Edward VII, Great King or Best King Ever?

[NNadir]

Edward VII spent more than 60 years waiting for his mother to kick off so he could be king. Bonnie Prince Charlie is waiting for the same damn thing.

Unlike Charlie who mostly slept with Camilla Parker Bowles during his first marriage, Prince Albert (later Edward VII) slept with all of these women besides his wife:

Actress Lillie Langtry, and socialite Jennie Jerome (mother of Winston Churchill and wife at the time to Lord Randolph Churchill), Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick, actress Sarah Bernhardt, dancer La Belle Otero, and wealthy humanitarian Agnes Keyser and society beauty Alice Keppel.

Queen Alexander thought this was great stuff,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_VII_of_the_United_Kingdom.

Interestingly enough Alice Keppel's grandmother was Sarah-Parker-Bowles great grandmother.

Thus Prince Charles was having an affair with his great great grandfather's mistress's great grand daughter. Of course, Prince Albert had something Prince Charlie doesn't have, style.

Although it's really not in breeding, it's quite provincial, no?

Edward VII's funeral is beautifully described in some of the greatest historical prose ever written by Barbara Tuchman in The Guns of August.

[Glorfindel]

1. yes, it is: "The Dukes of Coburg, of Saxe-Coburg, of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha..."

but quite apart from his funeral, I think his son, George V, was almost as great a king, earning the title "The Well-Beloved." And let's not forget George VI, who didn't want the job, but set a magnificent example for his subjects during WWII. Actually, I'm a big fan of the Royal Family. They always seem to rise to the occasion and do the right thing.

[NNadir]

3. George VI was a good king, but he didn't sleep around enough to be a great king.

From everything I can tell, he only slept with his wife.

What kind of King is that?

[SiobhanClancy]

2. I like Charles II myself...

A most charming and tolerant man for his time,by all accounts. He's certainly famous for his mistresses,and through them making a major contribution to the gene pool of British aristocracy,but he was also quite a patron of the arts and sciences. Somehow his personality still resonates and sparkles over the centuries:)

[wildhorses]

4. richard the lion hearted or perhaps

king arthur:P

:hide:


















:yoiks:

[NNadir]

5. Great Kings, in my view, don't get into fights and stuff like that.

Great Kings fritter away their wealth and privilege on being foppish voluptuaries.

[wildhorses]

6. gotcha

lovers not fighters;)

[NNadir]

7. If you think about it, that's how all government should be.

[wildhorses]

8. trudat

i just get frustrated sometimes and forget what is the TRUE agenda

thanks for helping me find the path

i had lost my way for a moment there

[Deep13]

10. "trudat?" Wasn't he the prime minister of Canada in the '80s?

:evilgrin:

[NNadir]

12. Well he wasn't a king.

I'm not sure about this but I think they have some kind of religion up in Canada where they worship Kings and Queens though.

I don't know if Trudeau slept with people to whom he was not married. Thus I don't know if Trudeau would have been a great King.

[Deep13]

9. Especially unnecessary fights like the Crusades.

At least GOOD kings don't. For GREAT kings, it seems to be a prerequisite. Henry V: way over-rated.

[Deep13]

11. Alexander

Unequalled to this day in ambition, military skill, tolerance and wisdom of his management. He sought to make Greece and its eastern enemies into one blended nation. Conquered enemies were not enslaved, but given positions of responsibility in the new empire. Unfortunately, his provincial underlings from Greece just did not get it.

[GirlinContempt]

13. I think you mean Queen Alexandra

:P

[NNadir]

14. Well she seems to have been quite a tolerant, cheerful woman.

Note: I would not have been a great king, and my wife would never tolerate me being one, but Alexandra, she was willing to let her husband reach greatness.