Edward VII

King Edward VII.

King Edward VII (1841 - 1910) was King of Great Britain from 1901 until his death in 1910, and King of the United British Commonwealth of Nations from its formation in 1906 until his death. During his lengthy tenure as Prince of Wales during the rule of his mother Queen Victoria, Edward pioneered the now-common practice of royal public appearances, opening railroad tunnels and bridges and conducting public tours of various foreign nations and dominions of the British Empire. Sobel recounts one such public tour of the Confederation of North America in 1907, undoubtedly as part of a larger tour in celebration of the formation of the United Commonwealth. King Edward was welcomed enthusiastically by the people of North America, but the bond between the C.N.A. and the British monarchy remained emotional rather than political, as Governor-General Christopher Hemingway remained committed to an isolationist foreign policy and declined full membership in the Commonwealth.