Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

MADem

(135,425 posts)
3. Well, the guy did a good thing, at the end of the day.
Sun Apr 29, 2012, 12:45 AM
Apr 2012

Eddie and Wally were fans of Hitler. Had Germany won the war, they would have been the Puppet Royalty of the British Empire.



...In 1941, while they were holidaying in Florida, the exiled former king and his consort, now the Duke and the Duchess of Windsor, were spied upon by the FBI on the orders of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. These FBI files, written in the 1940s and now released under America’s Freedom of Information Act, detailed that the Duchess might have been passing secrets to a leading Nazi with whom she was thought to have had an affair and that His Majesty’s Government had known for the fact for some time.

Following Edward’s accession, the German embassy in London sent a cable for the personal attention of Hitler himself. It read: “An alliance between Germany and Britain is for him (the King) an urgent necessity.” In October 1937, the Windsors visited Nazi Germany, met Hitler at his Obersalzberg retreat (above), dined with his deputy, Rudolf Hess, and even visited a concentration camp. The camp’s guard towers were explained away as meat stores for the inmates. The visit was against the advice of the British government and during the visit the Duke gave full Nazi salutes.

At the outbreak of war, the duke served as a military liaison officer in Paris. Hitler made an abortive attempt to bring Edward and his wife to Nazi-sympathetic Spain, and greatly alarmed, the British establishment finally packing the duke off to the Bahamas from 1940-45. Deeply disenchanted by the society that had spun him, the Duke made his Nazi sympathies explicit, once telling a journalist that “it would be a tragic thing for the world if Hitler was overthrown”. In another break from his usual unassuming boyish behavior, he remarked, “After the war is over and Hitler will crush the Americans. We’ll take over. They (the British) don’t want me as their King, but I’ll be back as their leader.”

After the war, the duke and duchess returned to France. He died there in 1972, while the Duchess lived on until 1986....

http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2009/11/05/edward-and-wallis-with-hitler/

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

Small point: It was Edward Vlll, not Vll. Suich Apr 2012 #1
Thanks. I've made the correction. snagglepuss Apr 2012 #4
He craves Your Majesty's pardon. He has had a long journey here and miscounted... nt eppur_se_muova Apr 2012 #21
hmm sounds like his "persecution-mania" was entirely justfied lol nt msongs Apr 2012 #2
LOL How true. snagglepuss Apr 2012 #5
Well, the guy did a good thing, at the end of the day. MADem Apr 2012 #3
Well, it's not as if "Windsor" was the original family name jberryhill Apr 2012 #7
Yep, they were a long ways from their native land! MADem Apr 2012 #8
It wasn't the nose she led him around by GCP May 2012 #32
Well, a nose by any other name would smell like....feet? MADem May 2012 #36
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Seeking Serenity Apr 2012 #16
Thanks for the post. I always heard that it was the Nazi stuff that made the powers patricia92243 Apr 2012 #10
Very interesting eridani May 2012 #34
he also was a terrible racist telling government officials of the wrong color persuasion roguevalley Apr 2012 #23
Not the nicest guy in the room, certainly. nt MADem Apr 2012 #25
I remember when he died. Major Hogwash Apr 2012 #26
That was owing to the romanticized "woman I love" speech! MADem Apr 2012 #28
I think the fact he was a nazi had a bit more to do with it. n/t DefenseLawyer Apr 2012 #6
Will no one rid me of this medlesome priest? ashling Apr 2012 #9
Clever you! +1! nt MADem Apr 2012 #11
en garde! roscoeroscoe Apr 2012 #14
The Daily Mail is a sensationalist rag LeftishBrit Apr 2012 #12
oh, poo renate Apr 2012 #13
Nope. Post like yours are part of the best of DU. You know the subject well TalkingDog Apr 2012 #15
You saved me from writing this, thanks obamanut2012 Apr 2012 #17
Also, as you stated, Wallis didn't even really want to marry him obamanut2012 Apr 2012 #18
Didn't they put Prince Albert in a can? jberryhill Apr 2012 #19
You are just spouting the spin that came with the Abdication. The Queen Mother was snagglepuss Apr 2012 #20
All true TorchTheWitch Apr 2012 #22
You know the Nazis planned to make put him and Wallis on the throne obamanut2012 Apr 2012 #24
They never invaded Britain because Hitler believed in Goerring GCP May 2012 #33
I'd wager you have a very nice life! MADem Apr 2012 #27
I agree Bob in CT May 2012 #31
Good for Cosmo that he dumped the Nazis (even if it wasn't his #1 goal); bad he saved the monarchy UTUSN Apr 2012 #29
This author of the biography on this situation is on "The View" now. Skidmore Apr 2012 #30
Edward VIII/David did not want to fight his German cousins. Simple. Manifestor_of_Light May 2012 #35
Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Shocking letters hidden f...»Reply #3