The King is Dead, Long Live the King!: Majesty, Mourning and Modernity in Edwardian Britain

by Martin Williams

The Times Book of the Week

Unforgettable as it was, the public response to the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022 was not without precedent. When her great-grandfather King Edward VII - glamorous, cosmopolitan and extraordinarily popular - died in May 1910, the political, social and cultural anxieties of a nation in turmoil were temporarily set aside during a summer of intense and ritualised mourning.

In The King is Dead, Long Live the King! Martin Williams charts a period of tension and transition as one era slipped away and another took shape. Witnessed by a diverse but interconnected cast of characters - crowned heads and Cabinet ministers, debutantes and suffragettes, artists and murderers - here is the swansong of Edwardian Britain. Set against a backdrop of bereavement and parliamentary crisis overshadowed by the gathering clouds of war, we see a people caught between past and future, tradition and modernity, as they unite to bid farewell to a much-loved monarch who had personified his age.

From Buckingham Palace to Bloomsbury, and from the lying-in-state in Westminster Hall to a now legendary Royal Ascot enveloped in black, this is a vivid evocation of a world on the brink of seismic upheaval.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Royalty

356 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 13, 2023

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Bronwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t remember exactly when I started following Martin Williams on Instagram, but I’m glad I did because as soon as he announced this book I knew I had to read it.

This is absolutely fascinating and so well told. We get the years of Edward’s reign, everything surrounding his death, and some of what followed. There are so many fascinating, and some downright funny, anecdotes.

I learned about so many new people as well as reading about people I already knew. So many people get mentioned: Virginia Bell (Wolff) to Lily Elsie, Theodore Roosevelt to Max Beerbohm, E. M. Forster to Cecil Beaton. (The anecdote about Roosevelt and the French Foreign Minister was a hoot.)

If you’re at all interested in British history or various funereal customs, you’ll really enjoy this. Even if you’re not, it really has a bit of something for everyone and reads so easily. I can’t wait to see what Williams does next.

[Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best kind of history writing. 'The King is Dead...' homes in on the year 1910, the year of King Edward VII's death, funeral and official mourning, including 'Black Ascot'. The first half of the book builds up to this moment and creates context for it by looking back at Edward's reign and presenting the Edwardian period, short as it was, as one of extraordinary progress, pleasure and political crisis. Then Edward's health deteriorates and his final months and days are recorded in close detail, yet from a multitude of contemporaneous sources. This approach creates a feverish drama to the narrative, making a well-known event in our modern history come alive as if we were living through it ourselves. This is achieved by an incredible use of first hand sources - diaries, letters, papers: the bibliography is a treasure trove in itself - that reveal the immediate reactions of aristocrats, politicians, writers and cabbies to the shocking events unfolding, and also lighten the text with numerous witty and amusing anecdotes. I can't think of a better starting point for getting to know the Edwardians.

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a readable, thoughtful, and fascinating survey of one if the most interesting periods in English history - the death of Edward VII in many ways marked the end of the 19th century, and the beginning of a newly anxious modern period. The book is an excellent one for people who are unfamiliar with the period, but contains a great deal of new material for those interested in more recent scholarship (the letters from Princess Victoria just one example).

Eminently readable, the book is deeply relevant today, as the parallels with Queen Elizabeth II and the long-waiting King Charles III are evident on every page. Williams is a compelling writer and brings the period to life as if he were there.

I am thrilled to have gotten my hands on a UK copy. Book arrives in the US in August 2023.

[Emily Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought this book. The reviews were mostly very good, but when I read it was about the last few months of King Edward VII's reign, I hesitated. I love British history, and I've read so much about so many eras, I wasn't sure I'd have much to learn. I could not have been more wrong!
The last months of Edward's reign was fascinating. From his battles with his Prime Minister, Asquith, to the clashes between the Labour party and the Tories, it was full of information I knew little about. I knew the King was a notorious playboy, but I had been led to believe (in other books) that he detested his wife, Queen Alexandra. Not true! He loved her passionately when they were first married, but he was who he was, and his love of beautiful (yet always married) women was very well known, even by the Queen. She accepted this, as she loved him so much, all of her life.
It seems that behavior taken for granted during these times would certainly raise an eyebrow now! But, maybe not. Aside from Prince William and Princess Catherine, I'm now thinking all monarchs and future monarchs had dalliances.
Anyway, this book will make you smile, make you sad,
laugh out loud, it will frustrate you, and so much more. It's about the brief reign of Edward (what a shame he inherited the throne so late in his life), the Edwardian era, changing times, changing attitudes, changing fashions, changing politics; and about a man who surprised so many when the crown was finally his. He was a beloved King, incredibly well traveled, who was intelligent, kind, amusing, but stood firm in his beliefs. I had no idea just HOW beloved he was until he died! People TRULY mourned his passing, as it was sudden.
I was very surprised to learn that Queen Alexandra allowed the King's longtime mistress, Alice Keppel, to go to the King's room as he lay dying, so she could say goodbye.
Women struggling to get the vote are in this story as well, but sorry, that was the least interesting part of the book for me. It still bears a mention, as it was very much a part of the era.
There is so much to recommend about this wonderful book. I laughed, when in the beginning, Edward's boat is following his late mother's boat as she is being taken from Balmoral to London. King Edward notices that the flag is being flown at half mast, and radios to the captain of her boat, " Sir, the Queen is dead. " UP goes the flag, and the captain apologies profusely.
" No worries " says the King. "She was the Queen longer than many people were alive. " Touching and true, with not a touch of anger, King Edward DID make it clear who was in charge.
Buy this book. You won't regret it.

[Frank McAdam · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at early twentieth century England during what is known today as the Edwardian Age. And Edward VII was certainly a fit symbol of the period. Charismatic, fun-loving and immensely popular, he straddled the traditionalism of his mother Victoria's era and the modernism that characterized the new century. If nothing else, the clash between the two provides the narrative with ever increasing tension. In the end, the reader feels at once nostalgia for a simpler time and relief that it is finished.

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded to 5. Very interesting about a time I knew very little about. I appreciated the historical detail presented. The ending was chilling knowing the devastation that was around the corner.

[Gareth Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lively, although not analytical, history of 1910 and the death of Edward VII with a focus on black Ascot. A good light read.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting look at the end of the Edwardian period in Britain. After the death of King Edward VII, society and its rules changed. This book explores the period just before the King's death and the period after it. We, of course, check in with royalty and international affairs. We are a fly on the wall as we look in on the Bloomsbury group, and find out what Virginia Woolf and her circle were up to. Women's suffrage is given ample space, and we are also privy to the details of a well-publicized murder trial that eventually became the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's thriller "Rear Window". We also get to meet up with Lady Duff Gordon of "Titanic" fame as she navigates the waters of the fashion industry.

The book is rich in detail, though it tends to go on a bit too long in some places. Still, this is a marvelous social history for anyone interested in the period to read and mull over. Actually, there is something for everyone here.

[Isla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured the pages of this book immersed in Edwardian Britain. So often the Edwardian era is overlooked in favour of the momentous changes seen in the Victoria's reign and The Great war. How fabulous to shine the spotlight on Edward VII and understand the unrest, the politics, the backdrop to the understated elegance of the Edwardian era. I especially loved the focus on the Suffragette movement. I'm already chomping at the bit for whatever Martin Williams writes next......

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like another reviewer, I started following the author on instagram and am so glad I did. His book is a confectionary delight. The stories are told so well and the anecdotes and customs are so fascinating. I am an admittedly Anglophilic history buff and if that at all describes you, then you will adore this book and fly through it.

[Jamie Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, lightweight book about the short reign and death of Edward VII, centered around the elaborate public mourning at his death. The first Royal Ascot after his death was known as the "Black Ascot", and the images from that event supposedly inspired the Ascot costumes depicted in the movie My Fair Lady.

[John Kenrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

Loved this! Puts the death and mourning for Edward VII in the context of his life and times, with sometimes surprising appearances by future icons of politics, literature, etc. Beautifully written, packed with fascinating details. Highly recommended to anyone interested in British history.

[tumulus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tabloid history, great fun, light reading - quite a few stretches of boredom and lots of lots of non-sequiturs (adds to the charm sometimes, often rather dull though). It'd make a great beach read I think.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting look at one of the lessor known English monarchs of the 20th century.

[Nicola Peard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. such a brilliantly contained slice of history, neatly presented and easy to follow

[Lisa of Hopewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward VII, like his great-great-grandson, Charles III today, waited a near eternity to be King (albeit not as long as Charles). Along the way he led a rather…well, dissolute life. His mother gave him nothing to do and with those high expectations set he saw no reason to set higher ones for himself. He lived for women, gambling, shooting, and food. When it was finally his turn in the top job he got to his Coronation week and nearly died of appendicitis–very, very dire back then. He submitted to the new operation and lived to be crowned a few months later. When he died not many years later his reign was symbolized with “Black Ascot”–the famous race week but with everyone wearing black for mourning. If this somehow seems familiar, Cecil Beaton used in in the race scene in My Fair Lady. There is so much more in this wonderful book though! The King is Dead, Long Live the King… by Martin Williams. (nonfiction)

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a readable, thoughtful, and fascinating survey of one if the most interesting periods in English history - the death of Edward VII in many ways marked the end of the 19th century, and the beginning of a newly anxious modern period. The book is an excellent one for people who are unfamiliar with the period, but contains a great deal of new material for those interested in more recent scholarship (the letters from Princess Victoria just one example).

Eminently readable, the book is deeply relevant today, as the parallels with Queen Elizabeth II and the long-waiting King Charles III are evident on every page. Williams is a compelling writer and brings the period to life as if he were there.

I am thrilled to have gotten my hands on a UK copy. Book arrives in the US in August 2023.

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a readable, thoughtful, and fascinating survey of one if the most interesting periods in English history - the death of Edward VII in many ways marked the end of the 19th century, and the beginning of a newly anxious modern period. The book is an excellent one for people who are unfamiliar with the period, but contains a great deal of new material for those interested in more recent scholarship (the letters from Princess Victoria just one example).

Eminently readable, the book is deeply relevant today, as the parallels with Queen Elizabeth II and the long-waiting King Charles III are evident on every page. Williams is a compelling writer and brings the period to life as if he were there.

I am thrilled to have gotten my hands on a UK copy. Book arrives in the US in August 2023.

[Brian Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Williams's writing style is sparkling, and his grasp of the Edwardian period is extremely authoritative. He brings King Edward VII and his times alive. We often romanticize this period, but Williams shows us how tense it was politically, both at home and - more chillingly - internationally. And he drops the reader into the story to the point that Edward's death is actually affecting. The book is rich with anedcotes and personalities from aristocrats to financiers to red-blooded suffragists to the Crippens to tastemakers in fashion and entertaining. I cannot praise or recommend this book highly enough.