Who were the Edwardians?
A closer look at the royal figures that shaped the era
The Edwardian period spans the reign of King Edward VII, from 1901 to 1910. Edward’s marriage to Princess Alexandra of Denmark in 1863 ushered in a golden age of style and glamour for the royal family. With Queen Victoria in mourning for her husband Prince Albert and seldom in the public eye, Edward and Alexandra became the public face of the monarchy. Together with their son, the future King George V and his wife, Queen Mary, they started to have an impact on the cultural life of the country in the last decades of the 19th century. Here, we take a closer the look at the lives of the two royal couples that shaped the Edwardian era.
King Edward VII
King Edward VII was born in 1841, the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Named Albert Edward, he was known in the family as ‘Bertie’, only taking the name of Edward when he became king in 1901.
Edward was popular, sociable, enjoyed lavish entertaining and was known for his impeccable taste in fashion - the 'Prince of Wales' check pattern was named after him.
As Prince of Wales, Edward enjoyed travelling and his diplomatic prowess earned him the reputation of a ‘peacemaker’. He was the first member of the British royal family to visit the United States of America, and also travelled widely within Europe, the Middle East and India.
Edward filled his residences of Marlborough House in London and Sandringham House in Norfolk, with works of art presented to him during his voyages, with an especially important group of Indian arms and armour forming the centrepiece of his collections.
He also developed a taste for collecting historical works of art, such as those connected with Napoleon Bonaparte. In Marlborough House, he created a ‘Napoleonic room’, which contained his collection of sculptures, prints and paintings of the Emperor.
In 1907, Edward made the single most important contribution to the Royal Collection of Fabergé. As part of ‘the Sandringham commission’ Fabergé produced hardstone sculptures of the royal family’s favourite dogs and horses, including Edward’s beloved dog, Cæsar. Gradually the project was extended to include a whole range of domestic, farm and wild animals found on the Sandringham Estate. It was by far the largest order ever placed through Fabergé’s London branch and one of the most significant artistic commissions from the King.
Queen Alexandra
In 1863 Edward married Princess Alexandra, the eldest daughter of Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark.
Alexandra was part of an extraordinary family network. She was connected to the imperial family of Russia through the marriage of her sister, Dagmar, to the future Russian Emperor Alexander. Her youngest sister, Thyra, married the Crown Prince of Hanover, while her brother, George, was elected King of the Hellenes (Greece) in 1863.
These connections meant that works of European art found their way into the British royal collections, often as small gifts for occasions such as Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries. Edward and Alexandra would take holidays in Denmark each summer, often joined by one or both of Alexandra’s sisters. Edward would buy items of Scandinavian silver or porcelain from the antique shops in Copenhagen. It was Alexandra’s sister, Dagmar, who introduced the family to the Russian jeweller Fabergé.
George V
George, the second son of Edward VII and Queen Alexandra became king in 1910 during a time of significant political unrest. His reign began amid major challenges: the call for Irish Home Rule had reached its height, a constitutional crisis was ongoing, and there were widespread protests from the women’s suffrage movement. The seeds of the First World War had been sown in the 19th century and eventually led to the outbreak of a global war in 1914, just four years into his reign.
George was originally destined for a career in the Royal Navy, where he served for almost 15 years. But after the tragic death of his elder brother, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence from influenza in 1892, George became second in the line of succession after his father.
In 1893, George married a distant cousin, Mary of Teck, and they took the titles of Duke and Duchess of York. The couple were devoted to one another and had six children.
George was one of the furthest travelled members of the royal family. His naval career and later royal duties took him on extensive journeys across Europe and beyond. He visited Japan with his brother Prince Alfred, and together with Mary, he visited India twice. In 1901 he and Mary also undertook an extensive tour to the British Dominions, travelling over 50,000 miles in nine months.
George’s interest in naval matters remained throughout his life. He was a keen yachtsman, reflected in the works he collected, especially the marine paintings by the Italian painter Edoardo De Martino. His racing yacht, Aline, was one of the most renowned vessels of the 19th century.
In addition to his love of the sea, George, like his father, was interested in horseracing and shooting. But among his greatest passions, was philately (stamp collecting). He started the Royal Philatelic Collection, which became one of the most important stamp collections in the world.
Queen Mary
Princess Victoria Mary of Teck was the eldest daughter of Francis of Teck and Mary, Duchess of Cambridge, a granddaughter of George III and Queen Charlotte. She was known in the family as ‘May’.
In 1892, Mary was briefly engaged to Prince Albert Victor, the eldest son of Edward and Alexandra, although he died only six weeks after their engagement was announced. A year later, she became engaged to his younger brother George, and they married on 6 July 1893.
Mary was largely raised in England and lived in several of the royal residences as a young girl, including Kensington Palace and White Lodge in Richmond. Her family also spent time in Florence where Mary developed an interest for visiting churches and museums. It was here that her love of art was born.
Throughout her life, Mary enjoyed collecting works of decorative art and later claimed it was her ‘one great hobby’. Her interest in small decorative works led to the creation of her now-famous Dolls’ House by the leading British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens, between 1921 and 1924.
Mary had a particular fascination with east Asian works of art, and collected important examples of Chinese and Japanese porcelain, jade and lacquer. She also was a prodigious collector of English porcelain, silver, items of bluejohn, Fabergé, jewellery and textiles. Mary seems to have cast herself as a curator of the royal collections and spent many hours rearranging the displays, ensuring the important historical material was on public view.
The Royal Collection also houses Queen Mary’s 33 photo albums. Mary was an avid photograph collector, documenting her official visits, family life, and travel from 1880 to 1952. She collected over 12,000 photographs that she arranged and captioned herself.
The outbreak of World War I marked the end of an era and forever changed the face of the monarchy. George and Mary were steadfast in their support of the British war effort, visiting the battlefields of Northern Europe, inspecting troops, meeting Allied leaders and visiting hospitals. By the end of the conflict, a more restrained and dutiful monarchy had emerged: a monarchy shaped for the 20th century.
