Page 41 - All About History - Issue 34-16

The women before Wallis

During his visit to Germany in 1937, Edward
inspects an SS squadron with the head of
the German Labour Front Robert Ley

Hitler’s royal?

An abdicated monarch is a sorry spectacle, and
the Duke of Windsor was fully conscious of his
diminished standing in the eyes of the world.
Anything that could convince him he was still a

igure of international importance was eagerly
grasped at. When the immensely rich ei ciency
expert Charles Bedaux urged him to visit
Nazi Germany in 1937, assuring him he would
be received with proper deference, Edward
eagerly swallowed the bait. He knew little or
nothing of the persecution of the Jews that was
already under way; his qualii ed acceptance
of the policies of the fascist government was
very similar to that of the Conservative prime
minister, Neville Chamberlain; he genuinely,
if naively, believed he had a part to play in
reconciling Britain and Germany – it was not

diicult for him to persuade himself that it was

his duty to make the journey. The Germans
took full advantage of the visit: images of the
ex-king shaking hands with Hitler and speaking
admiringly of the achievements of the regime

in the ields of workers’ housing and education
were sent around the world. No real harm
was done, but the belief that the duke was
well disposed towards fascist Germany did his
reputation much harm when war followed tw
years later.
41