Christopher Hibbert - Edward VII - The Last Victorian King

pp. 193–197 King’s clothes: Henry Poole & Co.’s records. After Henry Poole’s death in 1876 the firm received few further orders from Marlborough House. Messrs Huntsman and Son, who received a royal warrant in 1865, became the favourite tailors.

p. 198 Queen Alexandra motoring: Londonderry Papers, Durham County Record Office (D/LO/F. 1127).

p. 199 King on motor-racing: Chilston MSS., Kent County Record Office (U564. C9., 4 February 1903).

p. 200 King wins Derby for third time: Seth-Smith, pp. 261–64. Minoru was not owned by the King but had been leased to his Majesty with five other yearlings in 1907 by Colonel Hill Walker, later Lord Wavertree.

p. 201 Moneylenders outside French hotels: Préfecture de Police, Dossier 150100, A.I. The police reports contain many references to the Prince’s alleged attempts to borrow money in France. One report (4 November 1885) asserts that he has been lent five million francs by the Duc d’Aumfile in exchange for a promise that one of his daughters will marry a prince of the House of Orléans on his coming to the throne. Another report (16 February 1889) refers to persistent rumours that the Prince is urgently in need of 200,000 francs, which he has tried to raise with the help of Mme Goblet, an antique dealer.

p. 202 Queen late for luncheon: The chef was Gabriel Tschumi — his memoirs, pp. 105–6.

p. 203 Felix Semon’s memoirs are quoted by Sir Sidney Lee.

p. 203 Lord Allington’s daughter (Winifred Sturt) at Sandringham: Hardinge Papers, quoted by Magnus, p. 222.

p. 204 Evenings at Sandringham: Lincolnshire Papers, Lord Carrington’s journal.

pp. 206–207 King’s slip in speech in Italy: Hardinge Papers, 30 April to 5 May 1909. p. 207 King and Beresford: Lincolnshire Papers. In 1909 the King told Carrington that Beresford was ‘one mass of vanity’ and was ‘not straight.’ He seemed ‘delighted’ at Beresford’s being ‘snuffed out’.

p. 209 King’s complaint about papers: Asquith Papers, 25 October 1908, 24 July 1909. Lloyd George was a particular offender. The King strongly objected to his writing ‘Mr Lloyd George presents his humble duty …’ instead of the more formal and customary ‘The Chancellor of the Exchequer presents…’

p. 210 Balfour’s rebuff: Haldane Papers, National Library of Scotland (MSS., 5907–8/41–3), 15 July 1908.

p. 210 Campbell-Bannerman’s ‘bad taste’: Chilston MSS., Kent County Record Office (U564. C9, 3 March 1905).

p. 211 Winston Churchill talks ‘simple nonsense’: Ibid.

p. 211 Knollys’s dislike of Churchill: Rosebery Papers, 20 January 1908.

Knollys to Rosebery: ‘Winston Churchill is to be asked to Windsor for a couple of nights. Personally I don’t admire or care for him, but I think the King is quite right to take some notice of him.’

p. 211 Haldane ‘always acceptable’: Rosebery Papers, 14 December 1908.

p. 213 Band of Coldstream Guards in Germany: Haldane Papers, 8 October 1907. Haldane to Grey: ‘The King feels that, though the German Embassy may be satisfied with the explanation given them by the Foreign Office, when the German Emperor hears of what has taken place, as he probably will, it will sound extraordinary to him that the Sovereign of this Country … cannot even send a military band abroad without the approval of the Foreign Office.’

p. 213 King’s letter about Sinha: Minto MSS., 21 May 1909 (National Library of Scotland, 4E. 346).

pp. 214–215 Balfour’s letter about Shah: Royal Archives, quoted by Philip Magnus, p. 305.

p. 218 Princess Alexandra’s memorandum on Heligoland: Devonshire MSS., 340. 2236. In sending the memorandum the Princess refers to it as having been written by herself.

p. 218 Queen Alexandra and Greece: Clarendon Papers, 1 May 1870.

pp. 218–219 Prince George’s reliance on father: Lincolnshire Papers, Lord Carrington’s journal.

pp. 218–219 Prince George’s fondness of father: Lloyd George: Family Letters, 1885–1936 (9 May 1910): ‘The King [George V] exceedingly nice. Talked a good deal about his father, of whom he was evidently very fond. His eyes, suffused with tears.’

p. 229 The King’s friend at the Paris Exhibition was Mrs Paget — letter quoted by Sewell, p. 81.

p. 231 ‘Poor old Buller!’: ‘Felix Semon’s Memoirs’. In Lord Carrington’s journal the difficult guest is not a bishop but the aged Lord Salisbury.

p. 231 Duke of Devonshire’s letter: Devonshire MSS., 4.171, 15 November 1872.

pp. 232–233 King’s entourage and his visit to Alnwick: Duke of Northumberland’s archives.

p. 233 King’s visit to Mount Stewart: Londonderry Papers, D/LO/F.1127.

pp. 234–235 Entertaining royalty: Lincolnshire Papers. The King’s hosts were sometimes rewarded with a K.C.V.O. Lord Iveagh received a G.C.V.O. with which he was ‘hugely delighted’ (7 January 1910).

pp. 237–238 King in France: Préfecture de Police, Dossier 150100, A.I. The King usually stayed at the Hôtel de Provence at Cannes. In February 1887, after he had attended the carnival at Nice dressed as Domino and masked, the police reported, ‘Il s’amuse comme un jeune homme, rit de toutes les scènes grotesques et, de retour, prend grand plaisir ? raconter les èpisodes de la journée.’ Detectives often followed the King to the casino at Monte Carlo. He was usually unlucky, although a rumour that he lost 200,000 francs in April 1890 was described as ‘inexact’. He was once overheard by a detective remarking cheerfully to one of his companions, ‘If you want to win, play with me. I always lose.’

p. 239 King in Denmark: Rosebery Papers, MS., 10016/66. Francis Knollys dreaded having to accompany the King, although the Queen thought that he enjoyed the visits. Knollys commented to Rosebery, ‘How little she knows human nature!’

p. 247 ‘A cloud of bluebottle flies’: The British visitor was Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman. The quotations from the Campbell-Bannerman Papers on this and the following page are from John Wilson’s biography, pp. 143–45.

p. 247 Sophie Hall Walker at Marienbad: Information from Anita Leslie.

p. 250 ‘Pawn in the game’: Eyre Crowe’s comment is quoted by Lord Vansittart, p. 46.

pp. 251–255 King’s visit to Pope: Rampolla’s, Sandars’s, Balfour’s and Bertie’s letters and telegrams are in the Sandars Papers, Balfour–Edward VII Correspondence, 23 March 1903 to 29 April 1903. The other letters and Hardinge’s reports are from the Hardinge Papers. Hardinge’s description of his interview with Rampolla is in the Sandars Papers, 29

April 1903. Knollys remained persistently opposed to the visit. On 23

April he wrote to Hardinge from the Imperial Hotel, Exmouth: ‘I shall be very sorry if it takes place.… The argument that the King when he was Prince of Wales called on the Pope is hardly to the point now, as an heir apparent can do many things which it is not advisable a Sovereign should.’

pp. 255–256 Marquis de Soveral’s letters are quoted by Gordon Brook-Shepherd. pp. 256–257 King’s attitude towards republicans: Préfecture de Police, Dossier 150100, A.I. (11 February 1874).

pp. 258–260 King in Paris: Préfecture de Police, Dossier 150100, A.I., 1–8

May 1903.

p. 261 The Prince’s reception in Cork in 1885: The equerry was Arthur Ellis.

His description is quoted by Philip Magnus, p. 189.

p. 264 Letter from Knollys to Asquith: Asquith Papers, 5 June 1908.

p. 267 Bismarck ‘hated the Prince of Wales’: Rosebery Papers, 24 March 1889.

p. 268 Sir Augustus Paget’s letter to Prince: Royal Archives, quoted by Philip Magnus, p. 209.

p. 271 Kaiser at Sandringham: Rosebery Papers, 26 November 1899.

p. 274 King on ‘public men in Germany’: Rosebery Papers, 19 February 1900. pp. 275–276 Hardinge’s reports to Grey (July 1916): ‘Secret Cabinet Paper recording conversations which Lord (then Sir Charles) Hardinge had when Edward VII visited German Emperor and Emperors of Austria and Russia in 1906, 1907, 1908 and 1909’. Copy in Hardinge Papers.