The King Who Wanted To Be A Fireman

When he was Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII loved nothing more than fighting large blazes. His fascination with fire began when there was a fire in the nursery of Marlborough House in 1865. He doused the burning floorboards and organised the servants into a human chain so that they could pour water on the fire.

He asked his friend, Sir Eyure Massey Shaw, the Chief of the London Fire Brigade, to let him assist in fighting fires. Special vehicles were sent to the Prince's residence so that he could rush to fires. A uniform of helmut, axe, and bell was kept for him at the fire station near Charing Cross. The Prince probably didn't help by giving cigars away!

Edward VII introduced two medals, the King's Fire Service Medal and the King's Police Medal. These are still awarded to men from the British Fire Service today.

Sarah Bernhardt's Two Princes

Sarah Bernhardt wasn't always 'The Divine Sarah'. She despaired at 18 of ever becoming an actress, let alone a great one. Her mother told her that her acting was ridiculous and the distraught girl resigned from The Gymnase. This was a theatre which showed light comedies.

Bernhardt decided to go on a trip. She may have gone to Spain. She fell in love with the Belgian Prince Henri de Lignes, the great love of her life. He wanted to marry her but his family persuaded her that he would lose his inheritance and be looked down upon by society if she accepted. She gave him up.

She did have his son, however. Bernhardt called him Maurice. When Maurice was much older the prince officially recognised him and offered him his name and a large fortune. He decided to remain 'Bernhardt'.

There is a legend that Maurice and his father were catching a train but they'd lost the tickets. The ticket officer told the prince that he'd never heard of him. However, he knew the name 'Bernhardt' so they got on the train!

The Prince of Wales

Did 'the Divine Sarah' and Edward, Prince of Wales have an affair? Her granddaughter said that they were the best of friends. We will probably never know.
However, his first acknowledged mistress, Lily Langtry, certainly got quite jealous of the frizzy-haired, beautiful Frenchwoman.

The prince and the young actress often dined together in Paris. He also showered her with expensive jewellery and loved to go to her performances. When she went to London in 1879 the air was buzzing with gossip about the couple.

Lady Cavendish complained that Bernhardt was 'shameless' yet she was invited everywhere. She probably wasn't very happy about the speculation that Bernhardt and the prince were involved!

The only evidence of an affair seems to be that they spent many hours together and Bernhardt told her theatre manager that she was late because she was with the prince until the early hours of the morning.

The Prince of Wales's North America Tour

Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, visited North America in 1860 and impressed everyone with his friendliness and joie de vivre. He was the first heir to the throne to visit North America.

Canadian officials requested a royal visit after a Canadian regiment fought in the Crimean War on behalf of Great Britain. The Queen refused to go because she thought that she would find the long sea voyage difficult. After her husband, Prince Albert, and the British Colonial Secretary, Henry Pelham Clinton, pleaded with her, Queen Victoria agreed to send the Prince of Wales instead. They thought that the visit would improve diplomatic relations between North America and Britain and be good for the Prince of Wales. They were right.

The Prince was greeted by enthusiastic crowds in Canada. He inaugurated the Victoria Bridge across the Hudson River in Montreal and he watched the exciting spectacle of Blondin crossing the Niagara Falls on a high wire pushing a man in a wheelchair. He went to many other provinces of Canada, including the beautiful Prince Edward Island. (This is one place that I've always dreamed of seeing!)

Thirty thousand wildly enthusiastic Americans came to cheer his arrival in Detroit. The number rose to fifty thousand in Chicago. The Prince began to suffer headaches from the stress of the celebrations and large crowds so he enjoyed a short hunting trip.

He stayed with President Buchanan in Washington, D.C., where a reception was held for him and he went on a tour.

Prince Edward stayed at the high-class Fifth Avenue Hotel in Madison Square in New York. A ball was held for him at the prestigious Academy of Music. An extra two thousand people came and the weight of these people caused the floor to collapse, to the Prince's astonishment. Luckily no one was seriously injured, although two people were slightly hurt.

The Prince finally went home exhausted after an exciting tour. He'd met the President, Emerson, Longfellow and Holmes and requested to see the opera star, Adelina Patti, after her show. He'd been welcomed by crowds everywhere he went and made a big impression on the people. His tour was long remembered.