Biography of King Edward VIII

When King Edward VIII abdicated the British throne in December 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, the pair, now styled the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, began a decades-long semi-exile in continental Europe. Their lavish lifestyle, which included friendships with louche characters of dubious distinction, led to criticism by the press and public. But documents, including some only recently declassified, may help bolster an even darker claim — that the couple harbored pro-Nazi sympathies and were involved in a failed plot to overthrow the British crown during World War II.

Edward expressed his early support for Hitler up until it was changed to “Windsor” during World War I, the British royal family’s name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha made clear their strong German origins. The future King Edward VIII, known as David to his friends and family, was particularly close to his German cousins, and strongly embraced German culture. The horrors of World War I left a deep impression on him, and his wartime service, including visits to the front where he witnessed the carnage firsthand, helped form his determination to avoid another global conflict at all costs.

When Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party began its rise to power in the late 1920s and early 1930s, many in Europe, Edward included, applauded the economic recovery of war-torn Germany. In Britain, support for more far-right political parties increased, leading to the creation of the British Union of Fascists in 1932, led by former MP Sir Oswald Mosely. Groups like the BUF and others embraced these authoritarian positions as a bulwark against what they perceived to be a growing Communist threat.

A strong streak of anti-Semitism ran through these political groups, as well as the British government and royal family. Many were more than willing to overlook the sharp rise of anti-Jewish attacks and legislation in Germany, with Edward purportedly telling a German relative in 1933 that it was “no business of ours to interfere in Germany’s internal affairs either re Jews or re anything else.” He went on to add, “Dictators are very popular these days. We might want one in England before long.”

British intelligence had Edward and Wallis under surveillance while Edward's strongly pro-German sentiments were shared by others, his outspokenness as heir to the throne made his words potentially dangerous. His support for Mosely and other fascist organizers (many of whom would be imprisoned after Britain went to
war with Germany) increases suspicions on his political beliefs.

Another liability was his playboy reputation and his burgeoning affair with a twice-divorced American, Simpson. Although the British public remained in the dark about the affair, it was common knowledge in royal, government and intelligence circles. Rumors about Simpson’s romantic past swirled, with some claiming she had a begun a long-term affair with Nazi official Joseph von Ribbentrop while he served as Germany’s ambassador to Britain in the mid-1930s. Even more salacious were allegations that Simpson had passed along confidential British government secrets gleaned from private dispatches.

The situation came to a head when Edward became king following his father’s death in January 1936. Fearful that the new king (and his relationship) might be a danger to national security, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin stepped in, ordering Mi5, Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, to begin surveillance of the couple. Their phones were tapped, and members of their Scotland Yard security team were tapped to provide information about the king they were also charged with protecting.

The British weren’t the only ones worried. After war broke out, the FBI began its own massive file on the couple, closely monitoring their visits to the United States. Among its hundreds of pages were several memos sent to President Franklin Roosevelt, warning of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s pro-German allegiances.

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