The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Albert Edward, created prince of Wales and earl of Chester by his mother when he was one month old, attended the universities of both Oxford and Cambridge. His dalliance with an actress while serving with an Army unit in Ireland (June–September 1861) caused Victoria to hold him partly responsible for the death of the prince consort, who had indeed taken his son's brief liaison much to heart before succumbing to typhoid (Dec. 14, 1861). Subsequently, Victoria excluded her heir from any real initiation into affairs of state. Not until he was more than 50 years old was he informed of Cabinet proceedings.

On March 10, 1863, the prince of Wales married Alexandra, eldest daughter of Prince Christian (later King Christian IX) of Denmark. Five children of this union survived to maturity (George, duke of York, subsequently King George V, was the second son). Alexandra was preoccupied with her immediate family, but the prince moved in a considerably wider circle, both at home and on the Continent, becoming a familiar figure in the sporting world. He was particularly given to racing, yachting, and game-bird shooting. His social activities involved him in several scandals.

He succeeded to the throne as Edward VII following Victoria's death on Jan. 22, 1901, and was crowned on Aug. 9, 1902. His reign did much to restore lustre to a monarchy that had shone somewhat dimly during Victoria's long seclusion as a widow. In 1902 he resumed his tours of Europe. His geniality and felicitously worded addresses (conducted in French) during a state visit to Paris in 1903 helped pave the way, by winning popularity among French citizens of all ranks, for the Anglo-French Entente Cordiale of 1904. Relations with his nephew the German emperor William II were not always easy, either officially or personally. Although incapable of prolonged mental exertion, Edward was fortunate in his judgment of men. His support for the great military reforms of the secretary of state for war, Richard Burdon (later Viscount) Haldane, and for the First Sea Lord Sir John Fisher in his naval reforms did much to avert British unpreparedness when World War I started.