October 15, 2014. Harper, Texas. The Heir Apparent.

Once again, I am reading a book about one of the so called Royals. I really hate the system of inherited positions so perhaps it gives me secret pleasure when the people involved behave so badly. I am enjoying this book, which is a new biography. It tells the story of the future king who is given no authority or position, until the death of his mother, Queen Victoria. This author paints a far different picture of Albert that I read in the latest biography of him, who treats him as a paragon of virtue in every sense of the word. The full title is "The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII, The Playboy Prince", written by Jane Ridley. The book is well written but long. As the book goes along and the future King gets older, I surprised myself by getting to like him. He grew on me which I suspect happened to the author too. Anyway, it fills in a gap to my knowledge of the history of british life after Queen Victoria. But I still think that inherited positions are ridiculous.