King Edward VII of Great Britain and Ireland Timeline 1841-1910

King Edward VII was born Albert Edward, to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace. He was known to the family as Bertie. He was the couple’s second child, their daughter Victoria having been born in 1840. He was created Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Lord of the Isles and Baron Renfrew.

Albert Edward was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.

Bertie was christened Albert Edward at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, London.

Bertie’s sister, Alice Maud Mary was born to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace.

Bertie’s brother, Alfred Ernest Albert was born to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace.

Bertie’s sister, Helena Augusta Victoria was born to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace.

Bertie’s sister, Louise Caroline Alberta was born to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace.

Albert Edward began his education. He was educational programme was drawn up by his father, Prince Albert, and delivered by a number of tutors. Bertie was not an academic and failed to live up to his father’s high expectations.

Albert was created Earl of Dublin.

Bertie’s brother, Arthur William Patrick Albert was born to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace.

Bertie’s brother, Leopold George Duncan Albert, was born to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace.

Bertie’s sister, Beatrice Mary Victoria Feodore was born to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace.

Bertie’s sister, Victoria married Prince Frederick of Prussia at St James’s Palace, London.

Albert Edward was made a Knight of the Garter.

Bertie went on an educational tour to Rome.

Bertie entered Christ Church, Oxford University as an undergraduate.

Albert Edward made a successful tour of the United States and Canada.

Bertie entered Trinity College Cambridge where he studied history.

Bertie met Princess Alexandra of Denmark while he was in Germany watching military manoeuvres. The meeting had been set up by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert who had determined that the couple should marry.

While in Ireland Albert Edward spent three nights with actress Nellie Clifden.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert learned that Bertie had had a liaison with Nellie Clifton and were furious. Although he was ill, Prince Albert visited Bertie at Cambridge to reprimand him.

Albert’s father, Prince Albert, died of typhoid. Queen Victoria blamed Bertie for his death saying that his bad behaviour was to blame.

Albert Edward made a tour of the Middle East to promote British friendship and prevent French control of the Suez Canal.

Bertie’s sister, Alice married Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt at Osborne House, Isle of Wight.

Bertie proposed to Alexandra at the Royal Castle of Laeken, home of Leopold I King of Belgium.

Bertie renounced his succession to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg Gotha in favour of his brother Alfred.

Albert married Princess Alexandra of Denmark, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. The ceremony was performed by Thomas Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury. The couple lived at Marlborough House London and Sandringham House in Norfolk.

A son, Albert Victor Christian Edward was born to Bertie and Alexandra at Frogmore House, Windsor.

A son, George Frederick Ernest Albert was born to Bertie and Alexandra at Marlborough House, London.

Bertie’s sister, Helena, married Christian, Prince of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderbeurg-Augustenburg at Windsor Castle.

A daughter, Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar was born to Bertie and Alexandra at Marlborough House, London.

Albert Edward was made a Knight of the Thistle.

Bertie had an affair with Lady Susan Vane-Tempest.

A daughter, Victoria Alexandra Olga Mary was born to Bertie and Alexandra at Marlborough House, London.

A daughter, Maud Charlotte Mary Victoria was born to Bertie and Alexandra at Marlborough House, London.

Bertie contracted typhoid but recovered from the illness.

Bertie’s sister, Louise, married John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

A son, Alexander John Charles Albert was born to Bertie and Alexandra at Sandringham House, Norfolk.

Bertie’s son, Alexander John Charles Albert died at Sandringham House, Norfolk.

Albert had an affair with opera singer Hortnese Schneider.

Bertie’s brother, Alfred, married Marie Alexandrovna, daughter of Alexander II, Tsar of Russia, in St Petersburg, Russia.

Bertie left England for an eight month tour of the Indian sub-continent. He left his wife, Alexandra, in England saying that the trip was a male only trip.

Bertie began an affair with the actress Lillie Langtry who was married.

Bertie’s brother, Arthur married Louise, daughter of Prince Frederick of Prussia, at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

It was rumoured that Bertie would be cited in divorce proceedings brought by Lillie Langtry’s husband and this was published in the paper ‘Town Talk’ by Adolphus Rosenberg. Lillie had begun an affair with the Earl of Shrewsbury and the two were planning to run away together. Bertie sued Rosenberg for libel. Rosenberg pleaded guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison.

Albert Edward spent time in the company of the actress Sarah Bernhardt who was performing in London.

Bertie and Alexandra travelled to Russia for the funeral of Alexander II who had been assassinated. Alexandra’s sister was now Tsarina of Russia.

Bertie’s brother Leopold, married Helene, daughter of George Victor, Prince of Waldedk-Pyrmont.

Bertie had an affair with Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston Churchill.

Bertie’s sister, Beatrice married Prince Henry of Battenberg at Whippingham Church, Isle of Wight.

Bertie had an affair with Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick.

Albert Edward attended the opening of the Mersey Tunnel.

Bertie was at the centre of a scandal regarding an illegal card game. He had been present at the game where one of the players subsequently sued another for cheating. Bertie was called as a witness.

Bertie’s eldest son, Albert, was engaged to Princess Victoria Mary of Teck.

Bertie’s eldest son, Albert, died of pneumonia at Sandringham House, Norfolk.

Bertie opened Tower Bridge, London.

Bertie met Alice Keppel and they began an affair.

Bertie survived an attempted assassination attempt when he was shot at while travelling through Belgium.

Queen Victoria died at Osborne Palace, Isle of Wight. Albert became King Edward VII.

Edward founded the Order of Merit.

Edward VII gave Queen Victoria’s house, Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, to the nation.

Edward was taken ill with appendicitis and underwent surgery.

Edward was crowned King Edward VII at Westminster Abbey.

Edward made an official visit to France where he developed a good rapport with the French President Emile Loubet which smoothed the way for the negotiation of a treaty between Britain and France.

Entente Cordiale
This was a treaty of mutual assistance signed by Britain and France.

Edward was given radium therapy for a rodent ulcer.

King Edward VII made a visit to Scandinavia.

Edward made a visit to Russia.

The Finance Bill, which had passed the House of Commons, was rejected by the House of Lords.

It was proposed that Edward VII should create sufficient Liberal peers to allow the Finance Bill to pass the House of Lords.

Edward was taken ill at Biarritz.

Edward returned to England but was still ill with bronchitis.

Alexandra returned to England from Greece where she had been visiting her brother.

King Edward VII suffered a heart attack. He died later that night

King Edward VII was buried at Windsor Castle, London.