Introduction

Abstract

A ‘Prince of Pleasure’, selfish, cruel and, according to some interpretations of Kenneth Grahame’s Wind in the Willows, Mr Toad.¹ These are a selection of terms that have been applied to Edward VII. Yet contemporaries also named him a ‘Prince of Diplomacy’, because he showed himself to be a keen diplomat who, once he was on the throne, aimed to reinvent the monarchy as a key contributor to Britain’s foreign policy, through his use of symbolism, pomp and display, all of which are intrinsic elements in diplomacy. As Queen Victoria’s eldest son, Edward VII was born to inherit the throne. He was trained from infancy by tutors hand-selected by his father, the Prince Consort, for the task of readying him for the role he would one day inherit. Largely due to his prolonged period as Prince of Wales contrasted with his brief nine-year reign, he is often characterised primarily as the typical Victorian playboy he appeared to be in his youth and middle age: a reputation that has overshadowed his achievements as King.