Cultural depictions of Edward VII of the United Kingdom

Edward VII caricatured by Puck magazine, 1901

King Edward VII of the United Kingdom has been depicted a number of times in popular culture.

Literature

• King Edward is a character in George MacDonald Fraser's novel Mr. American, and also appears in Flashman and the Tiger by the same author.
• Edward appears as the narrator and detective protagonist in three period mysteries by Peter Lovesey, Bertie and the Tinman, Bertie and the Seven Bodies, and Bertie and the Crime of Passion.
• King Edward appears in The Question and The Dream Kingdom, Volumes 25 and 26 respectively of The Morland Dynasty, a series of historical novels by author Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. These two novels are set during his reign and some of the characters in the series are part of his 'set' during his wild young days; others assist him on diplomatic missions when he is King.
• Appears, when still Prince of Wales, as a minor character in the historical-mystery novel Stone's Fall, by Iain Pears.

Film

On film, Edward has been portrayed by:

• Aubrey Dexter in Sixty Glorious Years (1938)
• Edwin Maxwell in the comedy Holy Matrimony (1943)
• Stuart Holmes in The Lodger (1944)
• Ian Murray in the comedy western The First Traveling Saleslady (1956)
• Laurence Naismith in The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960)
• James Robertson Justice in Mayerling (1968)
• Reginald Marsh in Young Winston (1972)
• David Brierly in the comedy On the Game (1974)
• Victor Langley in the Sherlock Holmes/Jack the Ripper film Murder by Decree (1979)
• Michael Cronin in the short Le Petomane (1979)
• Ian McNeice in 1871 (1990)
• David Westhead in Mrs. Brown (1997)

Television

Portrayals of Edward on television include:

• Kevin Brennan in an episode of the Granada Television series On Trial entitled "The Baccarat Scandal" (1960)
• Robert Downing in the American drama Victoria Regina (1961), based on the play by Laurence Housman
• Lockwood West in an episode of the LWT drama series Upstairs, Downstairs entitled "Guest of Honour" (1972), in which the king visited the household for dinner, and in the BBC drama series The Life and Times of David Lloyd George (1981)
• Thorley Walters in the BBC drama series The Edwardians (1972) and Lloyd George (1973), and the Thames Television drama series Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1974)
• Edward Hardwicke in the BBC drama series The Pallisers (1974), based on the novels by Anthony Trollope; Hardwicke's mother, Helena Pickard, played Edward VII's mother, Queen Victoria, in the 1951 film The Lady with the Lamp
• Derek Francis in the BBC drama series Fall of Eagles (1974)
• Timothy West in the ATV drama series Edward the Seventh (1975). In early episodes he is portrayed by Simon Gipps-Kent as a boy and Charles Sturridge as a teenager
• Ronnie Barker in "The Phantom Raspberry Blower" serial, The Two Ronnies (1976). In one sketch Edward (still Prince of Wales) is suspected of being the mysterious, titular raspberry-blower. A reference to the conspiracy theory that holds Edward's son, Prince Albert Victor, responsible for the Jack the Ripper murders.
• Roger Hammond in the BBC drama series The Duchess of Duke Street (1976)
• Denis Lill in the LWT drama series Lillie (1978), telling the story of Lillie Langtry
• Peter Ustinov in the RTÉ drama series Strumpet City (1980), based on the novel by James Plunkett
• Richard Huggett in the BBC drama series Nancy Astor (1982)
• Wensley Pithey in the episode of the Yorkshire Television drama series Number 10 entitled "The Asquiths" (1983)
• Joss Ackland in the Sherlock Holmes drama Incident at Victoria Falls (1991)
• Geoffrey Bateman in the CBS drama Buffalo Girls (1995), based on the novel by Larry McMurtry
• Christopher Pulford and (as a boy) Simon Quarterman in the miniseries Victoria & Albert (2001)
• Michael Gambon in the BBC serial The Lost Prince (2003)
• Simon Russell Beale in the BBC drama The Young Visiters (2003)
• Peter Whittington in the BBC drama documentary "The Sewer King", an episode of Seven Wonders of the Industrial World (2003) about Joseph Bazalgette
• David Calder in Mr. Selfridge, Season One, Episode 10 (2013)