Edward the King

He was known as Bertie in the family and he was the eldest son and heir of Queen Victoria, probably the whitest woman, not to mention the most morally pure to ever sit on the english throne. To everyone else he was the prince of wales. Later he was to be known as King Edward VII, of Great Britain & Ireland, defender of the faith etc etc. This BBC series is a re-enactment of his life and has tried to keep to historical accuracy as much as possible, although anglophile purists may find much to criticise. Due in part to his position poor Bertie was singled out early from his four brothers & four sisters for special treatment. His stern lutheran father Albert the prince consort had arranged a strictly academic upbringing for his eldest son which was totally unsuited to his personality. Albert however neglected to imbue his son with what he needed most at that time, fatherly affection. His mother as she so often did took her cues from her husband and was happy to leave their childrens education in his hands. Consequently following the early death of his father from typhoid Bertie turned his back on academia and swore he would never read another text book. At 20 he married the beautiful danish princess Alexandra of Denmark and was to father 5 children by her. Initially it was a happy marriage but soon Berties short attention span and wandering eye caused him to seek respite in the arms of other woman. Most notably among them Lily Langtry, Agnes Keyser, Alice Keppel and Daisy Brook. What his wife thought of these friendships can only be guessed at and she can not have been unaware of these liaisons. The prince of wales for reasons of decency and protocol made a point of only aligning himself with married women most of whom he would introduce to his wife. Divorced ladies were out of bounds and forbidden even in the royal presence. It was to say the least an ambiguous set of rules. His liaisons were an open secret and discretion was the watchword for members of his household. Royalty then was treated with more respect than it is now. Bertie was as immoral in many respects as his mother was amoral to the whole of the british empire. But despite these major flaws in his character he proved a hardworking and popular monarch for the short period that he reigned. At a time when relations with France & England were at their lowest ebb he toured there and his presence in Paris at such a turbulent time helped to initiate the diplomatic accords known as "the entente cordiale". Following death in 1911 he was sincerely mourned by his subjects and as his private secretary Frederick Ponsonby eulogised at his funeral,,,"we will all miss this wayward popular and in the end humane sovereign"

For me a thoroughly absorbing biographical portrayal of this very interesting personality. Timothy West, despite a close resemblance to Edward failed to capture his jovial character and avuncular personality so often remarked about in the contemporary diaries of the time. A shame really because then the series would have been doubly watchable. Helen Ryan although not quite capturing the famous beauty of Queen Alexandra does an adequate job as Bertie's long suffering wife. At Bertie's deathbed it was Alexandra who in a gracious gesture summoned several of the kings closest friends to say their final farewells to him. Francesca Annis also stands out here in her role as Lily Langtry a part she was to repeat in another tv series depicting one of the most famous of english courtesans of the time. Overall I give this a 7/10. Unfortunately not out on video or DVD.

This 4-disc set contains all 13, 50-minute episodes from the British TV miniseries "Edward the King" which was first aired back in 1975.

This TV presentation covers the period of time in history just after Queen Victoria dies (1901) and Edward (Victoria's eldest son) ascends the throne, reigning for only 9 years (until his death at age 69 from cancer).

Unfortunately, I found this costume/period production to be much too stuffy and dry. It was a lot like watching a very stodgy stage play.

And, as a result - My attention tended to wander far too much while watching this soap opera about the royals.

Being fans or admirers of a lot of the actors here and being drawn to such an interesting subject, I loved Edward the Seventh. It is a visually sumptuous affair with beautiful costumes, locations and photography. The music is likewise gorgeous. The story is highly absorbing, well paced and very accurate, and the writing is intelligent even in the wordier parts.

Edward the Seventh has a superb cast. Not only is it great on paper, but it is so much fun seeing so many familiar faces and all of them give great performances. Timothy West is marvellous in the titular character role, and of the cast the standouts were Helen Ryan as a tolerant and sympathetic Alexandra and especially Annette Crosbie's nuanced turn as the definitive Victoria.

That is not to dispute the other performances either. Robert Hardy is suitably rigid and determined as Albert, John Gielgud is a wonderful Disraeli, Christopher Neame is a wonderfully wicked Kaiser and Francessca Annis is also very good as Lillie. All in all, a really well done series, very absorbing with not a dull moment with great production values and you couldn't have asked for a more better cast too. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Timothy West was excellent in the role of a king who had a short but very successful reign. The man was King Edward VII, formerly the playboy Prince of Wales, who became the grandfather of Europe. He was a sophisticated man who enjoyed wine, women and a good cigar. West gives him that gravitas that he must have nurtured offstage until the death of his mother Queen Victoria, when he was 61. Monarchy seemed to fit him like a glove and so it seems with West. Although his domineering mother kept him off centre stage as Prince of Wales, he did blossom as king. Victoria, as a charming monarch with a cold determination, is played superbly by a Annette Crosbie and the Princess of Wales/Queen Alexandra is Helen Ryan, who had a copyright on roles as the elegant consort representing the best of Edwardian England. There are excellent actors appearing in the movie: Michael Hordern (Willam Gladstone), John Gielgud (Benjamin Disraeli), Felicity Kendall (the Princess Royal), Charles Dance (Prince Edward), Francesca Annis (Lilly Langtry), etc. I was greatly impressed with this series. Movies like this fine one are a great way to stimulate interest in history. It is one of many home-grown, British television shows that have done just that for me.

The very finest of British actors in a splendid production. I recommend everybody with interest in quality to buy this video. A historical drama which is intense and accurate. Anette Crossbies and John Gielgud performances are beyond Oscar quality.