The Scandalous Life of England’s Ultimate ‘Playboy Prince’, Edward VII

The Scandalous Life of England’s Ultimate ‘Playboy Prince’, Edward VII

D.G. Hewitt - July 8, 2019

The Scandalous Life of England’s Ultimate ‘Playboy Prince’, Edward VII
Prince Edward loved to gamble and had a special fondness for card games. Wikimedia Commons.

18. Edward was such a keen gambler that he had his own luxury set of counters made and carried them with him everywhere he went

Edward loved to play baccarat so much that he had his own set of counters for the game and would take them with him wherever he went. The leather discs were given to the Prince as a present by his close friend Reuben Sassoon, one of London’s wealthiest bankers. On one side, the counters were decorated the feathers of the Prince of Wales – a symbol still used to this day. On the other side, the counters had different monetary values, ranging from 5 shillings to 10 pounds. The Prince would use these to place bets so that he didn’t have to carry cash on his person.

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