Edward VII, Biography, life history, creativity, writers, ZhZL. Biography of Bertie King of England

15.09.2023

Loving Edward VII

Edward VII

Portrait of King Edward VII (1841-1910), Franz Xaver Winterhalter

High English society, imbued with the prim morality of the Victorian era, grudgingly tolerated the antics of the Prince of Wales until he went beyond the bounds of decency. When he declared the beautiful Lily Lantry his official mistress and began to appear with her in society, a huge scandal erupted.

He was called Edward the loving. This not the most respectable nickname bothered the monarch himself a little. The king cared even less about the opinions of his loved ones who were trying to interfere with his adventures.

Alfred (1844-1900), later Duke of Edinburgh, and his elder brother Bertie, later King Edward VII.Great Britain and Ireland, 1855

Edward VII was the last representative of the “golden monarchical age”, which ended with the First World War, which forever destroyed the old foundations of British society. The Edwardian era is remembered as a time of croquet, noisy balls and grandiose hunting fun. People in those years became more relaxed.
A notorious rake, Edward loved gourmet food. And at the same time, his unbridled sexual appetites brought him not only to the boudoirs of his friends’ wives, but also to European brothels. The writer Henry James was the first to dub Prince Edward “loving,” and Bertie, as his friends called him, did not hide and was even proud of his love victories.

Queen Victoria, Princess Alice, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester aged 80.
Edward's mother, Queen Victoria, and father, Prince Albert, turned his childhood into a nightmare. According to psychologists, constant boring instructions about how a member of the royal family should behave caused an internal protest in the boy, which over the years turned into an unbridled passion for the fair sex.
The Prince of Wales - this was the title the prince had before taking the throne - rejected the Puritan principles of his parents. He lived for his own pleasure, trampling on centuries-old established moral principles.

Queen Victoria's family

His life was spent on pleasure trips around Europe, sumptuous dinners, carefree card battles and hunting. He was also fond of sailing and loved the theater.
The Prince of Wales first had sexual relations with a woman at age nineteen, while serving in Ireland.

Prince of Wales

Portrait of Edward, Prince of Wales,

Fellow officers placed actress Nellie Clifden in his bed. From that day on, Bertie’s cheerful life began (that’s what his friends called him).
Twice the country witnessed his scandalous behavior at trial - so far only as a witness. The first time - because of a quarrel at the card table, the second - because of Lady Harriet Mordaunt, who said that her son, who was born blind, was God's punishment for her infidelity to her husband, including with Prince Edward. The prince himself swore that he had never been her lover, but to this day everyone believes that he added perjury to his many sins.

Portrait of Lily Langtry, painted by George Frederick

Edward was 36 years old when fate brought him together with Lily Lantry. He met her at a dinner with one of his London friends, bachelor Sir Allan Young, and they soon became inseparable.
British society was outraged. The prince, like other aristocrats, was not forbidden to have a mistress, but it was completely unacceptable to appear with this lady in high society. It was usually allowed to take a mistress to private clubs, but not to formal dinners.

Lillie Langtry (1853 - 1929)

By putting Lily on public display, Edward challenged high society. For ten years, his relationship with the actress shocked all of Europe.

At that time, Edward had no government duties, since his mother did not intend to leave the throne, and he increasingly threw himself into the abyss of pleasure. To stop their son's shameful behavior, his parents insisted on marrying the Danish Princess Alexandra. But even after the wedding, the prince continued to lead a wild life.

Alexandra, Princess of Denmark in her youth.

Princess Alexandra of Denmark, wedding.

Marriage of HRH The Prince of Wales and Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

Engraved illustrations inHarper weeknewspaper of the wedding of the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) and Alexander of Denmark

wedding of Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII) and Alexander of Denmark, London, 1863

Large ceremonial portrait of Queen Alexandra

Emilia Charlotte le Breton was a mystery to many. Calling herself an actress, the only daughter of William Corbet, who held a fairly high spiritual position in Jersey, ran away from home in the hope of finding freedom, happiness and wealth. She was subsequently called "Jersey Lily" after her birthplace.

Lily Lantry

Lily's character was probably greatly influenced by her father. Because of his numerous love affairs, he was nicknamed the “vicious priest” on the island. Ironically, his daughter's first suitor turned out to be... the illegitimate son of Corbet himself.
Lily was distinguished by rare beauty. A strict Greek profile, huge expressive eyes the color of spring violets, luxurious silky hair... She seemed to attract fans to her like a magnet.

Lily Lantry

One of the writers said about her: “Lily never wore corsets. Maybe

That’s why she looked like a Greek goddess and an earthly peasant girl at the same time and resembled a marble figurine.”

Lily - right, Frederic Leighton

In 1874, the young beauty married Edward Lantry, the son of a successful shipowner, who came to Jersey to enjoy its wonderful nature, and at the same time squander his father’s money on local beauties. Captivated by Lily's beauty, he proposed marriage to her. She agreed. Soon the young couple moved to England, where Lily became a “professional beauty.” At that time, this was the name given to ladies of aristocratic origin who were photographed dressed, but in rather seductive poses. These photographs were then sold throughout Britain.

Lily Lantry

That evening, when Lily was introduced to the prince, he leaned over to her and whispered in her ear that she was much more attractive in real life than on postcards. A great connoisseur of female beauty, he noticed that none of the images conveyed her “heavenly features.” A week later they became lovers. By that time, Prince Edward was the father of three children... However, Edward did not hide his love affairs from Alexandra. She treated it condescendingly.

Edward VII, with his wife, the future Queen Alexandra, and their first-born, Albert Victor.

However, with Lily the case was out of the ordinary! The prince began to insist that they be recognized by society, and Lily became his official mistress. He appeared with her everywhere, including at the races he adored. In Bournemouth he built a love nest, in which at one time he spent almost all weekends.

Lily Lantry

Once in the famous Parisian restaurant "Maxim" he kissed her on the lips in front of everyone. If Mrs. Lantry's name was not on the invitation card, then Edward himself wrote her name down and always took it with him. He even introduced his mistress to his wife and the Queen Mother at Buckingham Palace, as they desperately wanted to see the person who had such great influence on the prince.

Lillie Langtry

Together with Lily, Edward traveled around Europe and stayed in luxurious apartments in the best hotels. At this time, Lily's humiliated husband started drinking and fell into huge debts.
For two years, English society waited with curiosity to see what would follow each new escapade of the prince. And then one day, while in Edward’s mansion, Lily suddenly felt ill. Princess Alexandra invited a doctor, who, after an examination, informed Edward and his wife that Lily was expecting a child.

Lillie Langtry

It was rumored that the girl Lily secretly gave birth to in France and named Jeanne-Marie was Bertie's daughter. However, there is another version, according to which Lily had, in addition to Edward, another lover, Prince Louis of Battenberg.
The royal family believes that both love affairs developed simultaneously. One way or another, Lily hid the fact that she had a child, claiming that she was raising the daughter of her brother who died in India.

Lillie Langtry

The prince continued to patronize Lily and date her. But over time, the craziest passion most often passes. Gradually their relationship became purely friendly. He helped Lily get onto the stage, which his beloved had long dreamed of.
Lily's acting debut took place on December 15, 1881. She played the role of Kate Hardcastle in the play "By the Steps of Power". The Prince of Wales and his wife and representatives of London's high society who were present at the concert loudly applauded the actress, calling her for an encore.
Within five years, Lily became the most famous actress of the time. In 1882 she performed with great success in New York. Her wealth and fame grew rapidly.
Edward was always fascinated by wealth and beauty, and the combination of both made Lily simply irresistible.

Lily Lantry, W. & D. Downey

In 1975, the royal correspondence was published. During the royal family's visit to Sweden, Edward wrote to Lily from Stockholm: “I am happy to hear that you are again at the top of your fame, and I sincerely wish you further success on stage, although I fear for your health - after all, your work is very difficult. "I was pleased to get acquainted with the vast geography of your tours. Being a frequent guest of the King of Sweden, I told him about your successes, and he personally asked me not to forget you and support you. He wishes you success in your acting career."

Lillie Langtry

Lilly Langtry

Lily achieved her greatest success in the role of Rosalind from William Shakespeare's As You Like It All. In 1899 she became the wife of Sir Hugo de Bath.
Over time, Edward had new mistresses, among whom was the legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt. But, of course, he did not experience the same passionate feelings for any of them as he did for Lily...

Sarah Bernhardt

Alice Keppel

Alexandra of Denmark and Edward VII.

Edward VII and Alexandra

Edward VII

Edward VII.

Edward VII (11/9/1841, London, - 5/5/1910, Windsor), king since 1901. First of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty (since 1917 Windsor dynasty). Took action. participation in the creation of the Entente. During a meeting with the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, Franz Joseph (1907), he unsuccessfully sought Austria-Hungary to renounce its alliance with Germany. He did not play a significant role in domestic politics.

Materials from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia were used.

EDWARD VII (Edward) (1841-1910) - King of Great Britain in 1901-1910.

He took an active personal part in resolving foreign policy issues, including in the process of Anglo-French rapprochement and education Entente. Of particular importance was his trip to Paris in the spring of 1903, after which the Anglo-French Agreement of 1904 was concluded.

He sought to improve relations with Russia (see Russian-English agreement of 1907). In June 1908, at a meeting with Nicholas II, he tried to weaken the pro-German sentiments of the Russian emperor.

Orlov A.S., Georgieva N.G., Georgiev V.A. Historical Dictionary. 2nd ed. M., 2012, p. 579.

Edward VII. Reproduction from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/

Edward VII
Albert Edward
Edward VII
Years of life: November 9, 1841 - May 6, 1910
Reign: January 22, 1901 - May 6, 1910
Father: Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Mother: Victoria
Wife: Alexandra of Denmark
Sons: Albert Victor, Georg
Daughters: Louise, Victoria, Maud

Parents sought to give Edward a good education, but he was not a diligent student, preferring games and entertainment to science. He took courses in the basic sciences at Oxford and Cambridge, but did not receive any degree. Upon returning from a long trip to the USA and Canada in 1860, he finally received his long-awaited freedom and his own residence, first in White Lage, and after his wedding in 1863, Sandringham. After Queen Victoria became a widow and retired to Windsor Castle, Edward's palace became the center of high society life in England.

Edward was a brilliant socialite. He was the life of the party, the ringleader and the joker. The prince loved beautiful women, with whom he was chivalrously courteous, but he valued men only if they were smart conversationalists, skilled shooters or bridge players. Edward was very democratic in spirit; not only nobles, but also financiers, industrialists, athletes and American friends had access to his palace. He was fond of sports, patronized science and art, and founded the Royal College of Music.

In the first years of his married life, Edward was an exemplary family man, but after the birth of children, Princess Alexandra had practically no time left for social entertainment, and Edward somewhat cooled towards her, acquiring several official mistresses.

It was also no secret that the prince was a member of the Society of Freemasons, and in 1874 received the title of Grandmaster.

After Victoria's death in 1901, Edward became king at the age of 59. He was the oldest king of England since William IV, who ascended the throne at 64. He was unexpectedly crowned Edward VII, although he was expected to be Albert Edward I. The coronation was scheduled for 26 June 1902, but two days before Edward suffered an attack of appendicitis. Dr. Frederick Traves performed the operation successfully, and the life of the future king was out of danger. The coronation took place on August 9, 1902. Since Edward was the son of the German Prince Albert, he changed the name of the dynasty to Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Queen Victoria did not have a very high opinion of her son’s abilities, and therefore did not allow him to participate in government affairs. However, Edward had good diplomatic skills, he was fluent in the science of half-words, hints, tricks and vague promises. In 1903, when Great Britain and France were on the verge of war, he met with French President Loubet and during the negotiations not only managed to prevent an armed conflict, but also concluded an alliance that marked the beginning of the Entente. He made another significant visit to Russia in 1908, becoming the first British monarch to visit this country.

In the spring of 1910, Edward fell ill with bronchitis, and on May 6 he unexpectedly died of a heart attack at Buckingham Palace. Since his eldest son Albert Victor died young of pneumonia, his second son George became the new king.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the influence of British kings on politics had virtually disappeared, and Edward VII was the ideal embodiment of a constitutional monarch performing representative functions. He carried out his duties easily, even smartly, but with truly royal tact and grandeur, without going into details, but only setting the general tone for politics.

Edward was related to almost all the royal courts of Europe, for which, by analogy with Queen Victoria, he received the nickname “Uncle of Europe”.

Material used from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/

EDWARD VII (1841–1910), King of Great Britain and Ireland. Albert Edward was born on November 9, 1841 in London, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. After becoming Prince of Wales, he was educated at home; Studied briefly in Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge. In 1855 he made the first of his many visits to Paris, in 1860 he visited Canada and the USA, and in 1862 he traveled to the Holy Land and the Mediterranean. In 1863 he married the Danish Princess Alexandra. His father died in 1861 and his mother was left a widow, so Prince Edward and his young wife were entrusted with the duties of performing the routine ceremonies of the royal house. Edward received great pleasure from traveling abroad; the most important of them are to Egypt in 1869 and to India in 1875; he also made numerous visits to various European countries, especially often to France. In England he showed an energetic interest in social work and charitable activities. Edward was interested in horse breeding and horse racing; his horses have won the Derby Cup three times.

Edward, one of the most famous and most popular English heirs to the throne, ascended the throne on January 22, 1901. Edward showed remarkable diplomatic talent, the ability to establish good personal relationships and gain authority. He directed all his efforts to create alliances in Europe with the participation of England and was the first British monarch to pay a state visit to Russia (1908). At the same time, personal enmity with the German Emperor Wilhelm had an impact on increasing international tension in the pre-war years. Edward VII died in London on May 6, 1910.

Materials from the encyclopedia "The World Around Us" were used.

Edward VII (11/09/1841 - 05/06/1910), King of Great Britain and Ireland, Emperor of India, son of Queen Victoria and Prince Husband Albert. Born in 1841, at birth he received the title Prince of Wales and at baptism - the name Albert Edward, which he bore while he was Prince of Wales. He was raised by his parents under a very strict regime, as they had high hopes for his abilities. The task of forming a strong personality was set before the boy’s trustees.

After becoming Prince of Wales, he was educated at home; Studied briefly in Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge. In 1855 he made the first of his many visits to Paris. In 1860 he traveled to America, and in 1862 he traveled to the Holy Land and the Mediterranean.

In 1863, Albert Edward married Princess Alexandra (b. 1844), daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark, sister of the Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna (Dagmara). His father died in 1861 and his mother was left a widow, so Prince Edward and his young wife were entrusted with the duties of performing the routine ceremonies of the royal house.

Edward received great pleasure from traveling abroad. In 1869, they visited Egypt and also made numerous visits to various European countries, especially often to France.

In England he showed an energetic interest in social work and charitable activities. Edward was interested in horse breeding and horse racing; his horses have won the Derby Cup three times.

He entered the British Army with the rank of colonel, in which he gradually rose to the rank of field marshal; was also listed as a field marshal of the Prussian army. In 1875 - 1876 made a trip to India. In 1885 he visited Ireland with his wife; The Irish party recognized this visit as untimely and recommended that the population stay away from any meetings and celebrations, as a result of which the reception of the prince and princess in Ireland turned out to be extremely cold.

In 1891, Albert-Edouard was supposed to testify in a case of fraudulent gambling in the house of a certain Wilson, which he constantly visited. The process aroused strong displeasure in society and the press, regardless of political direction, against the prince, who instructed the Minister of War Stanhope to announce on his behalf in the House of Commons that he regretted what had happened.

In 1894, after the death of Emperor Alexander III, the prince visited the St. Petersburg court.

“...During the first months of the reign of Emperor Nicholas II, the Prince of Wales came to St. Petersburg. As you know, the future King Edward VII was the uncle of Princess Alice of Darmstadt, our current Empress, and therefore was very intimate in his dealings with her. And so, when he was in St. Petersburg, during one of the first breakfasts with the Emperor and Empress, when the three of them were together, he suddenly, turning to the Empress, rather undiplomatically said: “How is your husband’s profile similar to (5) the profile of Emperor Paul “, – which both the Emperor and the Empress did not like very much.

I heard about this from those close to the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward). While talking about this, he noticed that he made a “gaf” (embarrassment). Nevertheless, the Prince of Wales, in the first months after the death of Emperor Alexander III, showed cordial family friendship to the Dowager Empress and Emperor, not only from the formal side, as all the reigning houses did, but also from the intimate side...” (pp. 4-5, ch. 1, vol. 1, Count S.Yu. Witte, Memoirs. The reign of Nicholas II, Slovo Publishing House, Berlin, 1923, Note: http://ldn-knigi.lib.ru/).

In 1900, on the way to Copenhagen, to the Danish court, an attempt was made on the life of the prince in Brussels by the young worker Sipido, who shot at him with a revolver, but missed. The jury found Sipido to have acted in a state of insanity and thus freed him from punishment, but the court decided to send him to an educational institution. Before this sentence was carried out, Sipido, released for a few days, fled to France. The court verdict and the flight of Sipido gave rise to protest from the English government; The Belgian government responded by pointing out the legality of both the entire judicial procedure and the temporary release of Sipido. France, under pressure from England, extradited Sipido to Belgium, despite protests from the radical and socialist press.

On January 22, 1901, after the death of his mother, Albert Edward assumed the throne of Great Britain and India and took the name Edward VII. A few days later, he took a solemn oath of allegiance to the constitution, and on February 14 he personally opened parliament with a speech from the throne. His coronation took place in the fall of 1902.

He enjoyed great popularity as a prince and as a king both in England and abroad. He had the nickname Uncle of Europe, as he was the uncle of several European monarchs who reigned at the same time as him, including Nicholas II and William II.

Edward was an active figure in Freemasonry and participated in the meetings of many lodges in Britain and on the Continent; Like other British Freemasons of the time, he made no secret of his membership in lodges, and some of his speeches on Masonic topics were public.

Edward showed remarkable diplomatic talent, the ability to establish good personal relationships and gain authority. He directed all his efforts to create alliances in Europe with the participation of England. The king made a great personal contribution to the creation of the Entente, visiting France on an official visit (1903). After the Boer War, Edward played a major role in the reform of the British navy and military medical service.

Relations between Nicholas II and Edward deteriorated significantly during the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), when, thanks to economic assistance from England and the United States, including the supply of warships to Japan and the training of the Japanese military, Russia was forced to accept a humiliating for her the Treaty of Portsmouth.

“... He spoke to me again about the desire of Edward and the British for me to come to England, but I explained to him that, with all my desire, I could not do this without the order of the Sovereign, and at that time, of course, such permission from the Sovereign to follow could not, since His Majesty was under the connections of the Biork meeting.

Even if King Edward had asked the Sovereign for this, permission could not have been granted. Then the Emperor considered the British our sworn enemies. Then Poklevsky convinced me for a long time that Russia needed to enter into an agreement with England after the Portsmouth Peace in order to end the misunderstanding on Persian, Afghan, Tibetan and other issues that serve as constant fueling factors for bad relations between Russia and England. I told him quite sincerely that in my opinion it was desirable to establish good relations between England and Russia, but without spoiling the existing relations with the continental European powers. This, in my opinion, should be our policy in the West, and in the East it is necessary to establish good relations with Japan with complete sincerity. Russia desires peace for at least several decades, and prudent policy should strive for this with all its might. There is no doubt that the agreement that followed the other day between Russia and England was the work of Poklevsky and his influence on Izvolsky. It literally reproduces what Poklevsky-Kozel presented to me in Paris. King Edward cleverly took advantage of his intimate favor towards this diplomat”... (p. 407, chapter 28, vol. 1, Count S.Yu. Witte, “Memoirs. The reign of Nicholas II”, Slovo Publishing House, Berlin, 1922. , http://ldn-knigi.lib.ru/).

He was the first British monarch to pay a state visit to Russia (1908).

“...1908. Meeting of the sovereign with King Edward. This was precisely the apogee of Stolypin’s prestige. The revolutionary period ended, some work began to improve. This was Stolypin's honeymoon. Interesting person. Eduard was very interested in Stolypin and always looked for opportunities to talk to him. Whether the meeting was on the imperial yacht, he always looked for an opportunity to talk to him. Stolypin spoke excellent English, there were photographers all around, it turned out: the heavy figure of Eduard, the large figure of Stolypin, then all this was in English magazines...” (pp. 167-168, end of chapter “Thursday, March 30, 1933”, N.A. Basili, “Alexander Ivanovich Guchkov tells... Conversations of A.I. Guchkov with N.A. Basili (history of transcripts)”, magazine "Questions of History", 1991, No. 11).

At the same time, personal enmity with the German Emperor Wilhelm had an impact on increasing international tension in the pre-war years.

Edward VII was the first head of state to personally open the Olympic Games (1908 Summer Olympics in London).

Edward was known for his cheerful disposition, passion for running and hunting; a great admirer of the fair sex, had several illegitimate children. The great-granddaughter of his last mistress, Alice Keppel, also became the mistress (and then wife) of the Prince of Wales - this is Camilla Parker Bowles, the current wife of Prince Charles.

Edward suffered from bronchitis, and this illness did not let him go. The crisis came in early May 1910. When Edward VII's health began to deteriorate, he strengthened himself by working in the garden of the estate at Sandringham. What's the point of living if you can't work! - he remarked to his doctor. Nevertheless, his illnesses forced him to retire to Buckingham Palace. Until the last minute he was animated, smoking a cigar, and when he learned that his horse had come first in the race, he said: “I’m very glad.” With these words the king died. Edward VII died in London on May 6, 1910.

His eldest son Albert, Duke of Clarence and Avondale, died in 1892; the heir to the throne was his second son, George Friedrich Ernest Albert (born in 1865), Duke of York and Cornwall, from 1901 Prince of Wales, later King George V.

Materials used: from the website “Dei_Gratia” numismatic Internet portal –

http://deigratiacoins.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=46; from the site “People” - http://www.peoples.ru/state/king/england/eduard_vii/;

Prof. V.M. Khvostov, Chapter 8 - 9, Section five “Diplomacy in modern times (1872 - 1919)”, World History of Diplomacy;

http://www.diphis.ru/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=107#5;

Ch. 5, review “Private gold mining in Russia at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. (Ural and Siberia - development models)", http://www.bullion.ru/library/text/wit-toc.html.

Notes:

Treaty of April 8, 1904 between England and France. The agreement had two parts: one was intended for publication, the other was secret. “The Government of the French Republic,” read Article 1 of the public declaration regarding Egypt and Morocco, “declares that it will not interfere with the actions of England in this country (i.e. in Egypt) by insisting that the British occupation be allowed to expire, or in any other way." In exchange for Egypt, England provided France with the opportunity to capture most of Morocco. Article 2 of the public declaration read: “The Government of the French Republic declares that it has no intention of changing the political situation of Morocco. For its part, His Britannic Majesty's government recognizes that France belongs to monitor... the calm in this country and provide it with assistance in all the administrative, economic, financial and military reforms it needs... It declares that it will not interfere with France's actions in in this sense."

October 11, 1899 - May 31, 1902 - War between England and the Boers (South Africa) for gold mines. As a pretext for war, English diplomacy chose the issue of the position of the so-called Uitlanders. This was the name given to the foreigners, mostly English, who flooded the Transvaal after the discovery of gold mines in the Witwatersrand. The Boer government denied these profit-seekers full political rights.

Peace was concluded on September 5, 1905. According to the Treaty of Portsmouth, Russia recognized Korea as a sphere of Japanese influence. Article 2 of the Treaty of Portsmouth stated: “The Russian Imperial Government, recognizing the predominant interests of Japan in Korea: political, military and economic, undertakes not to interfere with those measures of leadership, patronage and supervision that the Imperial Japanese Government might consider necessary to take in Korea.” According to Article 5, Russia ceded to Japan lease rights to the Liaodong Peninsula with Port Arthur and Dalny, and under Article 6 - the South Manchurian Railway from Port Arthur to Kuan Cheng Tzu station, somewhat south of Harbin. Thus, Southern Manchuria became Japan's sphere of influence. Russia ceded the southern part of Sakhalin to Japan. According to Article 12, Japan imposed on Russia the conclusion of a fishing convention: “Russia undertakes to enter into an agreement with Japan in the form of granting Japanese subjects fishing rights along the shores of Russian possessions in the Seas of Japan, Okhotsk and Bering. It is agreed that such an obligation will not affect the rights already owned by Russian or foreign subjects in these parts.” Article 7 of the Treaty of Portsmouth stated: “Russia and Japan undertake to operate the railways belonging to them in Manchuria solely for commercial and industrial purposes, and in no way for strategic purposes.”

The meeting took place in July 1905 in the Finnish skerries, near the island of Bjorke. Wilhelm suggested that Nicholas return to last year’s draft union treaty, according to which Russia joined the triple alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy). He convinced the tsar to sign a document similar to the one discussed at the end of last year. Nikolai agreed. Having signed the agreement, he called the naval minister Birilev, who accompanied him, covered the text with his palm and ordered Birilev to sign under it. He waved. Thus, the royal signature was countersigned by the minister in accordance with the requirement of the fundamental laws of the empire.

Upon returning to the capital, the king informed Lamzdorf about the agreement. He became confused. He immediately brought Witte into the matter. Both began to persuade the king to notify William that the treaty could not come into force until France gave its consent to it. This is what the king did. This was, of course, a diplomatic form of refusal.

The Kaiser's appeals went unanswered. By the way, by this time peace with Japan had already been signed; Russia became less dependent on Germany. The Portsmouth Peace also opened up opportunities for negotiations with Paris on a loan. At the same time, it was planned to attract not only French banks, but also the London banking house Br. Baring,” and maybe the American Morgan. The Björk Treaty would have made it impossible to obtain a loan in either London or Paris. Meanwhile, in order to suppress the revolution, tsarism needed the loan more than ever. If Wilhelm II and Bülow expected to use the internal difficulties of tsarism to dissolve the Franco-Russian alliance, then they were mistaken: the revolution of 1905 further exacerbated tsarism’s need for French money.

Poklevsky-Kozel Iosif Ivanovich (03/10/1876-04/25/1911) - from a family of Siberian gold miners, lieutenant colonel of the Corps of Mechanical Engineers (1908), from August 1907 assistant naval agent in England, in November 1909 hospitalized due to with a mental disorder. I thank the leading specialist of the RGAVMF A.Yu. Emelin for providing information (note 1 article Kozyurenok K.L. “St. Petersburg - Rio de Janeiro 1911 - 1914”, http://enoth.narod.ru/Navy/Rio_de_Janeiro. txt).

Biographical materials prepared by Vadim Vrachev

Read further:

British historical figures(biographical reference book).

Edward VII(Edward VII) (1841-1910), King of Great Britain and Ireland, Emperor of India from January 22, 1901.
Albert Edward was born on November 9, 1841 in London, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
The first of the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (now Windsor) dynasty.

King of Great Britain and Ireland Edward VII in Russian costume.St. Petersburg. Photographer Bergamasco. Petersburg)
https://ru.wiki2.org/wiki/Bergamasko,_Karl_Ivanovich

He was the life of the party, the ringleader and the joker. The prince loved beautiful women, with whom he was chivalrously courteous,
He valued men only if they were smart conversationalists, skilled marksmen, or bridge players.

In 1894, after the death of the Russian Emperor Alexander III, he visited St. Petersburg as a prince and met with Nicholas II
and his wife Alexandra Fedorovna...

Victoria's eldest son - Albert-Edu-
ard, future King of England Edward VII -
married a Danish princess in 1863
Alexandra - the sister of the future princess -
jealous of Maria Fedorovna.

When Dagmara got married in 1865
Petersburg with Grand Duke Alexander
Alexandrovich, her sister, then already a German
The Duchess of Wales was in her last months
pregnancy and because of this I could not
come to the wedding. to St. Petersburg for a wedding
her husband Edward came.

He was very welcoming
received at court. received from Alexander II
the rank of colonel of the Russian guard and became
for all this, an ardent supporter of Russia...

The young King Edward VII. Franz Xaver Winterhalter

(Edward VII) (1841-1910), King of Great Britain and Ireland. Albert Edward was born on November 9, 1841 in London, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. After becoming Prince of Wales, he was educated at home; Studied briefly in Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge.

The principles of education were tireless study, strict discipline and complete isolation of the child from his peers. At the age of 11, with a lively and indomitable nature, the boy often sat in classes from 8 am to 7 pm. He was taught ancient and European languages, literature, geography, exact sciences and arts. In the summer there was detente. In the palace parks of England and Scotland, Albert Edward's father introduced him to horse riding and hunting foxes and deer.

The real difficulties in the relationship between the royal couple and the crown prince began in the years of his youth and youth. The attractive appearance of the future king and especially his wavy hair, expressive eyes and charming manners made an indelible impression on the female part of society.

In her diary and letters to her eldest daughter Victoria, who was the wife of the heir to the Prussian throne and future Emperor Frederick III, the queen complained that her son was prone to a frivolous lifestyle and his accession to the throne would bring adversity to the dynasty and the country as a whole.

During his mother's reign he was initially involved in general matters, including serving on Royal Commissions on Social Problems, but was then suspended by Victoria from acting as her representative until 1898.

Taking a number of university courses broadened the prince's horizons and revealed his aptitude for science, but could not prevent the inevitable. During his three-week military service in the summer of 1861 in Ireland, the prince managed to fly out of his golden cage. By this time he already had the rank of lieutenant colonel, assigned to him in advance.

Three possibilities immediately opened up for the young officer. Firstly, he had long dreamed of an army career, which was unusual for members of the royal family, who preferred service in the navy. Secondly, he could communicate with guards officers, his peers. Thirdly, with the assistance of new friends, the prince had his first lover, the young actress Nellie Clifden.

The royal family did not know about the mischief of the Prince of Wales. But back in the spring of 1861, the parents’ intuition told them that their son’s obvious penchant for social entertainment could undermine the throne. The solution was seen in the need for an early marriage of the heir to one of the European princesses.

King Edward VII, 1861. David Mossman

Albert Edward was in love with Alexandra. “I didn’t think it was possible to love as much as I love her,” he wrote to his mother. The girl reciprocated his feelings and, with her characteristic sincerity, admitted that if her lover were not a prince, but a shepherd, she would still have tender feelings for him and would marry him.

The Landing of H.R.H. the Princess Alexandra at Gravesend, March 7, 1863, Henry Nelson O'Neil
Alexandra of Denmark(Alexandra of Denmark) (1844-1925) - Danish princess, was the eldest daughter of Prince Christian, later King Christian IX of Denmark and his wife Louise of Hesse-Kassel. Alexandra was the sister of the Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna and the aunt of Emperor Nicholas II. Since 1901, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as the Empress of India.

Preparations began for the wedding, which took place in March 1863 at St. George's Church, Windsor. But the Prince Consort was not destined to see her. Depression, as a consequence of the experience, and typhus caused his death on December 14, 1861. Until the end of her days, the grief-stricken widow considered the heir to be the culprit in Albert’s death. Alexandra remained her favorite.

Albert Edward's adultery soon became apparent. During a visit to St. Petersburg, the prince could not resist the charms of Russian beauties. The following year he conquered Parisian women, and in the summer of 1868 he had already found numerous mistresses in his native England. Among them were aristocrats and representatives of lower social classes.

Edward VII as Prince of Wales, 1875.

Alexandra was acutely worried about the prince’s cooling towards her. Over time, Albert Edward's stormy temperament became a burden to her, and marital relations were gradually limited to family concerns and ceremonial duties. Being a proud and wise person, put in a difficult position, Alexandra accustomed herself to perceive her husband’s amorous adventures as the tricks of a spoiled young man. She found her solace in religion and caring for children. Their two sons Albert-Victor and Georg and three daughters Louise, Victoria and Magdalene felt sincere affection for her.

Turning to the analysis of the reign of Edward VII, it is necessary to admit that Victoria’s worst assumptions did not come true. The educational experiment carried out on Albert Edward by the royal couple, his natural inclinations and forced idleness turned the prince’s ebullient energy not into the public sphere. But, having become king in old age, having no experience in handling state affairs and no experience communicating with ministers, Edward VII managed to positively prove himself in a number of areas of domestic and foreign policy and benefit his country.

Edward was 59 years old when he became king.

The circle of brilliant personalities gathered around a seemingly frivolous monarch was not an accident. For all his shortcomings, Edward possessed such qualities as generosity, loyalty in friendship, gambling and love of life, which, in addition to his royal rank, ensured him the sincere affection of his friends. Intuition, manifested in personal and state affairs, more than once suggested to Edward the correct style of behavior. A leader lived latently in his personality, perhaps through no fault of his own, realizing himself mainly in the circle of friends.

Edward's main interests were foreign affairs and military and naval matters. Knowing French and German well, Edward made a number of visits abroad. In 1904 he visited France. This visit helped create the atmosphere in which the subsequent Anglo-French friendly agreement between the states became possible. He was associated with almost every sovereign on the continent and therefore became known as the Uncle of Europe.

King of Great Britain, Ireland, the British Dominions and Emperor of India Edward VII was the first British monarch to visit Russia. In June 1908, he first set foot on Russian soil, however conditionally, since the meeting took place in the harbor of Revel. This visit became possible as a result of the agreement on Afghanistan, Iran and Tibet signed on August 31, 1907 between Russia and England. During the visit, Edward VII fulfilled the request of the banker Ernst Cassel and facilitated the placement of his loan in Russia, and also fulfilled his promise to Rothschild - to intercede for the Jews who were subjected to pogroms in Russia.

Berlin watched with concern the rapprochement of the two countries. Early in 1909, Edward VII finally agreed to accept William II's invitation to visit Berlin. The visit took place in an atmosphere of restraint. Only when bidding farewell to the Kaiser did the king raise the painful issue of reducing the German naval program and, having not received a positive response, expressed hope for the triumph of reason.

In general, having shown initiative and independence in some areas of policy, Edward VII remained in the constitutional field assigned to him. The representative monarchy was completed during his reign. Ceremonial functions, somewhat lost under Queen Victoria after the death of her husband Prince Consort Albert, regained their splendor and pomp. The palaces were restored to a new technical level, taking into account the installation of telephones and bathrooms. At the same time, all the statues and busts of Queen Victoria’s favorite servant, Scotsman J. Brown, were destroyed. Edward did not want to come to terms with the rumors that the Scot was supposedly a powerful medium through which Victoria communicated with the spirit of her deceased husband Prince Albert, as well as with the information that was spreading at court about the intimate relationship between the queen and J. Brown.

In 1855 he made the first of his many visits to Paris, in 1860 he visited Canada and the USA, and in 1862 he traveled to the Holy Land and the Mediterranean. In 1863 he married the Danish Princess Alexandra. His father died in 1861 and his mother was left a widow, so Prince Edward and his young wife were entrusted with the duties of performing the routine ceremonies of the royal house. Edward received great pleasure from traveling abroad; the most important of them are to Egypt in 1869 and to India in 1875; he also made numerous visits to various European countries, especially often to France. In England he showed an energetic interest in social work and charitable activities. Edward was interested in horse breeding and horse racing; his horses have won the Derby Cup three times.

http://cumir.ru/eduard-vii

Edward VII - King "Uncle of Europe"

Prince Albert ascended to the British throne at the age of 59. Many considered his name to be German, and therefore he took an “English” name and began to be called Edward VII. With his personal participation, in 1904-1907, a military-political bloc of England, France and Russia was created - the Entente (in French “accord”) against the strengthening of the military power of Germany. Edward VII played a significant role in the reform of the British navy and the organization of the military medical service. He was called the “peacemaker king.”

In his youth, Edward led a free lifestyle. His mother, Queen Victoria, did not involve him in state affairs, considering him frivolous. He, the eldest son, was left with social activities and charity. Albert received his education at home, without showing much zeal in his studies. Visiting the universities of Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge also did not arouse much enthusiasm in him.

But he loved horses and loved traveling. He often visited France, Paris, visited Canada and the USA, traveled through almost all the countries of the Mediterranean, was in Egypt, the Holy Land, and reached India. Everyone noted his amazing ease of communication and predicted a great future for him in the diplomatic field.

In 1861, his father died, but his mother did not take off the queen’s crown, and Albert continued to lead a free lifestyle. At the age of 22, he married the Danish Princess Alexandra and proved himself to be an exemplary family man. But since his wife was constantly taking care of the children and did not share his social life, he took on mistresses.

Albert was the life of the party, showed courtesy to women, especially beautiful ones, loved to joke with men, allowing people not only of noble rank into the palace, attended horse races, and played cards. In 1870, he became interested in the activities of the Freemasons, and he joined the Society of Freemasons, and in 1874 received the title of Grandmaster.

Albert served in the British army, rising to the rank of field marshal. In 1894, after the death of the Russian Emperor Alexander III, as a prince, he visited St. Petersburg, met with Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna (nee Alice of Hesse), to whom Albert was his uncle. He later received the nickname "Uncle Europe", as he was the uncle of several European monarchs, including Nicholas II and the German Emperor Wilhelm II, whom he disliked.

The death of his mother, Queen Victorine, in January 1901, who spent over 63 years on the throne - more than any other monarch before her, set the prince in a serious mood. He was to become a king, become closely involved in state and international affairs, and lead the lifestyle of a world politician. That's when his diplomatic skills came in handy. And they showed up in full.

In 1903, when Great Britain and France were ready to go to war due to an armed conflict, Edward met with the French President Laube and during the negotiations managed to convince him that the armed conflict could not be led to a large-scale war. This visit served as the reason for the creation of the Entente - an alliance of three states: England, France and Russia.

But during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Britain supplied warships to Japan, and relations between the countries deteriorated. Changes came only in 1908, when the British monarch Edward VII again visited Russia and held negotiations with Nicholas II and Prime Minister Pyotr Stolypin. In the same year, Edward opened the Summer Olympic Games in London.

Edward VII smoked a lot, suffered from severe bronchitis, the disease progressed, and two years later he died.

Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, was brought up by his parents under a very strict regime, as they had high hopes for his abilities. The task of forming a strong personality was set before the boy’s trustees.

Edward was 59 years old when he became king.

(Edward VII) (1841–1910), King of Great Britain and Ireland. Albert Edward was born on November 9, 1841 in London, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. After becoming Prince of Wales, he was educated at home; Studied briefly in Edinburgh, Oxford and Cambridge. In 1855 he made the first of his many visits to Paris, in 1860 he visited Canada and the USA, and in 1862 he traveled to the Holy Land and the Mediterranean. In 1863 he married the Danish Princess Alexandra. His father died in 1861 and his mother was left a widow, so Prince Edward and his young wife were entrusted with the duties of performing the routine ceremonies of the royal house. Edward received great pleasure from traveling abroad; the most important of them are to Egypt in 1869 and to India in 1875; he also made numerous visits to various European countries, especially often to France. In England he showed an energetic interest in social work and charitable activities. Edward was interested in horse breeding and horse racing; his horses have won the Derby Cup three times.

(Edward) (1841-1910) - King of Great Britain in 1901-1910. He took an active personal part in resolving foreign policy issues, including in the process of Anglo-French rapprochement and the formation of the Entente. Of particular importance was his trip to Paris in the spring of 1903, after which the Anglo-French Agreement of 1904 was concluded. He sought to improve relations with Russia (see Russian-English Agreement of 1907). In June 1908, at a meeting with Nicholas II, he tried to weaken the pro-German sentiments of the Russian emperor.

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EDWARD VII

1841-1910) Son of Queen Victoria. He led a social life. English king (since 1901) from the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty. Contributed to the creation of the Entente. Several high-profile scandals are associated with his name. High English society, imbued with the prim morality of the Victorian era, grudgingly tolerated the antics of the Prince of Wales until he went beyond the bounds of decency. When he declared the beautiful Lily Lantry his official mistress and began to appear with her in society, a huge scandal erupted. ...He was called the loving Edward. This not the most respectable nickname bothered the monarch himself a little. The king cared even less about the opinions of his loved ones who were trying to interfere with his adventures. Edward VII was the last representative of the “golden monarchical age”, which ended with the First World War, which forever destroyed the old foundations of British society. The Edwardian era is remembered as a time of croquet, noisy balls and grandiose hunting fun. People in those years became more relaxed. A notorious rake, Edward loved gourmet food. And at the same time, his unbridled sexual appetites brought him not only to the boudoirs of his friends’ wives, but also to European brothels. The writer Henry James was the first to dub Prince Edward “loving,” and Bertie, as his friends called him, did not hide and was even proud of his love victories. Edward's mother, Queen Victoria, and father, Prince Albert, turned his childhood into a nightmare. According to psychologists, constant boring instructions about how a member of the royal family should behave caused an internal protest in the boy, which over the years turned into an unbridled passion for the fair sex. The Prince of Wales - this was the title the prince had before taking the throne - rejected the Puritan principles of his parents. He lived for his own pleasure, trampling on centuries-old established moral principles. His life was spent on pleasure trips around Europe, sumptuous dinners, carefree card battles and hunting. He was also fond of sailing and loved the theater. The Prince of Wales first had sexual relations with a woman at age nineteen, while serving in Ireland. Fellow officers placed actress Nellie Clifden in his bed. From that day on, Bertie's cheerful life began. Twice the country witnessed his scandalous behavior at trial - so far only as a witness. The first time - because of a quarrel at the card table, the second - because of Lady Harriet Mordaunt, who said that her son, who was born blind, was God's punishment for her infidelity to her husband, including with Prince Edward. The prince himself swore that he had never been her lover, but to this day everyone believes that he added perjury to his many sins. Edward was 36 years old when fate brought him together with Lily Lantry. He met her at a dinner with one of his London friends, bachelor Sir Allan Young, and they soon became inseparable. British society was outraged. The prince, like other aristocrats, was not forbidden to have a mistress, but it was completely unacceptable to appear with this lady in high society. It was usually allowed to take a mistress to private clubs, but not to formal dinners. By putting Lily on public display, Edward challenged high society. For ten years, his relationship with the actress shocked all of Europe. At that time, Edward had no government duties, since his mother did not intend to leave the throne, and he increasingly threw himself into the abyss of pleasure. To stop their son's shameful behavior, his parents insisted on marrying the Danish Princess Alexandra. But even after the wedding, the prince continued to lead a wild life. Emilie-Charlotte le Breton was a mystery to many. Calling herself an actress, the only daughter of William Corbet, who held a fairly high spiritual position in Jersey, ran away from home in the hope of finding freedom, happiness and wealth. She was subsequently called "Jersey Lily" after her birthplace. Lily's character was probably greatly influenced by her father. Due to his numerous love affairs, he was nicknamed the “vicious priest” on the island. Ironically, his daughter’s first admirer turned out to be... the illegitimate son of Corbet himself. Lily was distinguished by rare beauty. A strict Greek profile, huge expressive eyes the color of spring violets, luxurious silky hair... She seemed to attract fans to her like a magnet. One of the writers said about her: “Lily never wore corsets. Maybe that’s why she looked like a Greek goddess and an earthly peasant girl at the same time and resembled a marble figurine.” In 1874, the young beauty married Edward Lantry, the son of a successful shipowner, who came to Jersey to enjoy its wonderful nature, and at the same time squander his father’s money on local beauties. Captivated by Lily's beauty, he proposed marriage to her. She agreed. Soon the young couple moved to England, where Lily became a “professional beauty.” At that time, this was the name given to ladies of aristocratic origin who were photographed dressed, but in rather seductive poses. These photographs were then sold throughout Britain. That evening, when Lily was introduced to the prince, he leaned over to her and whispered in her ear that she was much more attractive in real life than on postcards. A great connoisseur of female beauty, he noticed that none of the images conveyed her “heavenly features.” A week later they became lovers. By that time, Prince Edward was the father of three children... However, Edward did not hide his love affairs from Alexandra. She treated it condescendingly. However, with Lily the case was out of the ordinary! The prince began to insist that they be recognized by society, and Lily became his official mistress. He appeared with her everywhere, including at the races he adored. He built a love nest in Bournemouth, where at one time he spent almost all weekends. Once, in the famous Parisian restaurant Maxim, he kissed her on the lips in front of everyone. If Mrs. Lantry's name was not on the invitation card, then Edward himself wrote her name down and always took it with him. He even introduced his mistress to his wife and the Queen Mother at Buckingham Palace, as they desperately wanted to see the person who had such great influence on the prince. Together with Lily, Edward traveled around Europe and stayed in luxurious apartments in the best hotels. At this time, Lily's humiliated husband started drinking and fell into huge debts. For two years, English society waited with curiosity to see what would follow each new escapade of the prince. And then one day, while in Edward’s mansion, Lily suddenly felt ill. Princess Alexandra invited a doctor, who, after an examination, informed Edward and his wife that Lily was expecting a child. It was rumored that the girl Lily secretly gave birth to in France and named Jeanne-Marie was Bertie's daughter. However, there is another version, according to which Lily had, in addition to Edward, another lover, Prince Louis of Battenberg. The royal family believes that both love affairs developed simultaneously. One way or another, Lily hid the fact that she had a child, claiming that she was raising the daughter of her brother who died in India. The prince continued to patronize Lily and date her. But over time, the craziest passion most often passes. Gradually their relationship became purely friendly. He helped Lily get onto the stage, which his beloved had long dreamed of. Lily's acting debut took place on December 15, 1881. She played the role of Kate Hardcastle in the play By the Steps of Power. The Prince of Wales and his wife and representatives of London's high society who were present at the concert loudly applauded the actress, calling her for an encore. Within five years, Lily became the most famous actress of the time. In 1882 she performed with great success in New York. Her wealth and fame grew rapidly. Edward was always fascinated by wealth and beauty, and the combination of both made Lily simply irresistible. In 1975, the royal correspondence was published. During the royal family's visit to Sweden, Edward wrote to Lily from Stockholm: “I am happy to hear that you are again at the top of your fame, and I sincerely wish you further success on stage, although I fear for your health - after all, your work is very difficult. I was pleased to get acquainted with the vast geography of your tours. Being a frequent guest of the King of Sweden, I told him about your successes, and he personally asked me not to forget you and support you. He wishes you success in your acting career." Lily achieved her greatest success in the role of Rosalind from William Shakespeare's As You Like It All. In 1899 she became the wife of Sir Hugo de Bath. Over time, Edward had new mistresses, among whom was the legendary French actress Sarah Bernhardt. But, of course, he did not experience the same passionate feelings for any of them as he did for Lily...