posted 11-09-2008 12:08 PM            

RULERS OF THE WORLD,
PART III

ENGLAND: Victoria, Edward VII, and George V

by Rick Marek

This article first appeared in the Guild's newsletter, The NSCG Cauldron, Volume 18, Number 3, Fall 2008. Also see: Rulers of the World - Part I and Rulers of the World - Part II

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Victoria (1819-1901) came to the throne as a constitutional monarch at the age of 18 when her uncle, William IV, died in 1837. She was crowned at Westminster Abbey a year later. At the time no one would have thought that she would reign 64 years, or that her name would define an era of European history - The Victorian Age.

Figure 1 shows Victoria as she appears in a royal commemorative postcard taking her oath to maintain the Anglican faith. The only other portrait spoon I've see of Victoria depicts her as most of us think of her, the 78 year old during her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. This latter spoon's finial has a full-figure Florentine Fleur-de-lis while our spoon has a full figure Della Robia infant at the top of the handle. So why would souvenir spoons of this English Queen have Italian finials symbolic of Florence? This is what I find to be fun about the spoon collecting hobby - identification and finding the answers to mysteries! Here is the answer which took me a number of years to unravel. In the latter part of the 19th century, the British aristocracy fell in love with the Italian Renaissance whose capital city was Florence. Not only did the English upper class flood the city each year for a 2 to 3 month sojourn, but they also competed with one another to patronize the restoration of the buildings of this jewel on the Amo. So it is not surprising that, understanding the British fascination and affection for Florence, shops would sell souvenirs to their English visitors of their beloved Victoria but with a touch of Florence to commemorate their visit. The spoon shown here is rare.

In 1840 Victoria married her first cousin Albert. They had 9 children although she disliked infants. "Their bald heads and jerky limb movements I find disagreeable." Their marriage was a life-long love match which ended all too soon in 1861 when the Prince Consort died of typhoid at the age of 42.

Upon his death, the relatively young widow donned black mourning dresses which she wore for the next 40 years. When she herself died at the age of 81 in 1901 she was being cradled on her deathbed by the good arm of her favorite grandchild who was none other than the German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm 11. Because of her own German background, she had a special fondness of all things German. At the time of her death she was viewed by her subjects as possessing unwavering industry along with remarkable practicality and having a high sense of her mission in life - that of being sovereign.

The throne now finally passed to her 60-year-old son, Edward VII (1841-1910). He still holds the record for being heir apparent longer than anyone in British history.

Known within the family as "Bertie" his mother Victoria greatly mistrusted his judgment and discretion. By 60 he was known as a jovial, good-hearted-but-aging playboy. By all accounts he
earned this reputation. His mother deplored the "fast set" with which he traveled, Consequently, she did not share duties with him. She even denied him access to government consultations, etc. So this was how the ill-prepared Prince of Wales Albert Edward ascended the throne in the country upon whose empire the "sun never sets".

His final act of rebellion with his mother was to declare that he would rule not as Albert I as his parents had wished, but as Edward VII. Figure 2 depicts him resplendent in his scarlet tunic ablaze with medals. Souvenir spoons of him are readily available. Most enamel portrait collectors have at least one in their collection.

He and his Queen Alexandra (1844-1925) were married in 1863. He had rejected 6 eligible German princesses before choosing this Danish princess. Her father was Christian IX of Denmark. Her younger sister Dagmar would later become Czarina of Russia. Alexandria and Edward would eventually have 5 children. Besides a son becoming King of England, their youngest child Maud would become a queen of Norway.

Figures 3 and 4 show a coronation set of souvenir spoons. This event occurred in 1902. While Edward is again bedecked with medals, we can see in Alexandra's portrait spoon how elegant and beautiful she was. Figure 5 is of an older Alexandra. Notice the Canadian pattern handle. In contrast to how easily attainable a spoon of the king is, having one of her is much more uncommon.

Edward was an extrovert who enjoyed public appearances. After the dour Victoria, the British public was ready for a monarch who seemed, well, more like them. Almost by default he emerged as a royal who was excellent at public relations. This coincided remarkably well with the arrival of the popular press and the cinema. He exhibited no real interest in government issues and took essentially no part in the formation of policy, etc.

I already knew a lot about Edward VII, but the following significant contribution that he did make was unknown to me. This is what is exciting about researching a person/topic. You never know what different information you will discover that changes your perception of something well-known to you. Regarding Edward VII, this new fact was his steadfast support not to & crease the number of soldiers in the Army and to increase the number of dreadnoughts (battleships) in the Navy. Consequently, when war came in 1914, Britain was prepared.

But, Edward did not live to see what became of the aristocratic world that he knew. For him it was a world of endless garden parties and weekend shoots on the estates of wealthy friends and fellow royals. Subsequent world events would leave his 9-year reign with a sense of a vanishing past. His role as "the Uncle of Europe" would no longer be needed. It was to be left to his son George V to lead Britain into the 20th Century.

George V (1865-1936), Figure 6, actually was not supposed to be England's next monarch, and he was not supposed to marry his future queen, Princess May of Teck. George was the younger brother of Albert, Prince of Wales and heir to Edward VII. At age 12, George became a naval cadet and was consequently a sailor by upbringing and temperament. But after 14 years in the British Navy his life changed forever when Albert suddenly died of pneumonia. This event occurred just one short month after Albert had become engaged to Princess May.

Not only did the British monarchy now have a king who initially seemed unprepared to rule, but whom would he marry? This question was actually more a matter of state. It was soon decided, however, that if May was worthy to marry Albert, it was certainly sensible for her to marry George. So, Princess May of Teck (1867-1953), the future Queen Mary, (see Figure 7), and George were married in 1893. They would have 5 children. Two of their sons would become King of England - Edward VIII and, upon his abdication to marry "the woman I love", his brother George VI. This George was the father of the current monarch Queen Elizabeth II.

George V became King in 1910. He was a shy, private man. He and May were devoted to one another and were happiest in domestic life. Both had little taste for society and avoided entertaining. His recreations were stamp collecting and shoots. Figure 8 depicts George V dressed for a State Opening of Parliament. My research again and again shows he hated pomp and ceremony! This particular spoon is quite rare because of his attire, whereas the usual souvenir spoons of George V and Queen Mary are more readily available.

Longing for a peaceful life, this monarch's reign was to prove anything but tranquil. World War I came in 1914 with the king constantly inspecting the various services, exhorting and encouraging the men in uniform as well as the populace. Of course, Queen Mary was at his side. Because of the war with Germany, he was to be the last of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. He would change his name and House to the very English-sounding name Windsor in 1917. World War I also saw the Irish "Easter Rebellion" of 1916. This led to the 1920-21 compromise that created the Irish Free State with Northern Ireland being part of the United Kingdom.

Because of the common touch that George and Mary had, they were able to connect with their countrymen. When he died of heart problems in 1936 after a reign of 26 years, the pera new height. There had been no scandals. The British people had continually experienced his basic integrity and determination to do his duty. Also, the spread of cinema and radio in the sonal prestige of the monarchy was at 20a century had allowed him to become known to millions of his subjects. For example, he started the annual tradition of a Christmas broadcast in 1932 with Rudyard Kipling writing the text.

Resource material: "Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy," Cannon & Griffiths, 1988; "Royal Postcards," Smith, 1987; and "The Houses of Hanover and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha," (ed.) Clarke & Riley, 2000.

Part IV of "Rulers of the World" will appear in a future issue of "The Cauldron". The focus of that article will be Greece and Romania.

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See Souvenir Spoons - Rulers of the World - Part IV[/URL]