King Edward VII's favorite theatrical performances were plays about modern upper-class society, musical comedies and light opera. Queen Alexandra preferred grand opera.
Because of his mother's long reign, Edward spent most of his life performing only ceremonial duties.
Could King Edward VII have prevented the First World War?
CyrilSebastian, I think this a very interesting question. In my opinion - no. The distrust between Germany and Britian and a feeling of enmity was being fostered for years before 1914. That was one factor. Another, Edward VII was in poor health. If he had managed to live until 1914 he wouldn't, likely, have been able to influence events just due to that alone. Finally, I think looking at the relatively young monarchs provides a partial clue. When push came to shove, all three of them proved to be in the hands of their ministers, and what the ministers (cabinets, advisors, whatever one could call them) wanted was a war. I don't think Edward would have been able to resist, any more than George V, the real push to war that took place in summer 1914. Indeed his dislike for his nephew might have made him eager to show him what Britain could do. (George V and Mary didn't dislike Willy - they thought he made Royalty ridiculous, but they had no quarrels with him. But even they could be quickly convinced that he was a war mongering monster. In fact like everyone else, Willy was overtaken by events, and thought: short, decisive war.)
There it is: the mistake that just about every gov't, minister, advisor etc. made (or thought, or hoped) was that this war would be decisive and *short*. When it became trench warfare, a war of attrition, peace should have been actively sought, but instead, millions of young men were lost in a futile effort to "win." Personally this loss of life is what gets me upset when reading about WWI. All well and fine to pay tribute to the dead after the fact ... grant medals, "at the going down of the sun we will remember them" "... bury him among Kings ..." But to sue for peace and *preserve* these millions of lives, oh no!!
[I definitely DO think the soldiers of WWI should be paid every honor, I just wish the spin were different. Even today there are people who blather about the honorable sacrifice of these plives for King (royal) and Country - the very ideals that deserted these soldiers when they needed them most.]
