Charming and brutal

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

But I am obsessed with the Victorian and Edwardian monarchies. Most of the acting was excellent, although I have to say, most of the portrayals of Victoria's daughters were extra flattering, physically. They even had Vicki as slim as a girl with Willie full-grown, when in fact she had assumed a rather massive size at a rather young age, just like her mother. Victoria too appeared far slimmer than she actually became at a much younger age.I thought the actor playing Bertie was especially good. As well of course the role of the Queen. I think Willie was portrayed as a little more lucid than he actually was. Alex was well portrayed and was indeed fierce and fiery on the subject of Prussia, nearly causing international crises more than once.Such a shame how Victoria put Bertie in such an untenable position for decades. What a crazy old bat she turned out to be, no matter if she retained some wisdom.It is so sad in retrospect to see now blind they all were to the dangers of Germany for so long. Sometimes, when I am feeling especially cruel, I almost wish Victoria had lived to see what horrors her beloved Willie wrought.Overall from everything I have read, this series is very true to actual events and attitudes.

I had no idea how fantastic or informative or entertaining this miniseries is! It was so great I watched the whole thing in just two days! (On Netflix Instant streaming.) Wow, not only was it fascinating and vastly entertaining (not to mention superbly cast and acted), it also was so very informative. It really filled in a lot of blanks in my knowledge and awareness. I really had no idea how Bertie was treated by his parents throughout his life. I had erroneously thought he was a mere hedonistic playboy, by his own choice and inclination. Boy, did this series set me straight! The series also cleared up the puzzles in my mind about the origins of WWI. Nowhere in the vast amount of ink spilled on the subject have I been given as clear a picture of the cause and build-up as in this miniseries. Invaluable. Also, I had no idea that "Willi" was such a psychotic madman, or that he was controlled by Bismark from early childhood, or that he turned away from his mother and ancestry. Absolutely fascinating.I must commend the filmmakers and writers on doing an excellent job all around in making a delightful yet informative miniseries which is as gripping as any fictional period miniseries to come out of the UK. This is easily now one of my top miniseries of all time.By the way, the acting is superb. It includes Annette Crosby as Victoria, Timothy West as Bertie (Edward VII), Robert Hardy as Prince Albert, Helen Ryan as Princess Alexandra, Michael Hordern as Gladstone, and John Gielgud as Disreali, just for starters. Also included are Charles Sturridge (writer and director of Brideshead Revisited) as young Bertie, Nigel Havers as Bertie's friend, and Felicity Kendal as Victoria's firstborn child. And on and on, including a gorgeous young Charles Dance as young Prince Eddy (Bertie and Alix's first child), and Lillie Langtry portrayed by Francesca Annis, who on the strength of this portrayed her again three years later in an entire miniseries of her own, "Lillie".Trust me on this, if you love period British miniseries (or films), you're going to love this. Particularly if you love, for instance, any of the Victoria dramatizations such as Her Majesty Mrs Brown, or Young Victoria; or Victoria & Albert; or The Lost Prince; or Lillie; etc. It's addicting. For American viewers, check it out on Netflix Instant, or purchase the box set on Amazon.Enjoy!

I watched the series when it was first broadcast, but I greatly enjoyed seeing it again, especially not having to wait a week between episodes. The work is extremely well-done as a drama and is also historically accurate. Seeing it for a second time made me more aware of all the sets and set dressings; the makers went to extraordinary means to insure that all the pictures on the walls and all the items on the desks were accurate. Because there are pictures available of the royal family through these decades, they could make sure of wallpaper, furniture, and costumes, and they took the trouble, even if the scene was short and the viewer would scarcely have time to notice. The only thing I noticed that was not historical was the aggressive behavior of Wilhelm II of Germany, but I can imagine that he appeared that way to the English.Edward VII was an excellent subject for a detailed 13-episode series. Even though he was neither king, nor allowed duties that would prepare him to one day assume the throne through most of the episodes, his life reveals things about the Victorian era. During his years in waiting, Europe was changing. Democratic revolutions were taking place. Though not dwelt upon, the British monarchy's fear of these revolutions is mentioned fairly often. Nationalism swept through even countries that were politically stable and would ultimately upset the empire. "Bertie's" father Albert hoped to unite Europe with marriage alliances, but Albert's early death and Bertie's brief reign allowed nations to arm to the teeth, preparing for war. Bertie's life is echoed in the current situation of Prince Charles, who will be even older when (and if) he ascends the throne. Finally, the life and times of this king are not well-known even in the U.K. and especially not in the U.S. Both the drama in the life of Edward VIII and the short reign of Edward VII leave him neatly tucked in a corner and forgotten. If the series were done today, I suspect that there would be more details on the affairs Bertie had with married women during the time he was the Prince of Wales. The way the director portrays them is essentially the Victorian way. The Prince's actions were by no means unique, and yet the solution at the time was to pretend the affairs did not exist. When scandal reached the ears of Queen Victoria, her biggest concern is how the news will affect the monarchy. The actors in the series deserve the last and greatest accolades. Not only did they portray important world figures through 30 to 50 years, but they, in large measure, closely resemble the historical personage and have mastered their mannerisms.

Upon seeing this drama, I found the first few episodes to be really slow - a step-by-step account of the birth and childhood of the prince, containing all the dry and mundane details of the politics of the time and a lengthy show of his education. The young prince is portrayed as a sensitive, handsome boy under too much pressure from his parents and tutors. Whether everyone would agree with this representation I don't know - we never see him having fun with his brothers + sisters for example, and his natural apathy never comes across. Personally, I skipped the early episodes and only watched them after i'd watched the rest of the series, as I wanted to get on with the story.Although the drama picks up after the death of Prince Albert, the main problem with it is that is that the writing is so restrained. We see much of Bertie as a respectful son, husband and a cheerful friend, but NEVER as an adulterer (we never see any first-hand evidence of this, although his 'letters' are sometimes alluded to), we seem him playing cards a lot of the time and being a nice brother to Vicky. Too many scenes are devoted to sympathising with him over his mother's refusal to give him any real duties (She says he is too frivolous and irresponsible - though we don't SEE him doing anything very bad so this totally UNBALANCES the drama).As the lead, Timothy West portrays Edward as an intelligent idealist, not a reckless, fun-loving rake, and this, combined with the rather one-sided writing, means that West doesn't nail the character, and as a main character Bertie is rather bland. Annette Crosbie is a formidable Queen Victoria, we see how she jealously coveted her beloved husband and deeply resents Bertie - but this is about as much scope as the writing gives to her, so we are again denied a fully rounded character.By far my favourite portrayal was that of Queen Alexandra - the only character who the writing gave full justice to. We see her in-depth as a wife and mother, her tact and ability to dispel a bad atmosphere, her kind but simple nature, and her close bond with her sister Dagmar. Helen Ryan's performance is brilliant, she really gets Alexandra's personality off to the audience, even in her speech and movements. She is the only character with whom Bertie has a deep, complex relationship.As you can imagine, most of the series is filmed on tape in a studio, though the sets and costume are all very fine and sumptuous. The direction is generally okay, although sometimes I found that emotional scenes (still playing music in the background) would abruptly cut, and then we'd be on to the next scene, which seemed a bit crude.One of my main problems with the series is the concept itself. Of all the many Kings and Queens of England, why make a 13HOUR long series on... Edward the Seventh? It seems a bit of an odd choice to me. And then to subsequently leave out controversial aspects of his life just takes out all the fun and action. The King himself was a very lively, adventurous personality with a strong need for sexual and emotional fulfilment - I think he's be bored to pieces watching a drama like this.Ultimately, if you like history and have the time, 'Edward the King' is a quiet, compelling drama and will give you something decent to watch. Despite its flaws, you cam see they have taken the time and effort to recreate the Victorian age. However, it's not big on action and might not appeal to many of a younger generation. Though it lacks the dramatic intensity of dramas like 'Elizabeth R' and 'I, Claudius', anyone with an interest in the era and some patience will enjoy this.