Book Nook: The Heir Apparent

To be honest, I was initially taken by the mildly absurb photograph on the cover of this biography, The Heir Apparent. I have never been a big biography readers, but I was pleasantly surprised and captivated by the story of this black sheep of the royal family. Edward VII, rather Bertie, was the first son of Queen Victoria who didn't become king till he was well into his late middle age. In that time he scandalized his family, set the public fashion trends, and managed a host of nieces, nephews, and mistresses throughout the royal families of Europe. 

Jane Ridley set out to write the story of Bertie's love life, but after being invited by the Queen to use the British Royal Archives, she realized the story of Edward VII was much larger than the popular gossip of his many infidelities. They definitely were a major part of his personality and lifestyle, but his place as politically savvy Prince of Wales and King of England have largely been played down by various biographers and royal attendants. In this biography, Jane Ridley makes no excuses for Bertie's sometimes despicable behavior towards some of his mistresses but shows his gradual progression towards a solid and charitably minded political figure. 

Because Queen Victoria lived so long, and became a professional widow for most of her life, her role in public was largely taken up by the Prince and Princess of Wales (Bertie and his wife, Princess Alexandra). However, Victoria was a jealous, emotional, judgemental, and somewhat crazy Queen of England who blamed her son for her darling Albert's early death and jealously guarded foreign correspondence from her son. When Bertie became King Edward VII he was relying solely on his impressive charisma and network of friends and lovers to make the right decisions for England. However meager his training as King, Bertie had a sharp mind for alliances and knew exactly what to say to whom to keep most things running smoothly.

Ridley keeps her footnotes to a minimum, employing countless endnotes to acknowledge her sources and chose instead to focus her footnotes on deciphering the entangling familiar relations of the Royal Families of Europe or adding interesting factoids to the narrative. This book is incredibly well researched and though it contains a lot of material, the narrative is clear and interesting to follow. I was surprised at how much I craved to continue reading and regretting when I had to put the book down. If you are a fan of modern English history, gossip mags, and Downton Abbey this might be a good choice to pick up. It does seem daunting, but the writing and the people are just so interesting, you'll be hooked.

*This blog is part of a grant Medfield has been awarded through the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Library and Services Technology Act administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.