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Edward VII is probably one of the most well-know royal princes. Much has been written about his upbringing. Some contend that he was not raised in a very sympathetic environment. Certainly none of his chiildren posed the problems that he as a boy had been to his parents. His children were well grown before he became king in 1901. His oldest son, Albert Victor, died much to the relief of many before Bertie became king. The most famous son was his second boy who became George V. He was to lead Britain through World War I and was much criticised for the way he raised his children. Alexandra is said to have been a very good mother. Alix was one of the very few mothers in privlidged circumstances who actually plauyed an important part in raising her own children. She did not just hand them over to nannnies and forget about them. Motherhood was Alix's principal interest, along with her horses and dogs. We have little information on Alexandra's thoughts on clothing fashions for the children. HBC also has little information on what Bertie felt about his boyhood clothes or the clothes selected for his children. Available images provide some information.
Edward and Alexandra had six children. The children grew in a very permissive royal household, with the exception of quiet backward Albert Victor (Eddy), grew father wild and unrully. Strange that Prince George as a father would develop into such a stern disciplinarian and ran a royal household almost the opposite of theone in which he grew up. The two boys were devoted to each other. As they were close in age they were raised and tutored together. They were had, however, very different personalities and characters. Prince George was a normal, lively little boy. The older boy, Prince Eddy, was decidely pathetic and backward. Albert Victor, would have been a disaster if he he had risen to the throne. As fate would have it, Albert Victor died while Bertie was still Prince of Wales and his younger brother became king as George V. It was George that would lead Britain through World War I and was much criticised for the way he raised his children. There were also three girls and an infant boy who died.
Edward VII is probably one of the most well-know royal princes. Much has been written about his upbringing. Some contend that he was not raised in a very sympathetic environment. Others point out that he was an extrodinarily difficult child and his partents, especially Prince Albert, made great efforts to meet the needs of his oldest sons--especially given the lack of understanding at the time as to how to deal with backward children. An interesting question is, becomes did he do better as a father. Certainly none of his children posed the problems that he as a boy had been to his parents. His children were well grown before he became king in 1901. Bertie remembered his own youth and sought to raise his children differently. He told his mother, "If children are too strictly or perhaps too severely treated they get shy and only fear those whom they ought to love." His other major thought on raising childre was that they were best looked after by their mother. [Battiscombe, p. 121.] Historians have provided varying assessments of Edward VII as a father. Some authors maintains that Edward VII, having suffered an unhappy childhood at the hands of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, ill-treated and neglected his own children; and that his son, the future George V, "emotionally short-changed by his father's bullying and disinterest [sic]," turned his two eldest sons, Edward VIII and George VI, into moody and insecure neurotics [Kirsty McLeod, Battle Royal: Edward VIII and George VI: Brother against Brother, Constable.] Most historians, however, believe that Edward VII was a more indulgent father. He was often separated from his children by the demands of duty, sport and pleasure--the aristocratic way of life in Victorian England. When present, he appears to have been affectionate and sympathetic. George V wrote in his diary on succeeding to the throne in 1910: "I have lost my best friend and the best of fathers. I never had a [cross] word with him in my life." Compare this to the way George's son Edward VIII, but not George VI, wrote about his father.
Alexandra is said to have been a very good mother. She was an easy going, and loving mother. Motherhood was Alix's principal interest. While permissive with the children, there were two matters she insisted upon. First, she did not allow the children to fight and quarrel. Second, she raised them to be simple and without the arrogance that also accompanys great wealth and social position. Even the Queen complimented her on this account. [Battiscombe, p. 122.] Unfortunately she contracted rheumatic fever resulting in a limp in her leg when the joint swelled. While only a little deaf at the time of Eddy's birth, the problem became more severe after the fever. The result was that she retreated from social life into her family, devoting all her time to her children and to her charities. She lavished affection on her children. Even as teenagers, she was distressed by even the shortest separation from them. She even continued to treat them like they were little children after they had grown up. After the death of her youngest son John, she devoted even more affection on the other children, but had no more. Eddy was a great concern for her as she realized that he did not have many of the attributes one might want as the Prince of Wales. She was severely affected by Eddy's death in 1892.
Alix as a mother had two big problems. One was her philandering husband who often was not home. The other problem was her interferaing mother-in-law. Either of these problems woild have been enought to have driven many women to distraction. Amazingly, Alix effectively dealt with both, usually with considerable skill drawing upon her charm and usual solid common sence.
Bertie would have been a difficult man for any woman to have handled. Part of the problem was of course his mother who refused to give him any real responsibilites. Thus he had a great deal of free time on his hands and was constantly searching for amisements since the Queen would not give him any serious assignments. Alix understood her husband very well. He was a devoted father, but did not have the emotional maturity to live a quiety country life with his family for extended periods. She was faced with a difficult dilema. She had to create a quiet, stable santuary for the children while at the same time while at the same time create an home hospitable for entertaining the fast friends that Bertie found so entertaining. Somehow she succedded about as well as any person could have. he sought the simple home life that she so enjoyed as a child, but somehow managed to create a home with style and glitter that attracted her husband's friends. [Battiscombe, p. 122.]
Modern women would easily describe Victoria as the mother-in-law from Hell. Many wome have had to contend with difficult women, but not all have had to face the Queen of England and Emperess of India who was not used to being told that she was wrong. The Queen had opinions on everything and never hesitated to express them to her children--what ever their age. The queen found a great deal to criticize in how the children were being raised and did not hesitate to do so. She felt especially strongly about her grand children and was constantly interfearing and criticizing the partents, often in letters. Some of her assessments wereare very harsh, accussing Alix of endangering the children's health on persional whims. This letter broight Aliix to tears. The issue of taking the chidren on visits tio their Danish grandpartents were constant struggles, even though the Queen encouraged her daughters in Germany to bring her grandchildren to England for visits. Victoria stringly felt that both Alix and Bertie were being too permissive with the children. Eduation was another issue. The Queen thought that inadequate attention was being given to their education. After Bertie's serious illness in 1871, the two women were deawn closer together. Afterwards the Queen became less critical. The only two continuing serious issues were taking the childen to Denmark each year and church attendance. [Battiscombe, p. 124-125.]
The Sandriham nurseries were not typical Victorian nurseries. Discipline was not a high priority in the Sandriham nurseries and schoolrooms. She loved to come to the nirseries and help with the children Alix was one of the very few mothers in privlidged circumstances who actually plauyed an important part in raising her own children. She did not just hand them over to nannnies and forget about them. Her biographer tells us that Alix was just as happy in a flnnel apron bathing one of her babies as she was wearing an elegant evening dress and price less jewels. It is said that if she liked some of the quests, the next day they would be asked to help bathe the baby. [Battiscombe, p. 122.]
Alix's children, horses, and dogs became the center of her life. The children were not restricted to the nursery as in many Victorian homes. They were permitted even encouraged to mix with their parents society guests. While the children were mot restricted to the nursery, they led a very insular life.
Alix was very interested in horses. She would always consult Henry Chaplin, an intimate friend of her husband and a famed judge of hoeses. She loved dogs so much so thatvlarge kennel was needed at Sandringham. She began with pugs, but later Japanese spaniels and pekinese became favorites. Other animals added diversity. She rescued a large black ram from an Egyptian butcher and briought it back to Sandringham. There were turkeys. Alox was taken with more exotic birds. A white cockatoo wa a perminent resident in the halls. Even Alix, however, was a bit taken back when a friend gave her 40 such birds. [Battiscombe, p. 127.]
The children were not restricted to the nursery as in many Victorian homes. They were permitted even encouraged to mix with their parents society guests. Someof the guests were not used to this. The Queen was highly critical. She once commented on the boys, "They are such ill-bred, ill-trained children, I can't fancy them at all." On another occassion, she described them as being "wild as hawks". Lady Geraldine writes, "the boys were past all management" and desctibes the girls as "rampaging little girls". [Battiscombe, pp. 122-123.]
While Queen Alexandra would not normally read a book for her own enjoyment, she did read to the children. Henerally it would be light reading, perhaps a boys' adventure book likr St. Winifred's or the World of School. On occasion Tennyson might even be attempted. [Battiscombe, p. 141.] I assume that she would read to all the children together in the evenion, but have no details at this time. I do not know if thgere father ever read to them like this.
While the children were mot restricted to the nursery, they led a very insular life. They rarely left home except to visit their Danish grandparents or Queen Victoria. The tips to Denmark were an adventure for them. Their stays with the Queen were seen as rather a "penance". Alix describes how as the family was preparing to leave for Balmoral, the firls were all crying. Little Princess Maud who was called Harry declred with a stamp of her foot, "I won't go." [Battiscombe, p. 139.]
We have little information on Alexandra's thoughts on clothing fashions for the children. HBC also has little information on what Bertie felt about his boyhood clothes or the clothes selected for his children. Available images provide some information. We do know, however, that clothing was a major interest as a adult. Like many European royals, Bertie was obsessed with clothing, medals, and uniforms. He was especially concerned with clothes. No doubt his mother's refusal to give him any serious official duties were a factor here. Edward was known to reprimand individuals who made even small errors in dress. A particular obsession was mistakingly wearing black rathar than white tie for formal occassions. He even once pubically upbraided Prime Minister Marquess of Salisbury when he appeared at a Buckingham Palac reception inappropriately dressed. The Prime Minister cooly responded that when dressing his mind must have been "occupied by some subject of less importance". Reportedly his grandson George VI inherited this concern about clothing. [Bradford, 1989, p. 4.] The boys as was the custom wore dresses as little boys. Styles had changed and knee length dresses were worn by bith boys. Pantalettes were still in style, but not long ankle-length ones. The boys wore pantalettes that just showed at the hems of their dresses. The boys often wore sailor suits. They were not just worn as littke boys, but they continued to wear sailor suits as teenagers. This was different than Bertie's own experperience. Despite the famed Winterhalter portait, Bertie and his brothers rarely wore sailor suits. We note several images when the boys and the girls are each dressed in identical outfits.
We have only limited information on how the children were taught at Sandringham. They were tutored there rather than attending a school. We know that Prince Eddy was tutored with his youger brother Prince George. Their tutor was John Neale Dalton who was subsequently appointed to be Cannon of St.Georges chapel in Winsor castle. As a tutor he was not a conscpicuous success, but this may have been more the boy's fault than his. The differences between the two were all too apparent at an eraly age. Prince George was a lively boy of average intelligence. His brther was beyond education. We do not know if the girls were tutored separately or if there was one classroom at Sandringham. Both boys were trained as naval cadets which Prince George did well at. After their Midshipman cruise together, Prince Eddy was sent to Cambridge where he demonstrated no interest or ability in his studies. Prince George enthusiastically pursued his naval career.
Alexandra never really accepted the fact that her children were growing up. The children had a childhood prolonged beyond of other children. Even when Prince George had command of a gunboat, she wrote to him as a small boy, ending her letter with, "with a great big kiss for your lovely little face". And perhaps even more suprisingly, he would write back in similar terms. The gurls were treated the same. Princess Louise, for example, was guven a children's party for her 19th birthday. Alexandra never really came to trms ith the facts that her little dears were growing up. [Battiscombe, pp. 142-143.]
Research on Queen Alexandra is complicated by the fact that, like her husband, she ordered the destruction of her letters and papers after her death.
Battiscombe, Georgina. Queen Alexandra (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1969).
Bennett, Daphne King Without a Crown: Albert Prince Consort of England, 1819-1861 (New York: J.B. Lippincott, 1977).
Bradford, Sarah. The Reluctant King: The Life and Reign of George VI, 1895-1952 (New York: St. Marin's Press, 1989), 506p.
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