Edward the Seventh is a 1975 British historical drama series, made by ATV in 13 episodes.
Based on the biography of King Edward VII by Philip Magnus, it stars Annette Crosbie as Queen Victoria, Timothy West as the elder Edward VII, with Simon Gipps-Kent and Charles Sturridge as Edward during his youth. Helen Ryan and Deborah Grant featured as the elder and younger Queen Alexandra respectively. It was directed by John Gorrie, who wrote episodes 7âÂÂ10 with David Butler writing the remainder of the series.
Only the final three episodes dramatised Edward as King (in line with his short, nine-year reign, which did not begin until he was nearly sixty years old). Annette Crosbie, who won a BAFTA for her performance, was given top billing in the series (appearing in ten out of the thirteen episodes).
It was first broadcast on TV between April and July 1975. In the United States it was shown under the title Edward the King, with episode introductions by Canadian-American broadcaster Robert MacNeil. In the UK, it is available as a four-disc DVD set, encoded for Region 0, by Network Video. It is also available for the North American market as a no-extras six-disc set.
Series cast
Royalty
- Annette Crosbie as Queen Victoria (episodes 1âÂÂ10)
- Timothy West as Albert Edward ("Bertie"), Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII (episodes 5âÂÂ13)
- Helen Ryan as Princess Alexandra, later Queen Alexandra (episodes 6âÂÂ13)
- Robert Hardy as Prince Albert (episodes 1âÂÂ4)
- Felicity Kendal as Bertie's older sister Princess Vicky, later Empress Frederick of Germany (episodes 2âÂÂ5, 8, 10 and 11)
- Michael Byrne as Fritz, later Frederick III, German Emperor (episodes 2âÂÂ5, 8)
- Charles Sturridge as Young Bertie (episodes 2âÂÂ4)
- Simon Gipps-Kent as Younger Bertie (episode 2)
- Deborah Grant as Young Alexandra (episodes 4âÂÂ5)
- Christopher Neame as Bertie's nephew Kaiser Wilhelm II (episodes 8 and 10âÂÂ13)
- Gwyneth Strong as Minny (young Dagmar) (episodes 4âÂÂ5)
- Jane Lapotaire as Empress Marie of Russia (older Dagmar; Dagmar was the sister of Bertie's wife Alexandra and later wife of Tsar Alexander III) (episodes 6âÂÂ8, 10, 12âÂÂ13)
- Alison Leggatt as the Duchess of Kent (episodes 1âÂÂ3)
- Charles Dance as Bertie's eldest son Prince Eddy (episodes 8âÂÂ9)
- Michael Osborne as Bertie's second son Prince George, Duke of York, later King George V (episodes 8âÂÂ13)
- Ian Gelder as Bertie's brother Prince Alfred (episodes 2âÂÂ6)
- Julian Sherrier as Napoleon III, Emperor of the French (episode 2)
- Chloe Ashcroft as Eugénie, Empress of the French (episode 2)
- Patricia O'Brian as Bertie's younger sister Princess Helena (episode 2)
- Deborah Makepeace as older Princess Helena (episodes 3âÂÂ6)
- Shirley Steedman as Bertie's younger sister Princess Alice (episodes 3âÂÂ6)
- Judy Loe as Princess Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary (episodes 9âÂÂ13)
- Cheryl Campbell as Bertie's youngest sister Princess Beatrice (episodes 8 and 10)
- Anthony Douse as Christian IX of Denmark (episodes 4, 5 and 12)
- Kathleen Byron as Princess Christian, later Queen Louise of Denmark (episodes 4âÂÂ6)
- Vanessa Miles as Bertie's eldest daughter Princess Louise (episode 10)
- Madeleine Cannon as Bertie's middle daughter Princess Toria (episode 10)
- Rosalyn Elvin as Bertie's youngest daughter Princess Maud, Queen Maude of Norway (episode 10)
- Bruce Purchase as Alexander III of Russia (episodes 6âÂÂ8)
- Michael Billington as Tsar Nicholas II of Russia (episodes 10, 12 and 13)
- Meriel Brooke as Tsarina Alexandra (episodes 10 and 13)
- Paul Greenhalgh as King George I of Greece (episodes 5, 8, 10)
- Geoffrey Wincott as King William I of Prussia (episode 6)
- Mel Churcher as Princess Hélène of Orléans (episode 9)
Prime ministers and politicians
British Army and Royal Navy
Edward's mistresses
Others
Episodes
Soundtrack
External links