$25.00 CAD
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Small souvenir medal commemorating the visit of King Edward VII to Paris in May 1903
On front:
King Edward VII in military uniform
EDOUARD VII ROI D’ANGLETERRE
On back
SOUVENIR DU VOYAGE DU ROI D’ANGLETERRE A PARIS MAI 1903
Condition is worn and patinated.
Diameter 2.3 cm
In May 1903, as a prelude to the signing of the Entente Cordiale, King Edward VII made a State Visit to Paris which was extensively reported in the British press. Ridley, in her biography of Edward VII, writes that ‘Edward VII’s reputation as a king rests largely on his role in foreign policy. He was Edward the Peacemaker, responsible for making possible the Entente Cordial with France.’ Noting that ‘His visit to Paris in May 1903 was perhaps the most important political intervention he ever made’
The King arrived by train into the Bois de Boulogne station on the 1 May where he was met by President Loubert. The two men rode in the ceremonial equipage of the Elysee, drawn by four horses and conducted by four postilions, while two footmen in the Presidential livery stood behind, accompanied by a strong body of cuirassiers. The Times reported that ‘His Majesty’, dressed in the uniform of a British Field marshal, was ‘compelled to give the military salute without intermission throughout his drive’ and was greeted with cries of ‘Vivre le Roi’ and ‘Vivre l’Angleterre.’
www.rct.uk/collection
