57 - EDWARD VII The Last Victorian King : Christopher Hibbert

To his mother, Queen Victoria, he was `poor Bertie,` to his wife he was `my dear little man,` while the President of France called him `a great English king,` and the German Kaiser condemned him as `an old peacock.` King Edward VII was all these things and more, as Hibbert reveals in this captivating biography. Shedding new light on the scandals that peppered his life, Hibbert reveals Edward`s dismal early years under Victoria`s iron rule, his terror of boredom that led to a lively social life at home and abroad, and his eventual ascent to the throne at age 59. Edward is best remembered as the last Victorian king, the monarch who installed the office of Prime Minister.

A joy to read without footnotes ( a good index is provided at the end ) and the usual stuffy writing of so many biographies. I found it totally entertaining and it certainly expanded my knowledge of the monarchy and the personalities of the time. I have already reserved his book on Victoria. Pictures, well laid out chapters and just enough information to inform without overwhelming.