By: Ira Bikram
Ira Bikram is a second-year master’s student at the Jindal School of International Affairs of Jindal Global University. She can be reached at 23jsia-ibikram@jgu.edu.in
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David or the man known to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as Edward VIII and the Emperor of British India was known to have a life which often created mesmerizing tales in British royal history. A narrative often interwoven with charm, controversy, and a dramatic choice that altogether altered the course of the British Monarchy of what we know today.
Early Life
During the Victorian age on June 23, 1894, David or Edward 8th was born to George, Duke of York (later King George V), and Princess Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary), during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria. Being the first-born, Edward was destined for kingship since nascency. Yet, his reign, lasting less than a year and lacking even a formal coronation, was ultimately overshadowed by his decision to entirely abdicate the throne. For what? One may ponder, but as all fairy tales dictate for a prince, the man simply fell in love. This decision not only astonished the nation but also remains a pivotal moment in the history of the British royal family.
From a young age, Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David was groomed to be king, being the eldest son of George the Vth and Queen Mary, he was naturally well bred, educated at prestigious institutions of Osborne Naval College, the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth and experienced a less protective conditioning despite being an heir subjected to bullying. He yet followed the legacy of the royals enrolling in the seaborne branch of the British Armed Forces of those times, the Royal Navy, and later the University of Oxford. Despite this rigorous education, Edward was more interested in sports and socializing than academics. His easy charm and good looks made him a popular figure, both in Britain and abroad accredited to his adaptability to mix freely with different classes, earning him the nickname ‘the People's Prince’, a title ensued later by Princess Diana in the 90s.
WW1
In the summer of 1914, War descended over the fate of Europe. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in June 1914 was the direct cause of World War I, even though tensions had been building in Europe for years. The reason the European countries were drawn into the conflict in the ensuing months was previously signed alliance treaties. Even so, Russia, Germany, and the United Kingdom were not immediately impacted by Archduke Franz Ferdinand's passing, these countries spearheaded the battle as Europe's leading monarchies and armed forces. Russia and Germany were already at war, in 1914, Great Britain declared war on Germany following Germany's invasion of Belgium, which was neutral. Naturally, King, being the Head of the Armed Forces acted as also Commander-in-Chief in war. Particularly in the case of Germany and Russia, was dictum, and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany stood no exception to it, unlike George V of Britain. While it is interesting to note all three emperors were related as cousins, George V deliberately dissociated the British Royal Family from the collapsing monarchies of the continent as well as his cousins-monarchs. The testament of this lies in the relabelling of ‘Windsor’ as opposed to the former name of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, which would remind the public of the Royal Family’s German origins at a time when anti-German sentiment was at an all-time high.
The British intricately separated government and monarch, perhaps this conservatism helped them retain their Windsor identity despite the collapse of monarchies during the major wars in other regions.
Service Under Military
During World War I, though a sailor, Edward served in the Infantry regiment by being commissioned in the Grenadier Guards after the outbreak of World War I (1914) and served as a staff officer despite being keen to participate in front-line duties. Although his position as heir to the throne prevented him from engaging in direct combat, he visited troops and passionately ‘boosted morale’, further endearing himself to the public. ‘Edward felt a bond with men who were risking their lives on the front, which would be reflected later in his continued concern for veterans and their welfare after the war. During the war, Edward left his post in France to visit hospitals, the Canal Zone, the Italian Front, and though heavily protected, spent time with soldiers in the deplorable trenches on the Western Front.’ (Zajac, 2017)
After the war, he embarked on numerous goodwill tours across the Empire, solidifying his popularity. Edward was purposefully dispatched to regions that were experiencing instability to dazzle them with all the extravagance and charisma that Britain could provide. While visiting America to fortify the alliance following the war, political advisor Edward Grigg noted "the prince’s tour's main goal was to convince Americans that the monarchy exceeded the status of a "feudal anachronism." And so, he did, as referred to as ‘Ambassador to Empire’ by Ernest Hemingway, he toured North America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and India, demonstrating that aristocrats could be democratic and that the United States and Britain should form a solid alliance because they share similar goals. On top of this he also ‘manifested a fondness for the German language and culture. As a war veteran, he abhorred the thought of renewed conflict with Germany, and his political inclinations lay with Hider’s Germany rather than with Stalin’s Russia.’ (Sweet, 1996)
Edward displayed his individual and sometimes even uncustomary preferences in whatever ways plausible, also coupled with a charmed lifestyle of numerous romantic entanglements which began to raise concerns within the royal family and conservatives of the early 1930s. Edward's ascension to the throne on January 20, 1936, which ensued after the demise of his father, seemed a fresh and promising tenure. Yet, his reign was ‘calamitous and almost spelt disaster for the monarchy as an institution.’ (Zajac, 2017)
His desire for modernization and disdain for court protocol clashed with the conservative establishment the Church. Edward later stated in his memoirs that he wanted to establish the monarchy after ascending to the throne as ‘more receptive to the evolving conditions of (his) era.’ (Royal Cousins at War 2014)
Edward shared George V's understanding that the monarchy needed to change to endure. But tradition and royal duties evaded him as he retorted to ‘the fort’, referring to his residence Fort Belvedere. It was only during this period that he hosted a party at the fort and met Wallis Simpson. Immune to both his status and charm, their relationship, which began in 1934, perhaps became the most pressing bone of contention in the British Monarchy. Wallis, still married to her second husband while courting the duke, was instantly deemed wholly unsuitable to be queen consort.
Abdication
The love affair between Edward and Wallis Simpson soon escalated into a constitutional crisis. The British government, the Church of England, and the Dominions (such as Canada and Australia) opposed the marriage. Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin at the time made it clear that a morganatic marriage, where Wallis would not become queen, was not acceptable. Faced with the choice between the crown and the woman he loved, Edward gracefully chose the latter. On December 11, 1936, he announced his abdication in a radio broadcast, declaring, "I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love." (American Rhetoric: King Edward VIII -- Abdication Speech (Transcript-Audio), 2024)
Following his abdication, Edward was given the title Duke of Windsor and went into exile. He married Wallis Simpson on June 3, 1937, in a private ceremony in France with only eleven attendees and no sign of the royal family. The couple spent most of their lives abroad, travelling to various countries, including France and the United States. During World War II, Edward was appointed Governor of the Bahamas, a position that kept him away from the European theatre and the potential embarrassment of his pro-German sympathies which ‘found expression in indiscreet remarks that were not only insensitive to the brutalities of the Nazi regime but critical of “slip-shod democracy”’. (Sweet, 1996) Eager to keep Windsor out of Hitler’s grip, then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill reminded Edward in a telegram that even major generals could be court-martialled. (Sweet)
Allegations of his Nazi sympathies and possible collaboration with the Germans during the war have certainly marred his reputation with his infamous tour of Germany in 1937. ‘There they were entertained by Hermann Goring and received by Hitler at his residence Berchtesgaden. On at least one occasion during this visit, the duke gave the Nazi salute’ when the Nazi regime was in full control of the country. (Sweet, 1996)
Marburg Files
Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor, shakes hands with Adolf Hitler, watched by her husband, the Duke of Windsor, Berlin, 1937. (Source: GETTY IMAGES)
Marburg Files evidences such sentiments of Edward's Nazi sympathies. A collection of approximately 60 documents was unearthed by Allied forces in Germany at the end of World War II. These files, contained extensive correspondence between the Duke of Windsor, of the agents working around him and high-ranking Nazi officials as well as foreign governments suggesting that Edward admired the Nazis. "As a lot of the documents might suggest, the duke was terrifyingly open to Germany and what he felt the Germans could offer him." Anna Pasternak, author of The American Duchess: The Real Wallis Simpson, says in the documentary ‘Edward VIII: Britain's Traitor King’. In 1939, with Britain on the brink of war, the duke recorded a message to the British public from his office in France. While the address was heard, the BBC refused to air it and filed the tape away in its archives with a reference card that read, "IMPORTANT: Not to be broadcast." (Historians Believe the Duke of Windsor Actively Collaborated with the Nazis during the Second World War, 2022)
"He said Britain should be doing all in its power to come to terms with Nazi Germany," says A.N. Wilson, author of Hitler: A Short Biography.
Paul R. Sweet's article, "The Windsor File," provides an in-depth analysis of these documents. According to Sweet, one of the most damning revelations from the Marburg Files was the so-called "Operation Willi," in which Nazi officials allegedly intended to kidnap the Duke and Duchess of Windsor while they were in Portugal in 1940. The most controversial and politically charged aspect of Edward's post-abdication life emerged with the discovery of the Marburg Files associated with which, was the idea of being reinstated as king in a puppet government should Germany conquer Britain. The Nazis believed Edward could be used to further their interests supposedly of free entrance and exit of German troops in the British territories, toppled by his meta-views of the British government and his expressed desire for peace with Germany. Furthermore, there was a top-secret cable from the German ambassador Dr. Karl Ritter in Lisbon to Berlin that read:
‘[The Duke of Windsor] is convinced that if he had remained on the throne, war would have been avoided, and he characterizes himself as a firm supporter of a peaceful arrangement with Germany. The duke believes that continued severe bombing would make England ready for peace.’ (Historians Believe the Duke of Windsor Actively Collaborated with the Nazis during the Second World War, 2022)
Duke’s support for a negotiated peace with Nazi Germany, rather than engaging in a full-scale war as well as his stance was seen as appeasement, which was a contentious policy in the world war era. Extensive bombing campaigns over Britain, aimed at supposedly demoralizing the British population and government aligned with then-Nazi strategies to break the resolve of the British people through relentless bombing. These revelations in the Marburg Files highly embarrassed the British Government and hence efforts were made to suppress the contents. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and other senior officials were concerned about the potential damage to the monarchy's reputation and the possibility of further undermining public trust.
Rich history is inherently and often non-standardized, in requisition for revisits and revision whether its penmanship is committed by victors or censorship. Marburg Files remains (albeit in bits and pieces) highly classified till today. Historians continue to debate the extent of Edward's Nazi sympathies, but the Marburg Files also undoubtedly cast a long shadow over his post-abdication life and legacy, suggesting a darker side to his political sympathies. Post-publication of the papers in 1957, the duke clarified: "While I was in Lisbon certain people, whom I discovered to be pro-Nazi sympathisers, did make definite efforts to persuade me to return to Spain and not take up my appointment as Governor of the Bahamas... At no time did I ever entertain any thought of complying with such suggestion, which I treated with the contempt it deserved?" (Tristram Fane Saunders, 2017)
After the war, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor lived in relative obscurity, making occasional visits to Britain but largely remaining on the outskirts of royal life. Edward published his memoirs, "A King's Story" (1951), which provided insights into his life and abdication. The couple's lavish lifestyle and Wallis's reputed domineering personality continued to attract media attention. Edward died on May 28, 1972, in Paris while Wallis lived until 1986, spending her final years in seclusion. Edward's abdication had significant implications for the monarchy, paving the way for his unprepared or uncertain younger brother, Prince George VI, and ultimately, his niece, Queen Elizabeth II (195 – 2020). The abdication crisis also highlighted the tension between personal happiness and public duty, a theme that continues to resonate within the royal family.
Conclusion
Edward VIII's decision to abdicate the throne remains one of the most dramatic events in British royal history. His reign, though brief, was marked by a personal scandal that underscored the evolving relationship between the monarchy and its subjects. Edward's choice to marry Wallis Simpson over maintaining his position as king forever altered the course of the British monarchy, demonstrating that even the highest positions of power are not immune to the complexities of love and personal desire. (Royal) Life came full circle when with the same fate, history almost repeated itself in the 1970s confronting a familiar conundrum by then Prince of Wales, Charles III and Camilla Parker-Bowles. However tumultuous, they were yet received with a better ending than the bittersweet one previously. While his legacy is controversial, Edward VIII's story is a compelling reminder of the enduring conflict between duty and desire.
References
1. Sweet, P. R. (1996). The Windsor File. The Historian, 59(2), 263–280. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6563.1997.tb00991.x
2. Sebba, Anne. "That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor." St. Martin's Press, 2011.
3. Lownie, Andrew. "Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor." Blink Publishing, 2021.
4. Bloch, Michael. "The Duke of Windsor's War." Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982.
5. Zajac, A. (2017). Digital Commons @ Salve Regina Digital Commons @ Salve Regina Pell Scholars and Senior Theses Salve’s Dissertations and Theses “Something Must Be Done!”: Edward VIII’s Abdication and the “Something Must Be Done!”: Edward VIII’s Abdication and the Preservation of the British Monarchy Preservation of the British Monarchy.
6. “Into the Abyss.” Royal Cousins at War. Directed by Richard Sanders. London: BBC, 2014. DVD.
7. American Rhetoric: King Edward VIII -- Abdication Speech (transcript-audio). (2024). Americanrhetoric.com. https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/kingedwardVIIIabdication.htm#:~:text=A%20few%20hours%20ago%20I
8. Historians believe the Duke of Windsor actively collaborated with the Nazis during the Second World War. (2022, November 10). CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/the-passionate-eye/historians-believe-the-duke-of-windsor-actively-collaborated-with-the-nazis-during-the-second-world-war-1.6635225
9. Tristram Fane Saunders. (2017, December 14). The Duke, the Nazis, and a very British cover-up: the true story behind The Crown’s Marburg Files. The Telegraph; The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/duke-nazis-british-cover-up-true-story-behind-crowns-marburg/
10. Sweet, Paul. “The Windsor File How Winston Churchill Suppressed the True Extent of the Former King Edward VIII’s Collaboration with Nazi Germany.” Https://Www.tabletmag.com/Sections/Arts-Letters/Articles/The-Windsor-File, Tablet, 12 Dec. 2018, www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/the-windsor-file.
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