions in their modern development and of British public life in itsadjustment to new and changing conditions I have felt an ever-growing appreciation of the active influence exercised bythe late Sovereign of the British Empire upon the social life and public interests of ...

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Publié le 08 décembre 2010
Nombre de lectures 29
Langue English

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Project Gutenberg's The Life of King Edward VII, by J.
Castell Hopkins
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no
cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it,
give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg
License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: The Life of King Edward VII
with a sketch of the career of King George V
Author: J. Castell Hopkins
Release Date: April 20, 2008 [EBook #25112]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
THE LIFE OF KING EDWARD VII ***
Produced by Stacy Brown, Juliet Sutherland and the
Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.netTHE LIFE OF
KING EDWARD VII
WITH A SKETCH OF THE CAREER OF
KING GEORGE V
By J. CASTELL HOPKINS, F.S.S.
Author of "Queen Victoria, Her Life and Reign;" "Life
and Work of Mr. Gladstone;" "The Story of the
Dominion", &c., &c.
Profusely Illustrated
Copyright 1910, by
W. E. Scull.
EDWARD VII, KING OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND AND OF THE
BRITISH DOMINIONS BEYOND THE SEAS, AND
EMPEROR OF INDIA
Born November 9, 1841. Ascended the throne
January 22, 1901. Died May 6, 1910PREFACE
During a number of years' study of British institutions
in their modern development and of British public life in
its adjustment to new and changing conditions I have
felt an ever-growing appreciation of the active
influence exercised by the late Sovereign of the British
Empire upon the social life and public interests of the
United Kingdom and an ever-increasing admiration for
his natural abilities and rare tactfulness of character.
King Edward the Seventh, in a sixty years' tenure of
the difficult position of Heir to the British Throne, built
into the history of his country and Empire a record of
which he and his people had every reason to be
proud. He had for many years the responsibilities of a
Royal position without the actual power; the public
functions of a great ruler without the resources usually
available; the knowledge, experience and statecraft of
a wise Sovereign without Regal environment.
The Prince of Wales, however, rose above the
apparent difficulties of his position and for more than a
quarter of a century emulated the wise example of his
princely father—Albert the Good—and profited by the
beautiful character and unquestioned statesmanship
of his august mother. As with all those upon whose life
beats the glare of ever-present publicity and upon
whose actions the press of friendly and hostile nations
alike have the privilege of ceaseless comment, the
Heir to the British Throne had to suffer from atrocious
canards as well as from fulsome compliments. Unlike
many others, however, he afterwards lived down the
falsehoods of an early time; conquered by his clear,open life the occasional hostility of a later day; and at
the period of his accession to the Throne was, without
and beyond question, the best liked Prince in Europe
—the most universally popular man in the United
Kingdom and its external Empire. Upon the verge of
His Majesty's Coronation there occurred that sudden
and dramatic illness which proved so well the bravery
and patience of the man, and increased so greatly the
popularity and prestige of the Monarch.
Since then the late King has yearly grown in the
regard of his people abroad, in the respect of other
rulers and nations, in the admiration of all who
understood the difficulties of his position, the real force
of his personality and influence, the power with which
he drew to the Throne—even after the remarkable
reign of Victoria the Good—an increased affection and
loyalty from Australians and South Africans and
Canadians alike, an added confidence and loyal faith
in his judgment from all his British peoples whether at
home or over seas.
In the United States, which King Edward always
regarded with an admiration which the enterprise and
energy of its people so well deserved, he in turn
received a degree of respect and regard which did not
at one time seem probable. To him, ever since the
visit to the Republic in 1860, a closer and better
relation between the two great countries had been an
ideal toward which as statesman and Prince and
Sovereign he guided the English-speaking race.
The reader of these pages will, I hope, receive a
permanent impression of the career and character ofone who has been at once a popular Prince, a great
King, a worthy head of the British Empire and of his
own family, a statesman who has won and worn the
proud title of "The Royal Peacemaker."
J. CASTELL HOPKINS.
Toronto, Canada, 1910.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
The Crown and the Empire 17
CHAPTER II.
Early Years and Education of the Prince 31
CHAPTER III.
Royal Tour of British America and the United St
47
ates
CHAPTER IV.
The Royal Marriage 69
CHAPTER V.
Early Home Life and Public Duties 79
CHAPTER VI.
Travels in the East 99
CHAPTER VII.
1111
Serious Illness of the Prince
7
CHAPTER VIII.
13
The Prince of Wales in India
1
CHAPTER IX.
16
Thirty Years of Public Work
2
CHAPTER X.
Special Functions and Interests 181
CHAPTER XI.
The Prince and His Family 191
CHAPTER XII.
The Prince as a Social Leader 203
CHAPTER XIII.
The Prince as a Sportsman 211
CHAPTER XIV.
Habits and Character of the Prince 218
CHAPTER XV.
The Prince as an Empire Statesman 234
CHAPTER XVI.
The Prince as Heir Apparent 248
CHAPTER XVII.Accession to the Throne 268
CHAPTER XVIII.
The First Year of the New Reign 286
CHAPTER XIX.
Empire Tour of the New Heir to the Throne 305
CHAPTER XX.
The King and the South African War 351
CHAPTER XXI.
Preparations for the Coronation 368
CHAPTER XXII.
Serious Illness of the King 380
CHAPTER XXIII.
The Coronation 391
CHAPTER XXIV.
The Reign of King Edward 420
CHAPTER XXV.
The King as a Diplomatist and Peace-maker 432
CHAPTER XXVI.
The Death of King Edward 440
CHAPTER XXVII.
The Solemn Funeral of the King 451
CHAPTER XXVIII.The New King and His Imperial Responsibilities 461
drawing of crown and scepter
THE PRINCESS ALEXANDRA
At the time of her marriage
KING EDWARD AS PRINCE OF WALES IN 1879
MARRIAGE OF EDWARD AND ALEXANDRA, THEN
PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES, 1863
From a painting at Windsor by W. P. Firth R.A.
CHAPTER I.
The Crown and the Empire
The great development of a political nature in the
British Empire of the nineteenth century was the
complete harmony which gradually evolved between
the Monarchy and a world-wide democracy. This
process was all-important because it eliminated an
element of internal discord which has destroyed more
than one nation in the past; because it permitted the
peaceful progress of scattered states to continue
through the passing years without having questions of
allegiance to seriously hamper their growth; because it
trained political thought along lines of stability and
continuity and made loyalty and liberty consistent and
almost synonymous terms; because it made the
Crown the central symbol of the Empire's unity, the
visible object of a world-wide allegiance, the special
token of a common aspiration and a common
sentiment amongst many millions of English-speaking
people—the subject of untutored reverence andunquestioned respect amongst hundreds of millions of
other races.
THE POSITION OF THE CROWN
The chief factor in this development was the late
Queen Victoria, and to the inheritance of the fabric
thus evolved came a son who was educated amid the
constitutional environment in which she lived and was
trained in the Imperial ideas which she so strongly held
and so wisely impressed upon her statesmen, her
family and her people. King Edward came into
responsibilities which were greater and more imposing
than those ever before inherited by a reigning
sovereign. He had not only the great example and life
of his predecessor as a model and as a comparison;
not only the same vast and ever-changing and
expanding Empire to rule over; not only a similar
myriad-eyed press and public to watch his every
expression and movement; but he entered with his
people upon a new century in which one of the first
and most prominent features is a decay in popular
respect for Parliament and a revival of the old-time
love for stately display, for ceremonial and for the
appropriate trappings of royalty. With this evident and
growing influence of the Crown as a social and popular
factor is the knowledge which all statesmen and
constitutional students now possess of the personal
influence in diplomacy and statecraft which was
wielded by the late Queen Victoria and which the
experience and tact of the new Monarch enabled him
to also test and prove. Side by side with these two
elements in the situation was the conviction which has
now become fixed throughout the Empire that the

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