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Queen Victoria and King Edward Queen Victoria died on 21 January 1901 at the age of 81. She had been the Queen of Great Britain for 63 years, presiding over its industrialization and the expansion of the British Empire overseas. But perhaps her most lasting influence was on the values of the time: the Victorian age became synonymous with prudish gentility and repression.
When her husband Albert died suddenly in 1861, Victoria donned widow’s mourning clothes and wore them for the rest of her life. This display underlined the nation’s attitude to mourning – lavish funerals and strictly dictated mourning clothes and etiquette were the fashion until late in the century. At Victoria’s death there was a final outpouring of elaborate mourning – all adults wore black, black and purple banners were hung from shop windows, even iron fences were given a fresh coat of black paint. However, her son King Edward VII was a sensible man, and signalled the beginning of a new era by limiting the period of mourning for his mother to three months.
His reign was very different from his mother’s. Edward was much more a man of the people, making many public appearances and sharing similar interests with his subjects. He also took an active part in foreign policy, and with his royal visits to other countries he forged important alliances. He was more forward-looking as well, embracing new inventions - he bought a motor-car as soon as they became available. Edward’s indulgent lifestyle eventually took its toll. He had a series of heart attacks and died just before midnight on 6 May 1910 at the age of 68.
Soon afterwards the Earth was due to pass through the comet’s tail, causing "comet fear" among some. Conmen did quite well selling "comet pills" advertised as antidotes to the supposed ill effects of the tail’s poisonous gases. The public’s response to Edward’s death was heartfelt but not as fervent as when his mother died. His funeral was full of impressive pageantry, but people did not wear black for him for three months. Instead of lingering on the past, the British had learned to look ahead – for already in 1910 it was clear a war was looming in Europe. |
Edward was 59 when he became Edward VII in January 1901. He had been waiting most of his adult life for his career to begin, and had spent the time living the good life – eating, drinking, smoking, partying, womanizing. Paris was his favorite city. He was a genial man, well liked by the public. 
Curiously, Halley’s Comet was making its 75-yearly appearance in Spring 1910 and was visible to the naked eye in the days just before Edward VII’s funeral. There were observation parties all over Britain the night before the funeral. Despite the strong moonlight that night, the comet’s tail stretched across much of the sky.