Edward VII: The Prince of Wales and the Women He Loved

Focusing on the amorous king known as "Edward the Caresser," Arnold (Underworld London) has written a brisk, gossipy book about how the British aristocracy flouted the strict rules of morality associated with the Victorian era. Readers looking for an in-depth biography of Edward VII (1841–1910) will be disappointed, as the real focus is the prominent women—Lillie Langtry, Jennie Churchill, and Daisy Brooke, Countess of Warwick, to name a few—who became Edward's mistresses. Arnold devotes multiple chapters to these women, exploring their childhoods, marriages, and how their relationships with Edward elevated or imperiled their positions in society. The royal mistresses emerge as complex and fascinating figures, and Arnold's insights into the aristocratic code of behavior that condoned infidelity yet condemned cheating at cards is equally absorbing. Edward himself remains a lusty if affable mystery, seen only in relation to his considerable appetites and influence upon others.