- published: 14 Apr 2012
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Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. He was the first British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which was renamed the House of Windsor by his son, George V.
Before his accession to the throne, he served as heir apparent and held the title of Prince of Wales for longer than any of his predecessors. During the long reign of his mother, Queen Victoria, he was largely excluded from political power and came to personify the fashionable, leisured elite.
The Edwardian era, which covered Edward's reign and was named after him, coincided with the start of a new century and heralded significant changes in technology and society, including powered flight and the rise of socialism. Edward played a role in the modernisation of the British Home Fleet, the reform of the Army Medical Services, and the reorganisation of the British Army after the Second Boer War. Edward fostered good relations between Great Britain and other European countries, especially France, for which he was popularly called "Peacemaker", but his efforts were unable to prevent the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
Actors: Adrian Johnston (composer), Susanna Lenton (miscellaneous crew), Rebecca Eaton (producer), David M. Thompson (producer), Ingeborga Dapkunaite (actress), Bibi Andersson (actress), Tom Hollander (actor), Bill Nighy (actor), Gina McKee (actress), Frank Finlay (actor), John Sessions (actor), Michael Gambon (actor), Graham Crowden (actor), Miranda Richardson (actress), Sarah Lucraft (miscellaneous crew),
Plot: British empire monarch George V and his wife Queen Mary decide to hide their last-born son, Johnnie, from the public, being embarrassingly affected by epilepsy. While his protective elder brother is ruthlessly groomed for court life, Johnnie gets packed off to a country cottage on the royal estate Sandringham. With his full-time governess Lalla, a substitute-mother, he's abandoned to playfulness and virtual social neglect. The Great War and the Russian Revolution change life in Britain, also at court, even at Sandringham, where royal refugees are expected.
Keywords: 1900s, 1910s, anastasia, bare-chested-male, bathing, brother-brother-relationship, comet, czar-nicholas-i, czarina-alexandra-of-russia, disabilityActors: Jonathan Gunton (composer), David Hutt (director), Paul Critoph (actor), William Mickleburgh (actor), Steve Greenwood (producer), Shirley Pope (producer), Keitel Stern (actor), Nathan Morris (actor),
Plot: As William will probably be in his fifties by the time he becomes king, part two looks at how best he might occupy his time while he waits for his future job to become vacant. The most important thing he will have to do before then is find a suitable wife to provide him with an heir. He should also find a suitable job in the interim, however, history shows this is usually far from easy to achieve.
Keywords: charles-ii, henry-v, king-george-iv, prince, reenactmentActors: Kathleen Byron (actress), Charles Dance (actor), William Hope (actor), David Warner (actor), T.P. McKenna (actor), Dan O'Herlihy (actor), Robert Raglan (actor), James Fox (actor), Alan Gifford (actor), Julian Glover (actor), Nigel Havers (actor), Pierce Brosnan (actor), Julian Holloway (actor), Stanley Myers (composer), Sylvia Syms (actress),
Plot: Virginia-born Lady Astor is the first woman to sit in Parliament. Her outspokenness in unpopular causes leaves her open to heartbreak, public and private.
Keywords: 1880s, 1890s, character-name-in-title, election, england, father-daughter-relationship, female-politician, gambler, historical-event, house-of-commons