The Royal Visi o Pa is and he P esiden ial Visi
o London in 1903— An Iceb eake
o he Public Opinion o aMiles one
in he His o y o he En en e Co diale?
Ma cela Hennlicho á1
ABSTRACT
The p esen ed a icle deals wi h he oyal isi o Edwa dVII o Pa is in May 1903 and he p esiden-
ial isi o Émile Loube o London in July 1903 and hei impo ance o he En en e Co diale. The
Anglo-F ench ela ions we e sligh ly imp o ing since he F ench uncondi ional wi hd awal om
Fashoda in 1898, bu he e we e s ill signs o pe sis ing animosi y. In he ea ly sp ing 1903, anew
ac o occu ed— he Anglo-Ge man ela ionship wo sened alo . When he King Edwa dVII is-
i ed Pa is in May 1903, he was able o gain he public opinion on his side, and he main esul was he
shi in he he o ic o bo h English and F ench p ess owa ds he en en e. His isi he e o e con-
ibu ed o he app ochemen be ween F ance and England, which esul ed la e in 1904 in sign-
ing o he En en e Co diale. Wha was he main eason o his o happen? We e he e o he ac o s
oo? The aim o his a icle is o e eal he p econdi ions o he app ochemen o Pa is and London.
KEYWORDS
Edwa dVII; Théophile Delcassé; Émile Loube ; Eugène É ienne; Anglo-F ench app ochemen ; En-
en e Co diale
One o he impo an ac o s leading o he signing o he En en e Co diale was he
change in he public opinion and social clima e in B i ain and in F ance. One o many
s eps ha allowed he abo e-men ioned changes was he oyal isi o Pa is in May
1903. This isi was jus one among many o he s a e isi s ha Edwa dVII made du -
ing his li e, bu i s ays he mos amous and ce ainly he mos discussed one.2 The
aim o his a icle is o e eal he p econdi ions o he app ochemen o Pa is and
London. Fo example, he easons why King’s isi o Pa is b ough he mu ual ela-
ions o bo h coun ies o ano he le el and o he ac o s ha also in luenced he An-
glo-F ench app ochemen .
* * *
1 Ma cela Hennlicho á, Ins i u e o Global His o y, Facul y o A s, Cha les Uni e si y,
Nám. Jana Palacha 2, 116 38, P aha 1, Czech Republic, ma cela.hennlicho a@ .cuni.cz
2 M.GLENCROSS, The S a e Visi s o Edwa dVII, London 2015, p.87.
MARcELA HENNLIcHO á 39
Since he Fashoda C isis, he e was ape manen ension in he Anglo-F ench ela-
ions, and al hough he e was a elie when he F ench accep ed he uncondi ional
wi hd awal and abandoned hei posi ions on he Uppe Nile, he ela ions we e a
om being ideal. The inciden showed he B i ish ha asmall and ela i ely insigni -
ican dispu e o e e i o ial claims in A ica could ha e ala ming diploma ic conse-
quences.3 Ayea a e Fashoda, he Boe Wa began and he F ench p ess ini ia ed an-
o he campaign agains he B i ish, since he Boe ic o ies om he beginning we e
celeb a ed by he F ench p ess. Léand e A ai ollowed in Janua y 1900, he Queen
el pe sonally o ended and conside ed Edmund Monson’s wi hd awal om Pa is.4
In No embe , Ma seille g ee ed he Boe p esiden K uge o he T ans aal, who was
hen ecei ed by he p esiden and he Fo eign Minis e . Ano he dé en e ollowed
hen, bu e en a he beginning o 1903, he e we e s ill signs o pe sis ing animos-
i y. E en hough all hese abo e-men ioned e en s and he sha p p ess campaigns le
deep sca s, om he gene al poin o iew he Anglo-F ench ela ions we e imp o -
ing s ep by s ep.5
In he mean ime, Queen Vic o ia passed away and he eldes son Edwa d became
he King Edwa dVII on 22 Janua y 1901. He quickly became in ol ed in he ma e s
o o eign policy, p e e ing hose o e domes ic a ai s. On one hand, he mona ch
ook adeep in e es in he o eign a ai s, bu on he o he hand he ne e made any
o mal s eps o in ol e himsel ac i ely in he diploma ic nego ia ions. Bo h Bal ou
and Lansdowne denied he would make any impo an sugges ions. Wi h Edwa dVII
on he h one and in he a e ma h o he Boe Wa , he B i ain now ma e ed ha ing
no diploma ic allies. Appa en ly, he ime had come o change he pa adigm o dip-
loma ic pe spec i es and o end he e a o splendid isola ion. The B i ish ha e seen
he e was achange in he s a e o Anglo-F ench ela ions.6
While he ela ions be ween London and Pa is we e sligh ly imp o ing by he u n
o 1902 and 1903, he Anglo-Ge man ela ions we e con inually s ained, and his was
one o he p incipal causes, which made he la e Anglo-F ench app ochemen pos-
sible. The Anglo-Ge man in e en ion (o p ecisely adeb collec ing expedi ion) in
Venezuela le he ela ions be ween London and Be lin se iously damaged. Due o
many disag eemen s ha occu ed du ing he mili a y ac ion in Sou h Ame ica, he
B i ish p ess ini ia ed asha p an i-Ge man campaign. Despi e he ac ha he Ven-
ezuela issue was se led in he mid o Feb ua y 1903, he English hos ili y7 owa ds
3 Ibidem, p.96.
4 APa is newspape Le Ri e published aca oon e ealing exposed limbs o Queen Vic o-
ia who was hiding Joseph Chambe lain unde he ski s. The F ench minis e o Fine A s
deco a ed he ca oonis , Lucien Léand e wi h Legion o Honou . Queen was pe sonally o -
ended and English ambassado o Pa is Edmund Monson had o lea e Pa is o Cannes. By
Ma ch 1900 he a ai was o e and ano he dé en e in he mu ual ela ions ollowed.
5 C.ANDREW, Théophile Delcassé and he Making o he En en e Co diale: AReapp aisal o F ench
Fo eign Policy 1898–1905, London 1968, p.201.
6 GLENCROSS, p.96.
7 The e we e people, no ably a ound King Edwa dVII and in he Ci y o London, who s ill
a ou ed he Anglo-Ge man en en e. A chi e du Minis è e des A ai es É angè es, Pa is
( u he only AMAE), Papie s d’agen s, A chi e P i é ( u he only PA AP), T. 14, Cambon
o Delcassé, London 9 May 1903, . 31–32.
40 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2019
Ge many in B i ain no only pe sis ed, bu i was wo se han e e be o e.8 Acco ding
o Paul Cambon, F ench ambassado o London, he English p ess e lec ed he ac ual
empe and eelings o he English socie y. Howe e he ques ion is, whe he his was
no jus awish ul hinking o he F ench diploma .9 On he o he hand he B i ish
ambassado o Pa is Edmund Monson epo ed on 13 Ma ch 1903 ha he wi nessed
g owing F ench sympa hies owa ds England.10
Rega ding he F ench and he English p ess, he si ua ion was simila ; on bo h
sides he e we e i s hesi an signs o g owing mu ual sympa hies. Acco ding o The
Times: “Du ing he Sou h A ican wa many o he leading jou nals o Pa is e-echoed he
calumnies as o he pa alleged o ha e been played by M Chambe lain in he e en s ha
p eceded hos ili ies which we e o be ead a ha ime in almos he en i e Con inen al P ess.
They o igina ed chie ly in Be lin. […] Since his a i al in Sou h A ica and ye i would be ain
o seek any o he mo e espec able newspape s a ace o wha i upe a ion wi hou which his
e y name was bu wo yea s ago seldom p onounced on he Con inen . This indica es mo e
han ame e change o opinion as ega ds he Colonial Sec e a y. I amoun s o asigni ican
sign o imes, inasmuch as i co esponds wi h a endency on he pa o many F ench poli i-
cians o e u n o amo e easonable and jus es ima e o he old ally o hei coun y”.11
Acco ding o Ch is ophe And ew, by he beginning o 1903 “only amino i y o
F ench newspape s had openly begun o ad oca e a app ochemen wi h England, F ench
public opinion as awhole had come o he conclusion, ha F ance’s di e ences wi h England
we e less basic and less deep-sea ed han hose wi h Ge many. Du ing he ea ly mon hs o
1903 he g owing e idence o English an agonism owa ds Ge many did much o pe suade
F enchmen ha F ance and England sha ed acommon in e es ”.12 The momen when Eng-
land ealized, ha he Gaelic cock is no he e e nal enemy, and mo eo e , ha F ance
could possibly help o ace up he Ge mans, was indeed ama e o p ima y impo -
ance. The p ess and he public opinion in B i ain we e al eady mo ing in a ou o
adiploma ic unde s anding wi h F ance by he beginning o 1903, bu he e was no
ye any discussion o he idea o “an ag eemen based on an exchange o in e es s in Egyp
and Mo occo”.13
Besides diploma s, he majo i y o he suppo e s o he app ochemen o bo h
coun ies o igina ed om business, ade and comme ce, so om he b anches,
which did no su e due o he Sou h A ican wa — he e o e i is no su p ising
ha one o he mos a den suppo e s o he en en e was an English businessman
Thomas Ba clay, who p esided o e he B i ish Chambe o Comme ce in Pa is, and
who made “ emendous e o s o con ince his ellow-coun ymen ha he F ench would
make excellen business pa ne s— and diploma ic pa ne s oo”.14 Ba kley’s aim was o
8 ANDREW, p.205.
9 AMAE, PA AP, T. 14, Cambon o Delcassé, London 9 May 1903, . 31.
10 The Na ional A chi es, London-Kew, ( u he only TNA), Fo eign O ice ( u he only FO)
800/125, Monson o Lansdowne, 13 Ma ch 1903, . 251, Le Gaulois, 12 Ma ch 1903, p.1.
11 AMAE, PA AP, T. 14, The Times, 16 Janua y 1903, . 195.
12 ANDREW, p.205.
13 Ibidem, pp.205–206.
14 P.M.H.BELL, F ance and B i ain, 1900–1940: En en e and Es angemen , 2nd Ed., London—
New Yo k 2013, p.33.
MARcELA HENNLIcHO á 41
p omo e ade and he made his bes o do so. Fo ins ance, in 1900, du ing he Pa is
Exhibi ion, he pe suaded abou 500 B i ish businessmen o isi Pa is. His e o s
inally esul ed in signing o he Anglo-F ench A bi a ion T ea y in 1903.15
Wha was he main eason o he change o a i ude on bo h sides o he Channel?
While he p incipal condi ion o he shi o he B i ish opinion can be seen in he
expe ience o he Boe Wa , he F ench mo i a ion had di e en oo s. The F ench
had hei own auma ic expe ience om 1898, when hei Russian ally u ned ade
ea o hem and le he F ench unde s and, ha Russia will ce ainly no go o wa o
such acause as Fashoda. The F ench we e in diploma ic isola ion, and he Minis e
o Fo eign A ai s Théophile Delcassé, who had aken o e he o ice in June 1898,
jus h ee mon hs be o e Ma chand and Ki chene me in Fashoda, was well awa e,
ha wi hou ap e ious unde s anding wi h London, he F ench canno pu sue any
ambi ious impe ial policy.16
On he o he hand he G ea B i ain su e ed a e y auma ic expe ience in Sou h
A ica and he isola ion in which B i ish ound hemsel es because o he Boe Wa
led he au ho i ies in London o unde s and ha an ambi ious impe ial policy could
no be pu sued wi hou inding apa ne among he Powe s. E en Paul Cambon con-
i med his igh a e he conclusion o he En en e, when he s a ed: “Wi hou he
Sou h A ican Wa which bled G ea B i ain and made he wise , he Anglo-F ench ag ee-
men would ha e been impossible”.17 Bu he Boe Wa lesson was only one side o he
coin; he o he one was he g owing ension o Be lin and London. While he An-
glo-Ge man ela ions wo sened, he Anglo-F ench ela ions could slowly imp o e.
When all pa ien nego ia ions be ween lo d Lansdowne, Sec e a y o S a e o Fo -
eign A ai s, and Ge many ega ding he Baghdad Railway issue collapsed, he An-
glo-F ench app ochemen could inally appea as agood-looking and e en adesi -
able al e na i e.18
In his con ex i should be looked a he ac i i ies o ano he a den suppo e
o he cause o he Anglo-F ench unde s anding, Pie e Paul Cambon, who had de-
cided o pu he hings in mo ion and o ac on his own.19 He he e o e called on Mo -
on Fulle on, The Times co esponden . On 2 Feb ua y 1903 he jou nal published
a epo , ha since he end o he las summe F ance and he G ea B i ain ha e
15 BELL, p. 33; T. BARCLAY, Thi y Yea s o Anglo-F ench Reminiscences, London 1914,
pp.182–183; ANDREW, p.202.
16 M.HENNLICHOVÁ, En en e Co diale. The De elopmen o he B i ish-F ench Rela ions on he
Way o he En en e Co diale, 1898–1904, PhD Thesis, P ague 2018, pp.10, 195.
17 ANDREW, p.203.
18 T.G.OTTE, The Elusi e Balance: B i ish Fo eign Policy and he F ench En en e Be o e he Fi s
Wo ld Wa , in: A.SHARP— G.A.STONE (Eds.), Anglo-F ench Rela ions in he Twen ie h Cen-
u y: Ri al y and Coope a ion, London 2002, p.15.
19 Cambon was well known o his among he English diploma s— Edmund Monson
complained epea edly, ha Cambon was ac ing on his own wi hou ins uc ions om
Quai d’O say. M.B.HAYNE, The F ench Fo eign O ice and he O igins o he Fi s Wo ld Wa
1898–1914, Ox o d 1993, p.81, TNA, FO 800/125, Monson o Lansdowne, Pa is 31 Decem-
be 1902, . 214, Uni e si y o Ox o d, Bodleian Lib a ies (Wes on Lib a y), Monson Pa-
pe s ( u he only MP), MSS Eng. his . c.595, Lansdowne o Monson, Fo eign O ice 2 Jan-
ua y 1902, . 50–52.
42 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2019
been discussing he ques ion o Mo occo and ha e been conside ing wha is nowa-
days known as he ba e o Egyp o Mo occo. Mo on Fulle on in o med, ha he
B i ish, who we e occupied wi h he wa in Sou h A ica and wi h he Anglo-Ge man
in e en ion in Venezuela, decided o pos pone he nego ia ions o he ime when
bo h Sou h A ican wa and he Sou h Ame ican issue we e se led. Since he epo
looked like being aleak om Quai d’O say, i c ea ed as i in B i ain.20 The epo
gained he a en ion o lo d C ome , and ha was c ucial, since he became one o he
main suppo e s o he en en e among he B i ish poli icians. His mo i a ions we e
a ious— he aim o e o m Egyp ian inances, he aim o each an unde s anding
wi h Russia h ough he F ench b idge e c.21 On he o he hand, Edmund Monson,
B i ish ambassado o Pa is, belie ed ha he cha ac e o he epo eleased by The
Times on he accoun o Anglo-F ench nego ia ions is alse, and he was blaming Quai
d’O say o playing agame.22
La e in sp ing 1903 Cambon w o e o Delcassé: “Iam no making any sec e om
he ac ha we a e p o i ing om he i i a ion caused by he Venezuelan inciden . The
English public opinion is ha ing a e y se e e g udge agains Ge many and Ido no hink
ha he si ua ion should be any be e in he nea es u u e […]”.23 The Ge mans we e
qui e awa e ha hei disag eemen s wi h B i ain will ha e o he e ec s, such as
“ he Anglo-F ench app ochemen ”, which was acco ding o he Ge man ambassado
in London “ he p oduc o acommon a e sion o Ge many. […] Wi hou he es angemen
o England and Ge many amood o Anglophilia would ha e been impossible in F ance”.24
20 Howe e odd his may look, he e o s o in luence he public opinion h oughou he
p ess was e y ypical o he F ench. While in he G ea B i ain he e has always been
adis ance be ween he Fo eign O ice and p ess, and he Minis y o Fo eign A ai s was
usually nei he ying o es ablish any connexions wi h he ep esen a i es o he jou -
nals, no in luencing he public opinion h ough he p ess, in F ance he si ua ion was di -
e en . The in luence o he F ench p ess was u he mo e s eng hened by ame e ac ,
ha mo e han hal o he F ench Fo eign Minis e s o he époque o he Thi d epub-
lic we e o iginally jou nalis s o no elis s. Being ajou nalis in F ance was ausual s ep-
ping-s one owa ds ala e poli ical ca ee . The Fo eign Minis e s inclined o con ine hei
opinions a he o hei o me colleagues o he p ess han o hei colleagues om he
Go e nmen . Théophile Delcassé was a e y special case, he was “ oo conscious o he powe
o he p ess o neglec o use i when he became o eign minis e . Each e ening he dic a ed o Rob-
e de Billy, head o his p ess o ice, i ems o appea in he ollowing day’s p ess, aking special ca e
o a y his s yle acco ding o he newspape conce ned. Le Temps and he Jou nal des Déba s bo h
consis en ly suppo ed o icial F ench o eign policy and ook egula inspi a ion om he Quai
d’O say. So oo did he Figa o un il Delcassé qua elled wi h i s edi o in 1903. Delcassé was in
pa icula ly close ouch wi h Eugène Lau ie , he edi o o Le Temps. E en mo e impo an han
Delcassé’s in luence o he semi-o icial p ess we e his links wi h Le Ma in and La Dépêche de Tou-
louse, which lacked he o icial one and he he e o e p e e ed o use i o his ballons d’essai.” Fo
mo e de ails see HAYNE, pp.43, 48; ANDREW, p.67.
21 TNA, FO 800/124, C ome o Lansdowne, Cai o 21 Feb ua y 1903, . 17, TNA, FO 633/6,
C ome o Bal ou , 15 Oc obe 1903, No.2, p.350.
22 TNA, FO 800/125, Monson o Lansdowne, Pa is 6 Feb ua y 1903, . 237.
23 Documen s Diploma iques F ançais ( u he only DDF), Sé ie II, T.III, Cambon o Delcassé,
London 23 Ap il 1903, No.192, p.259.
24 ANDREW, p.205.

MARcELA HENNLIcHO á 43
The F ench ambassado no i ied F ench Minis e o Fo eign a ai s abou he opin-
ions p esen ed by one o he B i ish jou nals, S a is , acco ding o which: “E e ybody
eels he necessi y o lea e he isola ion in which he England was held by he o he Eu opean
Powe s due o he Sou h A ican wa and he exp essions o co diali y be ween England and
F ance, in pa icula , seemed o be he igh means o achie e i . The e is also ag oup [o pol-
i icians in he G ea B i ain— M.H.] ha wishes o imp o e he ela ions be ween England
and Russia, and hey belie e, ha F ance could help hem o do so.” Acco ding o ano he
impo an jou nal, The Spec a o , F ance was ne e eally unpopula in B i ain, and
he e o e i was qui e na u al, ha bo h powe s s a ed o ge close . On he o he
hand, The Times wa ned, ha he planned oyal isi o Pa is will be no hing else bu
me e ac o co diali y, and no eal commi men s will ollow. The e o e, he isi o Ed-
wa dVII o Pa is was o be ame e mani es a ion o good ela ions be ween F ance and
G ea B i ain. The o he jou nals conclusions we e ha he oyal isi was jus asen-
imen al display and ha he splendid isola ion is ce ainly no a hing o he pas .25
By 1903, he Anglo-F ench nego ia ions o an unde s anding, which had s a ed
in he p e ious yea , we e in acomple e deadlock. Acco ding o Ame ican his o ian
Ma hew Glenc oss, he B i ish had soon “came o he conclusion ha alks would ha e
o be abandoned, and his conclusion amed he decision o Edwa dVII o unde ake as a e
isi o F ance. […] Edwa d ealised ha amajo diploma ic ges u e was needed i he nego-
ia ions we e o con inue, and he p obably el ha as ahead o s a e i was his esponsibili y
o make his s ep.”26
Since Ma ch 1903, bo h English ambassado o Pa is Edmund Monson and F ench
ambassado o London Paul Cambon had he in o ma ion abou he planned oyal
c uise o he Medi e anean in Ap il 1903, du ing which Edwa dVII was supposed
o isi Pa is as well, whe e he had ascheduled mee ing wi h he F ench p esiden
Loube .27 On 14 Ma ch 1903 Cambon in o med Delcassé abou an impending s a e isi
o Edwa dVII o F ance. “Though he p ess had o some ime been ad oca ing be e ela-
ions be ween F ance and England, i was he success o Edwa d’s isi which encou aged us
o hink in p ac ical e ms o ways o esol e ou s anding di e ences be ween he wo coun-
ies”, concluded English his o ian and Delcassé’s biog aphe Ch is ophe And ew.
Wha was he isi abou and wha happened du ing he King’s s ay in Pa is ha such
aconclusion could be made?
The idea o as a e isi came om he King, who planned aMedi e anean c uise on
boa d o his oyal yach Vic o ia and Albe o imp o e his heal h. Edwa dVII had al eady
isi ed F ance se e al imes be o e, as ap ince o Wales, and he enjoyed aconside able
popula i y in Pa is, and he had acqui ed many iends du ing his nume ous isi s.28
25 DDF II, T.III, Cambon o Delcassé, London 23 Ap il 1903, No.192, pp.259–260; AMAE, PA
AP 211, Cambon o Delcassé, London 9 May 1903, . 31.
26 GLENCROSS, p.99.
27 Loube had o cu his isi o Algie s o e u n back o Pa is ea ly enough o mee Ed-
wa dVII MP, Ms. Eng. his. c.595, Lansdowne o Monson, Fo eign O ice 11 Ma ch 1903, .
75–76; AMAE, PA AP 211, T. 14, Cambon o Delcassé, London 25 Ma ch 1903, . 23.
28 TNA, FO 800/125, Monson o Lansdowne, Pa is 13 Ma ch 1903, . 257–258. T.W.L., NEW-
TON, Lo d Lansdowne. ABiog aphy, London 1929, p.275; J.J.MATHEWS, Egyp and he Fo -
ma ion o he Anglo-F ench En en e o 1904, London 1939, p.53.
44 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2019
Acco ding o he F ench ambassado in Russia Mau ice Bompa d: “Ne e has England
had aKing, who had abe e unde s anding o he F ench no had so deep asympa hy wi h
hem. Being su e o his g ound he did no hesi a e o announce his o icial isi o Pa is. I was
on his pa abold, no o say eckless decision, o wen y yea s o disag eemen be ween he
wo coun ies could no ha e ailed o imp ess upon he F ench a ha ime a u n o mind ha
was no exac ly a ou able o England.”29
Edwa dVII and his Sec e a y o S a e o Fo eign A ai s, lo d Lansdowne, had
a e y complica ed ela ionship a leas since Augus 1902. I was o his eason ha
he English so e eign had planned his jou ney o Pa is wi hou he in ol emen o
lo d Lansdowne. Acco ding o he Assis an P i a e Sec e a y o he King, F ede ick
Ponsonby, he King had he whole a angemen in his hands and “mos o he a ange-
men s we e kep dead sec e and mos o his sui e had no idea whe e hey we e going”.30
The King no only had no no i ied his Sec e a y o S a e o Fo eign A ai s abou
he ac ha du ing his c uise in he Medi e anean he planned o make as op in
Pa is, bu despi e he cus oms, he had comple ely excluded he minis e om he
pa icipa ion on he jou ney. Ins ead, he ook Cha les Ha ding, who was a“ ising man
in diplomacy”.31 Acco ding o his o ian Ian Dunlop, his was “almos i esis ible com-
bina ion. The King would pa e he way by c ea ing a a ou able imp ession and Ha dinge
would ollow up wi h con e sa ions on de ailed poin s”.32 When Lansdowne ound ou
ha some hing was going on in ea ly Ma ch 1903, he in o med Paul Cambon abou
he plans o he English mona ch, because he King’s jou ney could se e he An-
glo-F ench app ochemen e y well. Despi e he ac Paul Cambon had no hing o
do wi h he idea, he Spanish ambassado in Pa is belie ed, ha Cambon himsel was
he a chi ec o he plan o he oyal isi o Pa is. The Pa isian s ay was p eceded
by he c uise o he oyal yach h ough he Medi e anean, and Edwa dVII isi ed
Lisbon, whe e he paid a e u n isi o he king Don Ca los, hen he made as op a
Gib al a , Mal a, Naples and Rome. F om he I alian me opole he English King con-
inued by ain, and on 1 May 1901 he eached Dijon in he hea o F ench Bu gundy.
In Dijon he King was awai ed and welcomed by he English ambassado o Pa is Ed-
mund Monson, who hen accompanied he so e eign o he F ench capi al.33
When he oyal gues a i ed o Pa is, he imp essions om his ecep ion and wel-
come on he e y i s day we e con adic o y, bu la e on du ing his s ay in Pa is he
King was chee ed and g ee ed by he Pa isian c owds.34 Righ a e his a i al o Pa is
29 Quo ed in I.DUNLOP, Edwa dVII and he En en e Co diale, London 2004, p.195.
30 Quo ed in GLENCROSS, p.100.
31 DUNLOPP, p.196.
32 Ibidem.
33 C.GEOFFROY, Les Coulisses de l’En en e Co diale, Pa is 2004, p.229; TNA, FO 800/126. P i-
a e O ices: Va ious Minis e s’ and O icials’ Pape s. Lansdowne, Ma quess o . F ance.
Monson o Lansdowne, Pa is 13 June 1903, . 13.
34 On he a i al o Dijon, he e we e shou o joy as well as shou o dis a ou , as “Vi en les
Boe s!”, “Vi e la Russie!”, “Vi e Ma chand!”, “Vi e Fashoda!” o “Vi e Jeanne d’A c!”, bu on
he las day o he King’s s ay in Pa is i was e iden ha he F ench public is on his side.
English diploma in Pa is Hugh O’Bei ne obse ed ha one iolen Anglophobe had said:
“Ican’ hink wha has come o e he popula ion o Pa is. The i s day hey beha ed well, he sec-
ond day hey me ely displayed in e es ( ha isn’ a all ue); bu he hi d day c’é ai a is an ,
MARcELA HENNLIcHO á 45
King isi ed P esiden and his wi e, Madame Loube , and a isi o B i ish Chambe
o Comme ce ollowed hen. In he e ening he dined a he B i ish Embassy and a -
ended ape o mance a he Théâ e F ançais, whe e he was ecei ed a he coldly, bu
due o his pe sonal cha m he was able o win he hea s o he F enchmen. A e see-
ing he play, King walked up o he amous and popula ac ess Jean G anie and said
in F ench: “Mademoiselle, I emembe applauding you in London whe e you ep esen ed all
he g ace and spi i o F ance”.35 This s o y became publicly known qui e quickly, and
he o he day, on 2 May 1903, when he King a ended amili a y pa ade in Ve sailles,
he was en husias ically g ee ed by he c owd. Edwa d hen con inued wi h making
mo e spon aneous speeches in F ench a a ious occasions wi hou men ioning pol-
i ics. He ocused on he sha ed Anglo-F ench cul u al he i age and did no omi o
men ion his pe sonal a ec ion o he F ench people. As a esul , on 4 May 1903, he
las day o his isi , as he d o e o he ail oad s a ion, he c owds shou ed “Vi e no e
oi!”.36 When he B i ish so e eign was lea ing, no one could deny ha he had gained
he sympa hies o he majo i y o F enchmen.
Bu no e e ybody sha ed he en husiasm abou he oyal isi . L’Écho de Pa is has
w i en on 4 May 1903: “The co diali ies exchanged be ween Edwa dVII and Loube does
no change any hing abou he diploma ic ela ions o F ance and G ea B i ain. […] The
oyal isi is no hing bu me e exp ession o co diali y”, while La Pa ie, a igh -wing jou -
nal, p esen ed on he e y same day an a icle concluding ha be ween F ance and
G ea B i ain “could ha dly exis any hing mo e bu mu ual an ipa hy” and inished wi h
adecla a ion “Vi en les Boe s!”.37
Du ing he s a e isi o Pa is, Edwa d had p o en his eal alen o diplomacy.
He was no in ol ed in making he documen s and policy de elopmen s, he a he o-
cused on winning o e he o eign people’s hea s while exp essing he app ecia ion
o hei cul u e, ood, landscapes and pe sonali ies. He knew he had cha m and he
used i du ing he oyal isi s.38
The ac ha he King had isi ed Pa is and ha he was ecei ed so en husias ically
caused much displeasu e in Be lin in pa icula . The F ench cha gé d’a ai s P ine
had in o med Delcassé abou subs an ial conce n caused by he oyal isi o Pa is.
The Ge man p ess had in o med abou he e en wi h much acidi y and sa casm, and
i was clea ha he main eason o Ge man anxie y was ha an alliance could pos-
sibly be se up be ween Pa is, London and S .Pe e sbu g. Be lin was wo ied ha i
such an alliance would occu , i could be di ec ed agains Ge many.39 Ano he ea-
son o Ge many’s discon en abou he King’s isi o Pa is was he ac ha Edwa d
was Kaise ’s uncle and he hasn’ paid any o icial isi o Be lin since he ime o his
ils on acclamé le Roi. This is es imony om a e y hos ile wi ness.” TNA, FO 800/126, Hugh
James O’Bei ne o Malle , Pa is 20 May 1903, . 5–6.
35 P.J.V.ROLO, En en e Co diale: The O igins and he Nego ia ions o he Anglo-F ench Ag eemen s
o 8 Ap il 1904, London 1969, p.165.
36 K. EUBANK, Paul Cambon: Mas e Diploma is , Wes po 1978, p. 81; GLENCROSS,
pp.104–105.
37 L’Écho de Pa is, le 4 mai 1903, p.1; La Pa ie, 4 May 1903, p.1.
38 GLENCROSS, p.105.
39 DDF II, T.III, P ine o Delcassé, Be lin 26 Ap il 1903, No.201, p.277.
46 PRAGUE PAPERS ON THE HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1/2019
co ona ion. Acco ding o P ine his was one o he easons, why Be lin disliked he
idea o Edwa d’s s a e isi o Pa is. Ge man ambassado o London Coun Me e nich
w o e o he Chancelo Bülow la e in June 1903 ha “The Anglo-F ench app ochemen
is ap oduc o he gene al dislike o Ge many. […] Wi hou he Anglo-Ge man es angemen
an Anglophile eeling would no ha e been possible in F ance and […] wi hou he eeling
agains Ge many he B i ish P ess would no ha e been wo king o mon hs in a ou o
a econcilia ion wi h F ance”.40
The oyal isi o Pa is go alo o a en ion and had an excellen e ec on F ench
public opinion. The King was able o plan aseed o Anglophilia in F ance, since his
isi shi ed he epublic close o B i ain and helped o change he social clima e in
F ance, which has inally le behind he idea o B i ain as “Pe ide Albion” and “E e nal
Enemy”.41 In F ance pa icula ly he isi was pe cei ed no only as ademons a ion
o co diali y, bu as an e en o c ucial impo ance, since he majo i y o F ench pol-
i icians belie ed, ha he English o eign policy was exclusi ely in hands o h ee
men— King Edwa dVII, Minis e o Colonies Joseph Chambe lain and he Sec e a y
o S a e o Fo eign A ai s, lo d Lansdowne. Camille Ba è e, he F ench ambassado
o Rome and close iend o Paul Cambon and Théophile Delcassé e en belie ed ha
he English o eign policy was guided solely by he King. La e on, he majo i y o
F enchmen belie ed, ha he King pe sonally was he concei e o he idea o he
En en e Co diale, hough his belie e was inco ec , as well as he con ic ion o he
F ench poli icians, including Camille Ba è e, abou he men who we e supposed o
be he leade s o he English o eign policy.42
Equally, we should e use he idea p esen ed in some o he olde monog aphies,
ha he King Edwa dVII played ac ucial ole in he poli ical le el o app oche-
men o he G ea B i ain and F ance. Fo example, aF ench his o ian And é Ta dieu
hough ha he King himsel was he o igina o o he Anglo-F ench app ochemen
and he Ame ican his o ian Mu iel Chambe s belie ed ha he King was he mos
impo an poli ical playe in he making o he En en e Co diale. In ac , as illus-
a ed abo e, he main con ibu ion o Edwa dVII o he en en e was, ha he was
able o success ully pa e he way o i . I was he King’s me i , ha he public in bo h
coun ies accep ed he esul o he subsequen nego ia ions o Paul Cambon, lo d
Lansdowne and Théophile Delcassé wi h sympa hies. We can de ini ely ag ee wi h
he s a emen o Ma hew Glenc oss, who sees he King’s isi o F ance as aca alys
and “possibly e en anew chemical, in he eac ion be ween he wo coun ies”.43 The e o e
he s a emen o ano he Ame ican his o ian, Philip Michael He Bell, ha he King
was “ he igh men in he igh place”, and ha he was he eal mas e o manipula ion
wi h he public opinion, seems i ing.44
We do no know much o Edwa d’s alks wi h Loube and Delcassé du ing his s ay
in Pa is, bu “i seems clea ha he King conside ably exceeded he ole o acons i u ional
40 MATHEWS, pp.49–50.
41 M.P.CHAMBERS, O igins o he En en e Co diale, PhD Thesis, Bos on 1928, p.89; A.TAR-
DIEU, F ance and he Alliances, New Yo k 1908, p.60.
42 ANDREW, p.195.
43 GLENCROSS, p.88.
44 BELL, p.34.
MARcELA HENNLIcHO á 53
he necessi y o an alliance be ween England and Ge many he was pe suaded a e me e
qua e o an hou o he con e sa ion wi h he Kaise , who showe ed him wi h complimen s.
Ibelie e ha you will be able o use he con e sa ion wi h him mo e success ully han he
Ge man Kaise .”80
In he abo e men ioned con ex we mus see he Delcassé’s s a emen du ing his
mee ing wi h lo d Lansdowne on 7 July 1903, ha he “was en i ely in a ou o acom-
p ehensi e se lemen , and ha he Egyp ian ques ion o med pa o he la ge A ican
ques ion which could, he el su e, be disposed o sa is ac o ily i only we could come o an
ag eemen as o he posi ion o F ance in Mo occo”.81 The ba gaining could hus begin.
A he beginning o July 1903, Delcassé and Lansdowne had s a ed ase ies o dis-
cussions, which e en ually, a e nine long mon hs, led o he signa u e o se ies o
ea ies, which a e known as he En en e Co diale. Since he abo e-men ioned mee -
ing o 7 July 1903, we can s a alking abou he eal o igins o he En en e Co diale.
CONCLUSION
As i was illus a ed, he oyal isi o Pa is in ea ly May 1903 had e y impo an
consequences. The ole o Edwa dVII, who had al eady been e y popula in F ance
as P ince o Wales, was o do wha he could do bes — in luence he public opin-
ion in F ance and pe suade he F enchmen ha he ime had come o ini ia e a ap-
p ochemen . Wi hou he King’s isi o Pa is, he en en e would s ill be possible, bu
i would p obably ake mo e ime han jus acouple o mon hs o bo h England and
F ance o a i e o and, in pa icula , o hei public opinions o accep such an a -
angemen as was he En en e Co diale. On he o he hand, he p esiden ial e u n
isi o London, and mos impo an ly he p esence o F ench minis e o o eign a -
ai s Delcassé, was he eal commencemen o he ba gaining be ween London and
Pa is. E en hough he nego ia ions we e p o ac ed by many ques ions a issue, he
co e, he exchange o Mo occo and Egyp , was success ully concluded mainly because
he public opinion in bo h coun ies was eady o accep such an impo an deal.
Wi hou he oyal isi o Pa is, his would ha dly be possible in Ap il 1904.
80 Ibidem.
81 ANDREW, p.211.