Books : Edward VII: The Last Victorian King

Rating: - Dear Bertie
I found this an absolutely enthralling book. So well written and set out. As a frequent visitor to Sandringham House, it was wonderful to get to know it's principal inhabitants, Edward and Alexandra. Much critised for his extravagant life style, I believe that Bertie would have been an excellent statesman given half the chance. Which of course was the one thing that his mother tried to prevent. Hence the filandering, partying life style. Plenty of money and no job to do!! Wouldn't we all be the same? The author really enables the reader to understand Edwards character make-up, which his own parents were largely responsible for building. I'm sad that Bertie didn't have a long time on the throne, as I feel he would have been a very sucessful and highly popular monarch. I found him an irresistably charming and highly educated man who, sadly, was not allowed to achieve his full potential. With his death, it seems that truly the Victorian years came to an end. Highly recommended.

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Rating: - Edward VII as he was - a magnificient personal portrait of the King
Christopher Hibbert is the wide-ranging historian writing mainly on 18th, 19th and 20th century British, Italian and French History. He has also written splendid history-guide books. Described as 'a writer of the highest ability' or as 'a pearl of biographers', he is, in the words of The Times Educational Supplement, 'perhaps the most gifted popular historian we have'.

He puts his amazing talent to good use in his personal history of Edward VII. One understands this "eternal" Prince of Wales who turns out to be a pretty good king in spite of his less promising career before his accessions at least in the eyes of his domineering mother, Queen Victoria. Edward is a likeable character, often weak, hedonistic, interested in the less important things in life, bon vivant, elegant, witty. There is not the high handed, constant moral approach of the Prince Consort which can be at times quite tiresome. He seems to be rather more like his mother, a likeness she did not like. While she fought her weaknesses, he lived them. Hibbert is never blind to his weaknesses, but equally not to his strength like his talent for diplomacy. It is a mere pleasure to read this. I enjoyed every page.