Britain’s age of excess started as stuffy Queen Victoria died in 1901 and her pleasure-loving son, ‘Dirty Bertie’, King Edward V11 took over as monarch for nine years along with his style-icon Queen Alexandra.
An exhibition devoted to The Edwardians: Age of Elegance will be on display in Buckingham Palace, showing paintings, sculpture, jewellery, furniture, books, photographs and ceramics.
Born 9 November 1841 10.48am London, playboy Edward was not known for his restraint, having Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance, Land of Hope and Glory played at his coronation, and pronouncing cigars were back in fashion after the tobacco intolerance of his mother’s reign. He had a Fabergé-designed cigarette case decorated with a diamond-encrusted snake given to him by a favourite mistress, one of the dozens of women he notoriously indulged himself with. He had glamorous royal mistresses such as Lily Langtry and Alice Keppel (the ancestor of Queen Camilla) though none as sophisticated as his spouse the Danish Alexandra who presented him with six children. She was hailed by Vogue as “the legitimate head of fashion throughout the British dominions with high collars and jewelled choker necklaces that she wore to disguise a scar on her neck.
He had a 10th house Scorpio Sun trine an independent-minded Uranus in a volatile sextile to Mars in Capricorn. He also had an emphasised Jupiter in Sagittarius in his 12th square a Virgo Moon opposition Uranus hinting at his love of indulgence with no limits, His Venus in Libra was in an intense and seductive opposition to Pluto square Mars – nothing would hold him back from satiating himself in the delights of seduction, even when he grew obese in later years.
Surprisingly he had a defensive Saturn on his Ascendant – though from all accounts he was hardly reticent when heading for enjoyment – perhaps Saturn in its goatish guise.
Alexandra, born 1 December 1844 6.30pm Copenhagen, Denmark, was a fun-loving Sun Sagittarius in her 5th house (also house of children) with successful Jupiter conjunct her Midheaven on the focal point of a yod inconjunct a Leo Moon sextile Mars in Libra in the 4th – the pomp and display of the Royal lifestyle would suit her despite its sacrifices. Saturn in her 7th square Venus and Mars hints at a marriage that would require effort and self-control. Her Mars was also opposition a 10th house Pluto so she’d be used to biting her tongue and putting up with having to be submissive. An 8th house Neptune opposition her Moon would give her an aura which caught attention.
Needless to say their relationship chart was focused on duty with a 10th house Saturn square Venus opposition Pluto. The composite Moon was square Mars Mercury; and an 8th house Sun was trine a 12th house Uranus, plus an 11th house Jupiter Neptune – all adding up to intense feelings both positive and negative, chained together, irritable with turbulent undercurrents.
Different days for Royal marriages then.
Edward was succeeded in 1910 by George V who faced World War One in 1914 bringing a sharp end to Edwardian excess.
The post Edward & Alexandra – elegance and excess first appeared on Astroinform with Marjorie Orr – Star4cast.
