King Edward VII (1841-1910) and Queen Alexandra (1844-1925)

[Avareenah]

But Queen Alexandra didn't have so-called "bug eyes" at all! She was renowned as a classic beauty.

The "bug eyes" some of the royal family inherited was from the Hanovarian line, i.e. Queen Victoria, then passed down to some of her children, in particular Bertie, husband of Alexandra.

Where are there any "bug eyed" pictures of Alexandra?

 

[marian]

edward VII

I want to know if somebody has photos of this great king. He was a great lover but, disagreeable, he was with his wife, the beautiful queen Alexandra, for duty. I think that he never in lov of her.

 

[marian]

Iam sorry because I am not sure, but I understand that Christian IX was unfaithful t his wife, queen Louisa and that this King married other time when his firt wife dead.

 

[ysbel]

Most pictures of Edward VIII would be in the British forums. Alas, there is no thread dedicated to him but you can find some pictures in the threads devoted to his wife Queen Alexandra and his son and daughter-in-law King George and Queen Mary.

 

[Roslyn]

But Queen Alexandra didn't have so-called "bug eyes" at all! She was renowned as a classic beauty.

The "bug eyes" some of the royal family inherited was from the Hanovarian line, i.e. Queen Victoria, then passed down to some of her children, in particular Bertie, husband of Alexandra.

Where are there any "bug eyed" pictures of Alexandra?

One person's "bug eyed" might be another's "beautiful large eyes", but I think there are a number of pics in 'The Queen's Jewels' where I think her eyes look strange. For example: 126, 108, 51, and 59, I'm not sure if it's the fact she looks about to burst into tears at any moment, or her eyes are slightly too far apart, but they are prominent and I'd call the look "bug eyed".

 

[ysbel]

Iam sorry because I am not sure, but I understand that Christian IX was unfaithful t his wife, queen Louisa and that this King married other time when his firt wife dead.

Not that I'm aware of.

Queen Louise of Denmark died in 1898 and her husband Christian IX died in 1906 never having remarried.

Supposedly when Queen Louise died, her husband said, "I don't know how I can live without her"

 

[Furienna]

King Edward VII

Queen Alexandra

 

[Avareenah]

I agree with Ysbel. King Christian and Queen Louise were a notably happily married couple who remained faithful to each other until the end in everything I've read about them.

 

[Furienna]

if you have ever seen her gowns in person you would be very impressed by her tiny waistline. I believe she was quite petite too.

Well, she was the mother of Queen Maud of Norway, who was infamous for her tiny waistline. I mean, just look at Maud's waist in this picture!

So I guess Alexandra could have been petite too.

 

[Avareenah]

One person's "bug eyed" might be another's "beautiful large eyes", but I think there are a number of pics in 'The Queen's Jewels' where I think her eyes look strange. For example: 126, 108, 51, and 59, I'm not sure if it's the fact she looks about to burst into tears at any moment, or her eyes are slightly too far apart, but they are prominent and I'd call the look "bug eyed".

Then we shall have to disagree then, as I don't even see that Alexandra's eyes were particularly large.
Here is a photograph of Bertie and Alix. They really were the Charles and Diana of their day, as far as royalty goes. There is even a similarity of expressions here, in my opinion. I still regard Bertie as the one with the protuberant eyes but it's just my opinion.

 

[LOSSEAN]

I also cannot quite see the 'bug-eyed' camp's observation.
To me Alexandra is truly beautiful.

 

[wartenberg7]

I´m for one looking for the painting of Queen Alexandra being anointed at the 1902 - coronation, peeresses holding a canopy over her!
It´s so beautiful it takes almost your breath away.

 

[Avareenah]

This is not the one you want but it's still a lovely painting, I think.

 

[EmpressRouge]

I´m for one looking for the painting of Queen Alexandra being anointed at the 1902 - coronation, peeresses holding a canopy over her!
It´s so beautiful it takes almost your breath away.

I know which one you're talking about. I can't find the image, but I'm pretty sure can be seen in Geoffrey Munn's Tiaras: A History of Splendour.

 

[magnik]

Try here
- http://worldroots.com/brigitte/royal/alixdenmark1844.htm
- http://pro.corbis.com/search/searchFrame.aspx
- http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/search/FrameSet.aspx?s=ImagesSearchState%7c0%7c0%7c-1%7c28%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c1%7c%7c%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c4%7c%7cedward+VII+and+alexandra%7c2233391784121335%7c0%7c0%7c0%7c0&p=4&tag=6

 

[Landgrave]

A question re; King Edward VII

On another forum (religious discussion) which I frequent, we were discussing the "no Roman Catholics" part of the UK succesion laws. Some asterted that King Edward VII had converted to Roman Catholicism on his deathbed. The only reference he could cite was a book titled London is a Place, by Leonard Feeney. Supposedly he was received into the RC church by a Fr.Bernard Vaughan.

Anyone else ever heard this? I find it hard to believe.

 

[Madame Royale]

Anyone else ever heard this?

In answer to your question, Landgrave

No.

I find it hard to believe

You and me both

A Protestant King & Head of the Church of England converting Catholicism? I have strong reservations regarding the authenticity of that claim, but again this is the first I have heard of it.

 

[Iluvbertie]

I have always had a fascination with Edward VII and have read just about everything ever written about him and I have never heard this.

He was raised, confirmed and married as an Anglican, he took his coronation oath as an Anglican etc. I have never read anything that ever suggested that he had an inclination towards RC.

 

[Avareenah]

I've never heard it either. I don't think his religious faith was strong enough for him to consider anything of this nature, though he did once say "I don't care what faith a man is, but I distrust him who has none".

 

[Furienna]

He was raised, confirmed and married as an Anglican, he took his coronation oath as an Anglican etc.

Actually, Alexandra was a princess of Denmark with Danish-German parents, so she would have been Lutheran, not Anglican. Just me being picky.

 

[ysbel]

Actually, Alexandra was a princess of Denmark with Danish-German parents, so she would have been Lutheran, not Anglican. Just me being picky.

Yes she was brought up in the Lutheran faith; however, Alexandra married Edward in England in, I believe, an Anglican (not Lutheran) ceremony.

That may be what chrissy meant by the fact that Edward married as an Anglican.

[edited to add: yes, they were married at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle so I'm almost positive that ceremony was Anglican. Here is a website with a couple of pictures from the wedding. The first looks like an engraving from the ceremony; the second is a picture of the couple shortly after the ceremony with Queen Victoria and the bust of the dead Prince Albert.]

 

[Iluvbertie]

Edward VII was always an Anglican.

Even though his wife was a Lutheran, as was his father, his marriage followed the Anglican tradition as would be expected of the future Head of the COE. He was married at St George's Chapel, which is an Anglican church.

 

[Furienna]

Oh... Well, I see now, that Chrissy must have meant the ceremony was Anglican. My bad.

 

[Solange]

When she was younger her eyes didn't look so bulging. I think it comes with old age. Plus her limp or bad leg, didn't she have that because of child labour gone wrong?

 

[Avareenah]

Alexandra suffered a serious bout of rheumatic fever in 1867 whilst pregnant with her third child, Louise. She had a permanently stiff knee after that but was still very physically active and fit. She had no notable difficulties with her six confinements though her youngest child, Alexander John, lived only a few hours, sadly.

Could one of the posters claiming Alexandra had "bug eyes" please post such a photo as I have never seen one, and I've seen a lot of photos of Alix. Thank you.

 

[lord_rankin]

Good Lord if anyone had "bug eyes" it was Edward VII, the Hanoverian bulge it has been called. But I have never seen any photo where Alexandra looks to have bulging eyes.

 

[Alexandra RI]

Love the photographs

The book "Developing the picture: Queen Alexandra and the art of photography" has some nice pictures. Here are a few that I don't think have been posted yet.

1. June 1864 (Photo: Robert Bingham)
2. Circa 1859 (Photo: Georg E. Hansen)
3. June 3 1961 (Unknown photographer)
4. July 1862 (Photo: Georg E. Hansen)
5. Sept. 1862 Engagement portrait (Photo: Ghemar Freres)
6. Nov. 1862 Windsor Castle (Photo: J.J.E. Mayall)

I am so please to see so many photographs of Alexandra that I have never seen before. Does anyone else see a resemblance to Uma Thurman or Princess Diana?

 

[Sister Morphine]

I am so please to see so many photographs of Alexandra that I have never seen before. Does anyone else see a resemblance to Uma Thurman or Princess Diana?

In the fourth and fifth pictures, the resemblance to Diana is uncanny. I see a bit of Uma Thurman too, but I see Diana more.

 

[BeatrixFan]

How can Alexandra look like Diana when they aren't related? I don't see the resemblance at all. I do, however, find the resemblance to her sisters Dagmar and Thyra extremely uncanny.

 

[Avareenah]

The diversity of opinions on looks here is amazing!

Yes, I see a resemblance between the young Alexandra (especially that little smile) and the young Diana. People don't have to be related to look similar, especially in expression. I also occasionally see a resemblance between the young Bertie and Prince Charles as well who, of course, are blood relatives.

A similarity between Alix and her two sisters - I see none whatsoever to Thyra and only to Minny (Dagmar) a very little when she was very young!