Edward VII, King of Great Britain, 1841-1910

John Hay sends Theodore Roosevelt part of a letter from Harry White that gives information about German relations and the Russian Emperor. White says that German Ambassador Metternich asked for his opinion on whether relations between Germany and the United States had improved. White also reports that the King (apparently the British King) said that “the German Emperor does and thinks exactly what the Russian Emperor thinks,” and that “the Russian Emperor’s refusal of all reforms … may very likely cost him his throne.”

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-01-10

David R. Francis, president of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, wires President Roosevelt, who is traveling back to Washington, D.C., aboard a special train. Francis has received a telegram from the King of England expressing appreciation that Roosevelt visited the British Section at the World’s Fair.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1904-11-28

Theodore Roosevelt returns from his African safari through the countries of Sudan, France, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Great Britain, and finally his reception in New York City. Edited by Mae Manning.

Collection

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Creation Date

1925

Animated cartoon of Theodore Roosevelt’s reception in Europe during his April-June 1910 tour. Sequences of crowned heads of Europe sitting in an open automobile, labeled Europe, located on a pier. Roosevelt, carrying a big stick, is in the bow of a ship that approaches the pier as the crowned heads wave. Caricatured are: Roosevelt; Victor Emanuel III of Italy; Manuel II of Portugal; Franz Joseph I of Austria; Alfonso XIII of Spain; Nicholas II of Russia; Edward VII of Great Britain; Clément Fallières of France; and William II of Germany.

Collection

Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound

Creation Date

1910

A typed extract from a letter Theodore Roosevelt wrote David Gray describing his experience as the American special ambassador to the funeral of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1911-10-06

Theodore Roosevelt, in dress suit with coat over arm at rear left, marches in the funeral procession for King Edward VII of the United Kingdom.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1910-05-20

This photograph shows the snuffbox that King Edward VII of Great Britain sent as a wedding present for Alice Roosevelt and Nicholas Longworth.

Collection

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

Creation Date

1906

Whitelaw Reid writes to President Roosevelt to discuss Roosevelt’s correspondence with the Japanese, Russian, and British governments during the peace negotiations. Reid commends Roosevelt and asks permission to share the correspondence with Lord Lansdowne and King Edward.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-09-18

On a desolate shore, a woman labeled “France” is playing the role of Elsa in Richard Wagner’s opera Lohengrin. She is embraced by Edward VII, King of Great Britain, who is playing the role of Lohengrin, and they are looking at a nasty knight labeled Russia playing the role of Telramund. The swan is in the background, chained to a stake on the shoreline. Caption: Elsa-France (to Lohengrin-England) — O, why did you not come sooner – before I was pledged to Telramund?

comments and context

Comments and Context

France and Russia had engaged in secret talks in 1891 that led to the Dual Alliance, the Franco-Russian treaty of 1894, also secret. Its aim was to squeeze Germany in case of a continental land war — France was still smarting from its defeat by Prussia in 1871 — but it soon grew restive about the nature and reliability of the Czar. Meanwhile, Germany, which knew that secrets were never really “secret,” countered France and Russia with its own Dreibund (Triple Alliance) with Austria-Hungary and Italy.

Rudyard Kipling sits up in his bed, pulling the covers up for protection. On the nightstand is an ink pot labeled “Hatred.” He is having a nightmare of the “Anglo-German Alliance” which shows Edward VII, King of Great Britain, and William II, Emperor of Germany, embracing.

comments and context

Comments and Context

The nightmare of Rudyard Kipling, the prototypical proponent and poet of British colonialism, was his perennial fear of an alliance between England and Germany. In era of alliances and treaties around the world — often shifting, often broken — and despite the fact that Edward VII and Wilhelm II were first cousins, no such friendly alliance was effected.

A huge J.P. Morgan carries a cornucopia filled with railroads, ships, telegraph lines, and steel rails as examples of the broad range of industry he controls. As he strides forward, the German emperor and the King of Great Britain are brushed aside. Caption: The modern trust king brings dismay to the old kings of Europe.

comments and context

Comments and Context

This might seem to be an odd cartoon for a periodical that had run anti-monopoly cartoons since its inception in the late 1870s and anti-trust cartoons with more frequency in the years preceding this cartoon, but Puck, and many reforming journals — almost all except the most radical Populist and Socialist publications — occasionally granted the trusts some of their due: sometimes lower consumer prices, jobs from expanding industries, American dominance in world trade. A few months prior to this cartoon by Kepple, J. P. Morgan’s Northern Securities Company had been sued as a monopoly by Theodore Roosevelt’s Justice Department. But at the time of this double-page spread in Puck, Morgan returned to financial machinations and formed the International Mercantile Merchant Marine Company in an effort to monopolize transatlantic shipping lines, which might account for the preponderance of ships in Morgan’s cornucopia. The banker was camera shy because of his reluctance to be “captured” with his red and warty nose due to rosacea. However in 1902 the famed photographer induced Morgan to sit for a portrait, and likely retouched the nose; so in this year the public finally saw J. P. Morgan in full, and this might be how Keppler achieved such a good likeness.

At the procession for the coronation of Edward VII, King of Great Britain, many of those participating in the pageantry are wearing medieval costume. Caption: Barnum was not the only man who knew that the public likes to be humbugged.

comments and context

Comments and Context

Due to exigencies of publishing deadlines, this cartoon depicts an event that did not take place, at least at its scheduled time. Ehrhart’s critique of the excessive pomp that was planned for the Coronation of England’s King Edward VII was a valid observation, and part of one of Great Britain’s strangest ceremonies. The former Prince of Wales was 59 years old and his mother Queen Victoria had been on throne for a seemingly interminable 64 years. The prince was, famously, overweight and a playboy. The Queen’s Golden and Diamond jubilees had been rather lackluster, so ostentatious celebrations were anticipated, with royalty from around the world, potentates from England’s far-flung empire, performers of all sorts, just as cartoonist Ehrhart anticipated. However, two days prior to the coronation, the future Edward VII took ill and needed abdominal surgery; the coronation was postponed. Commoners and a staff of thousands were given sweets and thanks in consolation. When the coronation did occur in August, it was in many respects a comedy of errors: a crotchety Archbishop of Canterbury who died four months later, crowns falling from royal heads, botched protocol, and stage-whispers among the royal family.

Uncle Sam sits at a table with 10 figures, three of which are unidentified, the others showing the attributes of the rulers of Russia (Nicholas II), England (Edward VII), Germany (William II), Japan (Meiji, Emperor of Japan), Italy (Victor Emmanuel III), Austria (Franz Joseph I), and France (Emile Loubet), representing the eight nation alliance. A large tray of fruit labeled “Chinese Indemnity” is on the table. Hanging above the table by a thin string is an enormous sword labeled “Awakening of China.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

The world powers who suffered financial, diplomatic, personnel, and moral setbacks at the hands of the Boxer movement in China, withdrew from activism in China around the time of this cartoon. In formal terms, the combined troops of colonial powers defeated Boxer elements, but the truth is represented by the fact that these powers virtually abandoned their positions in the Celestial City and throughout the country. A “face saving” aspect against China was the demand for indemnities for the losses sustained by the allied powers. This cartoon presents a new spin on the “Sword of Damocles” hanging over world politics by the awakening of a sleeping giant, China.

Illustration shows Edward VII, King of Great Britain, full-length portrait, standing, facing front, with an insert showing “(Caricature of Louis XIV, by Thackeray) ‘You see at once that majesty is made out of the wig, the high-heeled shoes and cloak, all fleurs-de-lis bespangled….Thus do barbers and cobblers make the gods that we worship.’ –Thackeray.”

comments and context

Comments and Context

Generally, cartoonists around the world were not too kind to the son of the late Queen Victoria, Edward VII. He largely was depicted as a wastrel and playboy. Because of Victoria’s long life and reign, he was destined to be king for less than a decade. Keppler’s caricature, although gentler than the famous portrait of Edward from the rear, pants down, in the French journal L’Assiette au Beure, nevertheless depicts him as vacuous, and reminded (by the old Thackeray cartoon) that even in the case of kings, the clothes make the man.

The emperors of Russia, Japan, and Germany, and the king of Great Britain each hold a balance scale, and all but “Japan” hold a paper that states their country’s “claim for indemnity.” They are confronting a kneeling, shocked Chinese man labeled “China.” In the background, on the right, Puck is handing a cap and gown to Uncle Sam, suggesting that he play the role of “Portia” and outwit the “Shylocks.” Caption: Puck (to Uncle Sam). — That poor fellow needs a Portia. Why don’t you take the part?

comments and context

Comments and Context

In a somewhat inverted depiction of the actual situation in China as the Boxer Rebellion reached its most dangerous threats to colonial powers, the cowering Chinese figure is being pressured to deliver multiple pounds of flesh, in the cartoon’s reference point: Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. Also unique to cartoonist Pughe’s point of view is that Uncle Sam (the United States) was acting differently than the other colonial nations, which was not quite true.

The rulers of “Russia,” “Germany,” “Italy,” “Austria,” “France,” and “England” are chickens trying to hatch a large egg labeled “China.” A chicken labeled “Japan” stands in the background with Uncle Sam, also as a chicken, perched on a fence in the rear.

comments and context

Comments and Context

This is one of dozens of cartoons published during the Boxer Rebellion that depicts the conflict as merely intractable or challenging rather than as an insoluble crisis. The cartoonist also perpetuates the situation as being one where the United States (Uncle Sam) is nothing more than an observer. In truth, U. S. Marines played a major role in defending the besieged legations and defeating the Chinese insurgents.

Cartoon depicts various world leaders on “vacation.” President Roosevelt gives a vigorous speech, Emperor William looks lost with his guidebooks, and King Edward plays cards on a yacht.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1903-04-03

President Roosevelt sends Secretary of State Hay an amusing letter.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905-02-27

President Roosevelt asks Ambassador Choate to thank King Edward VII for his concern regarding an illness that was recently experienced by Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Ted is feeling better.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-02-12

President Roosevelt asks Baron Pauncefote to express Roosevelt’s thanks and expressions of regard to King Edward VII.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-01-01