Jane Ridley

Jane Ridley; Bertie; a Life of Edward VII Blackheath Halls, Wednesday, September 17, 2012 Just like his mother he gave his name to an era. But Victorian prudence, good taste and restraint were not for King Edward VII. His legacy speaks to hunting and shooting, to gambling and pleasure to philandering with prominent women. Shameless wastrel and hedonist or misunderstood and ignored by a mother who loathed him? Jane Ridley's new book - Bertie; A Life of King Edward VII - sheds new light on the man who for 6 decades stood as heir to the throne. With unparalleled access to the (Royal) Archives at Windsor, the book was 9 years in the writing. "I got lost in the detail", she told her small band of listeners and "found myself liking the man". The seeds of his struggles were apparent from childhood. A rebellious nature – “he howled in the corner” and overshadowed by a brilliant sister (Vicky) who at three was fluent in French. But much more compelling, he was starved of emotion by a mother who "shuddered" to touch him. He sought solace elsewhere with little discretion and the family was shocked and embarrassed. To bring him in line he was soon married off, to Alexandra of Denmark who adored him and bore him six children. But something was missing and again he went wild with a series of well known affairs; from ambitious Lily Langtree and babbling Daisy Brooke to the legendary actress, Sarah Bernhardt. His mother was outraged and refused to admit him; "Bertie is unfit to be King", she lamented. But worse was to follow (1861) with the death of poor Albert from which Victoria never recovered. Bertie was blamed, she perennially wore black and she abandoned her duties as sovereign. It was Bertie who picked up the reigns she had dropped, reinventing the idea of monarchy (and even coining the phrase, “Royal Family”).In 1901 he acceded the throne – “it’s come too late”, he’s believed to have said. But this fashionable socialite confounded his critics and worked tirelessly till his death 9 years later. The Navy was modernised, the Army restructured and the Entente Cordiale (1904) signed with France. This revisionist biography skips over his faults, his bad habits and his rather large waist (48 inches). But with insight and humour and unending research, Ridley brings us a brand new perspective. She was refreshingly candid when asked just why she wrote it; “my editor tells me biographies sell best”. Thoughtful, insightful and touching. 8/10. Dick Morgan, October 2012