This text is a detailed account of the romantic and controversial relationship between Edward VIII, the former King of England, and Wallis Simpson. Edward, who was the heir to the throne until his father's death in 1936, fell in love with Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American woman, causing a scandal in the British royal family.
Edward's relationship with Wallis was kept secret until the Simpsons' divorce in 1936. Edward then proposed a morganatic marriage to Wallis, meaning they could marry but Wallis would not become queen. This proposal was rejected by the cabinet, leading Edward to abdicate the throne in December 1936. He and Wallis were married in June 1937, and they were exiled from England, settling in France as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
During World War II, Edward's allegiance towards Adolf Hitler was discovered, leading to further controversy. Edward was reportedly sympathetic towards Hitler and had secret conversations with him, which were documented in a file known as the Windsor file. This file was initially ordered to be destroyed by Winston Churchill and Allied Supreme Commander Dwight Eisenhower, but it was later saved by Stanford University professor David Harris and published in 1957.
Despite the controversies, Edward and Wallis's relationship is often romanticized. They are sometimes referred to as the King of Hearts, and Edward VII has been romanticized due to his devotion to Wallis Simpson. However, Edward's apparent sympathy towards Hitler and the Nazi party has not been romanticized.
1. The text discusses the history of the Royal Family, focusing on the House of Windsor, which has been on the throne since 1917.
2. Edward VIII, known as the Prince of Wales, succeeded his father King George V in 1936.
3. Edward VIII met American woman Wallis Simpson in 1931, and their relationship became less covert by 1936.
4. Edward VIII asked for a morganatic marriage to Wallis Simpson in 1936, but the proposal was rejected.
5. Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, and he and Wallis were married in June of 1937.
6. Edward VIII's allegiance towards Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party during World War II was discovered after the war.
7. Hitler had a secret plot to turn Edward VIII into a puppet king after the planned Nazi invasion of England.
8. Edward VIII agreed to promote reciprocal visits by German and British war veterans, but was reproached by his father King George V for involving himself in politics.
9. Edward VIII was known to detest Bolshevik Russia, possibly influenced by his unforgiveness towards the communists who had ordered the murder of Tsar Nicholas II, Edward's godfather.
10. The British government was reportedly alarmed by Edward VIII's behavior and considered him a severe liability during the war years.
11. Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson were appointed as the Governor of The Bahamas in an attempt to keep them out of trouble.
12. Hitler had planned to kidnap the couple, sending spymaster Walter Schellenberg and a small army of Germans to snatch the couple from their Lisbon home.
13. The existence of a Windsor file documenting the conversation between Edward VIII and Hitler in the fall of 1937 was a cause of concern for many, including his younger brother King George VI and Winston Churchill.
14. The secret alliance between the disgraced ex-king of England and the dictator Adolf Hitler remained a secret had it not been for a couple of hardworking scholars outside of the British government and monarchy.