Edward VIII, the traitor king: résumé

« E dw ard V III, t h e t r a it o r k in g E dw ard V III, b ette r k n ow n a s E dw ard d uke o f W in dso r o nly r e ig ned f o r a bout 3 26 d ays, a nd t h e s to ry t e lls h e a bdic a te d a nd s a crif ic e d h is t h ro ne a nd p re stig e f o r l o ve , t o m arry W allis S im sp on: a n i d ealiz e d a nd r o m antic iz e d v e rs io n o f t h e t r u th w hic h h as b een a d ebate s in ce t h e p ast d eca des. I n deed, t h e g ove rn m ent a t t h e t im e m ade e ve ry th in g p ossib le t o h id e h is c o m plic it y w it h H it le r to th e p ublic . E dw ard w as b orn i n 1 894, h e w as t h e e ld est s o n a nd w as r a is e d w it h t h e d is cip lin e o f V ic to ria n c o nve ntio ns. H is f a th er b eca m e K in g i n 1 910 a nd h is m oth er w as a G erm an p rin ce ss, s o h e h ad a n atu ra l s ym path y t o w ard s G erm any. A lt h ough h e w as n ot a llo w ed t o f ig ht d urin g W WI, t h e t r a um a o f t h ose y e ars l e ft h im w it h t h e p ro fo und c o nvic tio n t h at B rit a in s h ould n eve r g o t o w ar w it h G erm any a gain , a nd i t w as t h is b elie f w hic h u nderla y h is s u pport f o r t h e a ppease m ent o f H it le r i n t h e 1 930s. E dw ard w as d riv e n b y h is c o nvic tio n th at a noth er w ar s h ould b e a vo id ed a t a ll c o sts . I n t h e e arly 1 930s h e f e ll m adly i n l o ve w it h W allis S im pso n, a n A m eric a n d iv o rc e e. I n J a nuary 1 936, t h e K in g G oerg e V d ie d a nd E dw ard s u cce eded t o t h e t h ro ne. B efo re h is d eath , h is f a th er d ecla re d: " A fte r I a m d ead, t h e b oy w ill r u in h im se lf w it h in tw elv e m onth s." I n t h e m id -1 930s, h e c o nsis te ntly s o ught t o p ro m ote g ood r e la tio ns w it h G erm any, e xp re sse d h is a dm ir a tio n f o r H it le r, a nd w as s ym path etic t o w ard t h e N azis . H e w as a w ell- k n ow n a dm ir e r o f a ll t h in gs G erm an. H is a nce str y w as l a rg ely G erm anic a nd h e s p oke G erm an f lu ently . H e s o cia liz e d w it h f a scis t s ym path iz e rs s u ch a s O sw ald M osle y, l e ader o f t h e B rit is h U nio n o f F ascis ts o r C harle s d uke o f S axe -C oburg w ho w ore h is N azi u nif o rm a t G oerg e V 's fu nera l. I n m arc h 1 936, a p re ss a tta ch e o ve rh eard a c o nve rs a tio n b etw een E dw ard V III a nd t h e G erm an a m bassa dor i n L ondon: " Y ou d on't n eed t o w orry , t h ere w on't b e a w ar" ; a nd t h at s u pport r e assu re d H it le r w ho f e are d a n a rm ed r e sp onse f r o m B rit a in . E dw ard 's u nacce pta ble b ehavio ur c a use d c o nste rn atio n i n g ove rn m ent c ir c le s w ho s lo w ly b egan t o w ant t o g et r id o f h im b eca use h e w asn 't " k in gly e nough". A ls o , t h e n ew g erm an a m bassa dor R ib bentr o p w as r e gula rly v is it e d b y W allis S im pso n w ho b egan to b e c o nsid ere d a s d angero u s. L ate r i n t h e y e ar, W allis S im pso n's d iv o rc e w as a nnounce d i n t h e n ew sp apers a nd e ve ry o ne e vo ke d a p ossib le m arria ge b etw een h er a nd t h e k in g. T he p rim e m in is te r S ta nle y B ald w in o f c o urs e s to od a gain st i t a s s h e w ould 'v e b een u nacce pata ble a s a q ueen, b eca use s h e w as t w ic e d iv o rc e d a nd b eca use s h e h ad e njo ye d a r e m arq uable s e x l if e i n S hanghai i n t h e 2 0s. S o h e c o ld ly d ecla re d t o E dw ard t h at i t w ould b e b ette r f o r h im t o a bdic a te . A fte r E dw ard 's c o m pro m is e p ro posa l w as r e je cte d, h e g ave i n a nd a bdic a te d o n D ece m ber 1 2th d urin g a f a m ous s p eech : " y o u m ust b elie ve m e w hen I t e ll y o u t h at I h ave f o und i t i m possib le t o c a rry t h e h eavy b urd en o f r e sp onsib ilit y a nd t o d is ch arg e m y d utie s a s K in g a s I w ould w is h t o d o w it h out t h e h elp a nd s u pport o f t h e w om an I l o ve ." a nd d ecid ed t o r e tir e f r o m p ublic l if e . H e t h en s e ttle d i n F ra nce w it h h is f ia nce e a nd t h ey g ot m arrie d i n J u ne 1 937. H is b ro th er G eorg e V I w ho h ad b eco m e t h e n ew K in g d ecid ed t h at W allis S im pso n w ould n ot b e c a lle d y o ur r o ya l h ig hness, a nd t h at b ro ke E dw ard 's h eart w ho n eve r fo rg ave h is b ro th er fo r th is in su lt . T he D uke o f W in dso r w as d eeply m anip ula te d b y h is P ro -N azis a cq uain ta nce s. H e w as f o olis h a nd n aiv e a bout H it le r. W it h in m onth s a fte r h is a bdic a tio n, h e a nd h is w if e m ade a n u noff ic ia l v is it t o N azi G erm any, w here t h ey w ere t r e ate d a s r e ig nin g r o ya lt y , m et m any h ig h-ra nkin g N azis , i n clu din g H it le r, a nd g ave t h e N azi s a lu te . H e w as t r io m phic a lly r e ce iv e d a nd w as r e ally p le ase d t o m eet H ilt e r, w ho s h ow ed h im g re at r e sp ect a nd p olit e ness. H e a ls o v is it e d S S t r a in in g s ch ools a nd c o nce ntr a tio n c a m ps. E dw ard 's p la n o f a ppease m ent w ould h ave b een t o g iv e t h e 3 rd R eic h 's a rm y a f r e e r e ig n i n E uro pe a nd h e w ante d f o r h im se lf a g lo rio us r e tu rn to th e B rit is h th ro ne : h e w ante d p eace o n H it le r's te rm s. H e s p ent h is t im e i n s a lo ons i n P aris a nd a lm ost d aily m et w it h n azi s ym path iz e rs l ik e C harle s B edaux a nd f r e quently g ave t h em s e cre t i n fo rm atio ns: h e w as i n deed v e ry d angero us f o r t h e A llie s. H ilt e r a nd R ib bentr o p p la nned t o r e w ard E dw ard f o r h is l o ya lt y b y g iv in g h im t h e t h ro ne o f B rit a in b ack w hen G erm an w ould w in t h e w ar. W hen G erm any i n va ded F ra nce E dw ard a nd h is w if e w ent t o M adrid , i n S pain , i n ste ad o f g oin g t o B ord eaux ( c o nsid erin g t h at S pain w as a p ote ntia l a lly o f H ilt e r). H e w as c o nvin ce d t h e U K w as g oin g t o l o se t h e w ar a nd w ante d t o h ave a n a dva nta geous p osit io n. G eorg e t h e V I a nd C hurc h ill ( th e p rim e m in is te r) w ere f u lly a w are o f t h e t h re at h e r e pre se nte d a nd t h re ate ned h im w it h m artia l c o urt. R ib bentr o p a ls o w ante d h im t o p ublic ly r e je ct E nglis h p olic y b y i n tim id atin g h im . E dw ard f in ally h eaded t o t h e B aham as w it h h is w if e to b eco m e th e g ove rn o r. T hey w ere r e ally u nhappy. I n a n i n te rv ie w h e g ave t o a n A m eric a n j o urn alis t, E dw ard d ecla re d t h at i t w ould b e a t r a gedy i f H it le r w as " o ve rth ro w n", b ein g t h e " rig ht a nd l o gic a l l e ader o f t h e g erm an p eople ". A fte r t h at h e s a id t o t h e j o urn alis t: " T e ll R oose ve lt t h at i f h e m ake s a n o ff e r o f i n te rv e ntio n f o r p eace , t h e D uke o f W in dso r w ill i n sta ntly s u pport i t , a nd t h at i t w ill s ta rt a r e vo lu tio n i n E ngla nd a nd f o rc e p eace ." H ow eve r, a fte r d ecla rin g w ar t o J a pan b eca use o f P earl H arb our, t h e U SA j o in ed t h e a llie s a gain st G erm any. I n t h e l a te 4 0s a nd 5 0s, t h e D uke o f W in dso r w as a ls o i n vo lv e d i n i lle gal t r a nsa ctio ns. A fte r t h e w ar, h e w ante d t o g o b ack t o B rit a in a nd a gain a ske d h is b ro th er t h at h is w if e W allis S im pso n w ould b e c a lle d " y o ur R oya l H ig hness", w hic h h is b ro th er r e fu se d, s o h e s e ttle d b ack in F ra nce . T he B rit is h g ove rn m ent t r ie d t o h id e E dw ard 's p ast b y s u ppre ssin g d ocu m ents , t o p ro te ct m onarc h y a nd t h e r o ya l f a m ily 's r e puta tio n. T he D uke o f W in dso r d ie d in 1 972, w it h m ost o f h is s e cre ts in ta ct.. »