King Edward VII, as depicted in this royal sketch, ruled for nearly a decade at the turn of the century. He was related to nearly every Continental sovereign in Europe, and later in life was affectionately known as the "Uncle of Europe," according to the the British Monarchy's official biography. His reign – 1901 to 1910 – marked the end of the Victorian era; the Edwardian era was defined by the king's fondness for the the art and fashion of continental Europe as well as for the shifting politics that empowered the common man excluded in the elitist past.
Royal Collection/Wikipedia Commons
