By no stretch of the imagination an intellectual, Edward was not easily led. He seldom trusted to gossip or hearsay, preferring to draw upon his own considerable experience before arriving at a conclusion. From 1901, his dedication to the duties of kingship was both impressive and startlingly modern. Transacting the business of state in face-to-face meetings, he insisted his desk be kept as free as possible from papers. New inventions – the telephone, the typewriter – were embraced. Having provided a general overview of content and tone, he frequently left secretaries to write letters in his
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