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Biography
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Edward had had a long period of incubation whilst waiting for his mother to pass away and for him to ascend the throne. During his Prince of Wales years he had developed an unsavoury reputation for womanizing, drinking and gambling. Once he became King, he surprised many by being far more serious and dedicated to the role. His undoubted success was in paving the way for the formulation of the Entente-Cordiale between Britain and France. As a francophile himself, he used his considerable charm, the pomp of royaltly and his network of French contacts to pave the way for the elected government to bring Britain out of isolation and towards an alliance with its old rival. Britain and France sorted out their imperial spheres to each others' satisfaction. Notably, Britain was given its long for primacy in Egypt whilst Britain unambiguously recognised French primacy in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Both sides closed ranks at the upstart antics of the Kaiser and his Imperial German designs.
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