Abstract

The King Business

This article presents information on the book "King Edward VII," vol. 2, by Sidney Lee. To the ordinary reader, as distinct from the student of political affairs, this volume, presenting the official story of King Edward's reign, will be less interesting than the earlier one dealing with his life as Prince of Wales. Not that he changed any of his ways of life, putting off the "Prince Hal" for the dignified King Henry as is sometimes suggested. What the British people want in their monarch is ceremonialism. He must supply an element of pageantry to an otherwise drab life, must redeem democracy from a secretly unpopular equality, must stir the sense of loyalty to a figure that represents in some half-magical way the historic continuity of a nation.