Edward VII was the king of Great Britain and Ireland from 1901 until his death in 1910. Christened Albert Edward, he was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. "Bertie" was the Prince of Wales and heir apparent for 60 years. An unruly brat as a child, his parents considered him too irresponsible for political power, so when he grew up he spent his time on extramarital dalliances and a high-profile sporting life. An amiable figurehead as king, he traveled the world as the "Peacemaker," encouraging international friendship (especially with France). He married Denmark's Princess Alexandra in 1863 and they had six children. After Edward's death their son, the Duke of York, took the throne as George V.

King Edward VII was said to have had affairs with such luminaries as singer Lillie Langtry and actress Sarah Bernhardt... Edward had a not-so-secret affair with Alice Keppel (Mrs. George Keppel), the great-grandmother of Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall and wife of Prince Charles.