The Playboy Princes: The Apprentice Years of Edward VII and Edward VIII - Couverture souple

Beer, Peter

9780720615906: The Playboy Princes: The Apprentice Years of Edward VII and Edward VIII

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0720615909 ISBN 13 : 9780720615906

Editeur : Peter Owen Publishers, 2014

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A fascinating dual biography proves that controversial Royal Family members are not necessarily only a feature of late 20th- or 21st-century lifeAlthough they were not subjected to the intense media scrutiny that the Royals are today, two Princes of Wales and two namesakes have appeared and captured the fevered imaginations of the public in their wilder early days--later to become Edward VII and Edward VIII respectively. Both have uncanny parallels with modern day princes. The former was, like Charles today, stooging around for years while waiting for a record-breaking mother to either allow him to ascend to the throne--or die. Edward's romances, too, were the subject of much gossip and, incredibly, one of his mistresses was great-grandmother to one Camilla Parker-Bowles. This Edward had slightly more gravitas than his successor and the man who would briefly become Edward VIII played the playboy to the hilt, irresistably reminding one of Prince Harry today. Where Harry has caused newspaper and political controversy with his Nazi regalia at parties, Edward seriously flirted with Fascism--but both have been of more than slight concern to the Establishment. This dual biography offers a compelling portrait of men living for the moment, knowing that a later life of solemn duty beckons. The story of each resonates in a fascinating way as he compares them to what England has now in the way of princes.

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Pr�sentation de l'�diteur :

Edward VII (1841 1910) and his grandson Edward VIII (1894 1972) were born in different eras, but it is illuminating to compare the early and middle years of the two Princes of Wales as kings in waiting and discover how their youth informed their years on the British throne. The privileges of rank aside, they were heirs to an unenviable role, and this study presents a unique portrait of strained apprenticeships for which there was no satisfactory precedent. Theirs was an upbringing dictated by dogmatic prescription and the heavy weight of obligation. As they pursued their lives according to their distinct personalities, they were never relieved of parental strictures especially with regard to Queen Victoria and her eldest son who filled the void with shallow interests, a profligate style of living and the delights of Parisian nightlife. Inevitably the two princes were consigned to filling much of their time with insubstantial engagements not best suited to their characters and which reveal a common vulnerability. In the case of the future Edward VIII, he took a jaundiced view of matters of state and preferred dance floors, riding to hounds and the ministrations of lovers. This book is the story of the heirs progress that provides often unexpected perspectives on two public figures better known through the history of their respective reigns. For readers in this era the similar position of Prince Charles ensures that this survey is a timely as well as a surprisingly entertaining read.

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