Object of the Day, Museum Edition: An Invitation to the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra

Invitation to the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
1902
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Yesterday, we looked at a rare surviving example of an invitation to the 1821 coronation of King George IV. Those are rather difficult to come by. After all, the King didn’t even invite his wife to the coronation.


Today, we’ll skip ahead to 1902 and have a look at an invitation to the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. Given the fact that it was more recent, a few more of these invitation survive, but they’re still incredible rare. An invitation to a coronation was not sent to just anyone. Of course, Edward invited his wife since it was her coronation, too. And, although he was just as much of a cad as his great-uncle, George IV, Edward VII was, at least, much nicer to his wife, the former Alexandra of Denmark, while he was cheating on her.

Edward VII was not quite sixty years old when he ascended the throne. He was Prince of Wales forever since his mother, Queen Victoria, reigned from 1837 to 1901. By the time Edward took the throne, he was already quite set in his ways and there was no hope he’d begin to walk the straight and narrow. He reigned nine years and was succeeded by his second son, who became King George V.