For many years it was believed that Edward VIII's abdication was due to the low ancestry of his beloved Wallis Simpson and her turbulent past. In fact, the British dislike of this woman was due to her ... pro-Nazi sympathies. Anyway, this marriage did not seem to bring Edward happiness.
The 42-year-old Edward VIII ascended the throne on January 20, 1936, after the death of his father, Jerzy V. He enjoyed the sympathy of his subjects because he was charming, was able to establish contact with representatives of all social strata and cared for the workers' well-being.
The marriage to Wallis Simpson did not bring Edward happiness, although he gave up the British crown for her
The new ruler was expected to bring a breath of fresh air to the monarchy after his conservative father's long rule. Edward VIII did demolish many of the rules of the royal family. He shocked his subjects the most by his relationship with the American Wallis Simpson, a two-time divorced woman whose veins did not contain a single drop of blue blood.
Is this romance serious?
Edward met his future wife in 1931, while still Prince of Wales, at a friend's party. After some time they became lovers, but then this relationship did not worry either the royal family or the parliament, because the heir to the throne had so far only romanced with married women, with whom he eventually parted.
A much greater worry for British politicians was the growing pro-Nazi sympathies of the future king. Edward began to admire Hitler for his economic policies, which improved the living conditions of Reich citizens. He maintained that no one had the right to interfere in Germany's internal affairs. He also claimed that Nazism was a barrier against communist ideology.
Edward admired Hitler more and more over time. Wallis also showed pro-Nazi tendencies.
He did not hesitate to express his support for the Nazi regime in public. For example, in 1935, at a meeting with representatives of the British Expeditionary Force, he set the Reich as an example and advised the military to go to Germany to see the German economic miracle with their own eyes. Such statements worried Prime Minister Baldwin and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as they were contrary to official British foreign policy and threatened relations with France's ally. Edward, however, ignored the advisers' comments.
Meanwhile, his romance with Wallis was in full swing. After his accession to the throne, Edward VIII showed signs of increasing dependence on this woman. In March 1936, his younger brother George and his wife Elizabeth (parents of the reigning Elizabeth II) became certain that the monarch wanted to marry Wallis, who ... was still married. Edward's entourage noted with disgust that the American woman reigned supreme in the king's house, making him serve herself and mercilessly criticizing him in the presence of friends and acquaintances.
Threat to the country
Simpson, of course, was not an ideal candidate for queen. Married twice (she divorced for the second time on October 27, 1936), in addition coming from America and with many lovers on her account. But the worst - according to Prime Minister Baldwin and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - was the fact that Wallis openly expressed support for the Reich's policy.
Joachim von Ribbentrop, the German ambassador to London in the 1930s, did everything to gain her friendship and support, which tickled Mrs. Simpson's vanity (apparently Wallis was even his mistress for some time; Ribbentrop reportedly often sent her a bunch of 17 carnations) . In this way, the German diplomat was trying to gain direct influence over Edward.
The American's greatest enemies claimed that the woman was a paid Reich agent. However, this is not true. Wallis simply shared the views of her chosen one about the "twilight" of France and the superiority of German culture. And together with Edward she supported the native fascist party.
The British Foreign Office watched with concern as the situation unfolded. The interview began surveillance of the lovers. The prime minister even stopped sending documents to the king about Great Britain's foreign policy and its relations with Germany. He was afraid that Edward - driven by his sympathy for the Reich - would reveal state secrets. Wallis would also gain access to top secret matters, as she could pass the contents of the documents to her German friends. So Edward only received those papers that required his monarch's signature. But the ruler, preoccupied with his private life, did not notice it at all.
In early December 1936, Edward announced that I wanted to give up the crown in order to marry my mistress. Apparently then Baldwin breathed a sigh of relief. On December 9, on the eve of the signing of the act of abdication, members of the English fascist party gathered in front of Buckingham Palace and demanded that the monarch remain in office.
Compromise
After abdication, Edward was awarded the title of Duke of Windsor. On June 3, 1937, the former monarch married Mrs. Simpson, who became a duchess. However, the woman was not given the title of "Her Majesty", which enraged and painfully affected the spouses.
Prince Edward at the Nazi training center near Złocieniec
Overnight, the ex-king who once wielded a great deal of power turned out to be "unemployed" and began to lead the life of a private person. And Wallis - even as his wife - was not received at European courts. The only place where she was welcome was in Germany, where the couple went in the fall of 1937. There, they were treated like a real royal couple. The British Foreign Office contacted Edward and emphasized the inappropriateness of his behavior, but the Duke of Windsor ignored the advice of professional diplomats.
During World War II, Edward and his beloved stayed, among others in Portugal. King George VI and Winston Churchill feared that Germany might kidnap the former ruler and try to force the British to make concessions. Besides - as recently declassified documents proved - Berlin planned to put Edward on the throne. The main stakeholder by no means argued.
To prevent the Duke of Windsor and his wife from ending up in the hands of the Germans, he was appointed governor of the Bahamas. And when Edward was reluctant to leave, Winston Churchill threatened him with trial…
A sterile life
After WWII, the former monarch and Wallis led a boring, opulent celebrity life in Paris. They traveled frequently to New York and Cannes. The Duke of Windsor no longer held any official position.
It was only in 1965 that the spouses were able to visit London. This did not mean, however, that the British royal family accepted their relationship. In fact, Elizabeth II softened her stance towards her uncle only shortly before his death in 1972.
Bibliography
- Van der Kiste J. George V`s Children. London, 1991.
- Morton A. 17 carnations. Warsaw, 2015.