Editing Edward VII (section)

==Early adulthood==
[[File:H.R.H. Prince of Wales and Suite at Point View, Niagara.jpg|thumb|Edward and his entourage at [[Niagara Falls]], 1860]]
In 1860, Edward undertook the first tour of North America by a Prince of Wales. His genial good humour and confident ''[[wikt:en:bonhomie|bonhomie]]'' made the tour a great success.<ref name="bc">[[#Bentley-Cranch|Bentley-Cranch]], pp. 20–34</ref> He inaugurated the [[Victoria Bridge, Montreal]], across the [[St Lawrence River]], and laid the cornerstone of [[Parliament Hill, Ottawa]]. He watched [[Charles Blondin]] traverse [[Niagara Falls]] by highwire, and stayed for three days with President [[James Buchanan]] at the [[White House]]. Buchanan accompanied the prince to [[Mount Vernon]], to pay his respects at the tomb of [[George Washington]]. Vast crowds greeted Edward everywhere. He met [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]], [[Ralph Waldo Emerson]] and [[Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.]] Prayers for the royal family were said in [[Trinity Church, New York]], for the first time since 1776.<ref name="bc" /> The four-month tour throughout Canada and the United States considerably boosted Edward's confidence and self-esteem, and had many diplomatic benefits for Great Britain.<ref>[[#Hough|Hough]], pp. 39–47</ref>

Edward had hoped to pursue a career in the [[British Army]], but his mother vetoed an active military career.<ref>[[#Ridley|Ridley]], p. 37</ref> He had been [[gazetted]] colonel on 9 November 1858<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22198|page=4745|date=9 November 1858}}</ref>—to his disappointment, as he had wanted to earn his commission by examination.<ref name="dnb" /> In September 1861, he was sent to Germany, supposedly to watch military manoeuvres, but actually in order to engineer a meeting between him and Princess [[Alexandra of Denmark]]. The Queen and Prince Albert had already decided that Edward and Alexandra should marry. They met at [[Speyer]] on 24 September under the auspices of Edward's elder sister, Victoria, who had married the [[Frederick III, German Emperor|Crown Prince of Prussia]] in 1858.<ref>[[#Bentley-Cranch|Bentley-Cranch]], pp. 36–38</ref> Princess Victoria, acting upon instructions from her mother, had met Alexandra at [[Neustrelitz|Strelitz]] in June; Alexandra made a very favourable impression. She and Edward were friendly from the start, and marriage plans advanced.<ref>[[#Hough|Hough]], pp. 64–66</ref>

Edward gained a reputation as a playboy. Determined to get some army experience, he attended manoeuvres in Ireland, during which he spent three nights with an actress, [[Nellie Clifden]], who was hidden in the camp by his fellow officers.<ref>[[#Ridley|Ridley]], pp. 54–55</ref> Albert, though ill, was appalled and visited Edward at [[Cambridge]] to issue a reprimand. Albert died in December 1861, just two weeks after the visit. The Queen was inconsolable, wore mourning clothes for the rest of her life and blamed Edward for his father's death.<ref>[[#Ridley|Ridley]], pp. 59–63</ref> At first, she regarded her son with distaste as frivolous, indiscreet and irresponsible. She wrote to her eldest daughter, "I never can, or shall, look at him without a shudder."<ref>[[#Middlemas|Middlemas]], p. 31</ref>

===Marriage===
{{main|Wedding of Prince Albert Edward and Princess Alexandra}}
[[File:Princess Alexandra of Denmark and the Prince of Wales engagement photograph.jpg|thumb|upright|Edward and Alexandra, 1863]]
Once widowed, the Queen effectively withdrew from public life. Shortly after Prince Albert's death, she arranged for Edward to embark on an extensive tour of the Middle East, visiting Egypt, [[Jerusalem]], [[Damascus]], [[Beirut]] and [[Istanbul]].<ref>[[#Bentley-Cranch|Bentley-Cranch]], pp. 40–42</ref> The [[British government]] wanted Edward to secure the friendship of Egypt's ruler, [[Sa'id of Egypt|Said Pasha]], to prevent French control of the [[Suez Canal]] if the [[Ottoman Empire]] collapsed. It was the first [[royal tour]] on which an official photographer, [[Francis Bedford (photographer)|Francis Bedford]], was in attendance.

As soon as Edward returned to Britain, preparations were made for his engagement, which was sealed at [[Laeken]] in Belgium on 9 September 1862.<ref>[[#Bentley-Cranch|Bentley-Cranch]], p. 44; [[#Ridley|Ridley]], p. 72</ref> Edward married Alexandra at [[St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle]], on 10 March 1863. He was 21; she was 18.
[[File:WeddingEA.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Edward and Alexandra on their wedding day, 1863]]
The couple established [[Marlborough House]] as their London residence and [[Sandringham House]] in Norfolk as their country retreat. They entertained on a lavish scale. Their marriage met with disapproval in certain circles because most of the Queen's relations were German, and Denmark was at loggerheads with Germany over the territories of [[Schleswig]] and [[Holstein]]. When Alexandra's father, [[King Christian&nbsp;IX]], inherited the throne of Denmark in November 1863, the [[German Confederation]] took the opportunity to [[Second Schleswig War|invade and annex Schleswig-Holstein]]. The Queen was of two minds as to whether it was a suitable match, given the political climate.<ref>[[#Middlemas|Middlemas]], p. 35; [[#Ridley|Ridley]], p. 83.</ref> After the marriage, she expressed anxiety about their socialite lifestyle and attempted to dictate to them on various matters, including the names of their children.<ref>[[#Ridley|Ridley]], pp. 85, 87, 93, 104</ref>
[[File:London Bridge on the Night of the Marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales.jpg|thumb|''[[London Bridge on the Night of the Marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales]]'', by [[William Holman Hunt]] (1864)]]
Edward had [[Mistress (lover)|mistresses]] throughout his married life. He socialised with actress [[Lillie Langtry]]; [[Lady Randolph Churchill]];{{efn|Letters written by Edward to Lady Randolph may have "signified no more than a flirtation" but were "[w]ritten in a strain of undue familiarity".<ref>[[#Hattersley|Hattersley]], p. 21</ref>}} [[Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick]]; actress [[Sarah Bernhardt]]; noblewoman [[Lady Susan Vane-Tempest]]; singer [[Hortense Schneider]]; prostitute Giulia Beneni (known as "La Barucci"); wealthy humanitarian [[Agnes Keyser]]; and [[Alice Keppel]]. At least fifty-five liaisons are conjectured.<ref>{{Citation |last=Camp |first=Anthony |title=Royal Mistresses and Bastards: Fact and Fiction, 1714–1936 |date=2007 |author-link=Anthony J. Camp}}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://anthonyjcamp.com/page9.htm |title=Royal Mistresses and Bastards: Nos. 25–29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811135358/http://anthonyjcamp.com/page9.htm |date=11 August 2011 |website=anthonyjcamp.com |archive-date=11 August 2011}}</ref> How far these relationships went is not always clear. Edward always strove to be discreet, but this did not prevent society gossip or press speculation.<ref>[[#Middlemas|Middlemas]], pp. 74–80</ref> Keppel's great-granddaughter [[Camilla Parker Bowles]] became the mistress and subsequent wife of King [[Charles III]], Edward's great-great-grandson. It was rumoured that Camilla's grandmother Sonia Keppel was fathered by Edward, but she was "almost certainly" the daughter of [[George Keppel (British Army officer, born 1865)|George Keppel]], whom she resembled.<ref>{{Citation |last=Souhami |first=Diana |author-link=Diana Souhami |title=Mrs Keppel and Her Daughter |page=49 |date=1996 |place=London |publisher=HarperCollins}}</ref> Edward never acknowledged any illegitimate children.<ref>{{Citation |last=Ashley |first=Mike |title=The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens |pages=694–695 |date=1998 |place=London |publisher=Robinson |isbn=978-1-84119-096-9 |author-link=Mike Ashley (writer)}}</ref> Alexandra was aware of his affairs, and seems to have accepted them.<ref>[[#Middlemas|Middlemas]], p. 89</ref>

In 1869, [[Sir Charles Mordaunt, 10th Baronet|Sir Charles Mordaunt]], a [[British Member of Parliament]], threatened to name Edward as co-respondent in his divorce suit. Ultimately, he did not do so but Edward was called as a witness in the case in early 1870. It was shown that Edward had visited the Mordaunts' house while Sir Charles was away sitting in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]. Although nothing further was proven and Edward denied he had committed [[adultery]], the suggestion of impropriety was damaging.<ref name="dnb" /><ref>[[#Priestley|Priestley]], pp. 22–23</ref>