Duke of Windsor - reads his abdication speech

Legendary Dandy, the Duke of Windsor, reads his abdication speech, giving up the throne of England for the Woman He Loves.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• dandyism
• dandies
• abdication

[baraxor]

@popazz1

"Had she not been a double divorcee..." Even today, with society having a far more tolerant view of divorce, if someone with Wallis Simpson's history was seen as about to become the next Queen Consort of the UK (i.e. a night-clubbing social-climbing golddigger with two divorces, with little or no apparent desire to perform public service, and likely abandoning the king for affairs of her own), there would be an unholy scandal that would shake the monarchy.

[blenhei]

He was indeed. He was the best King a Nation in war can have.

[bcpii]

Contrasts: Edward VIII & Edward, Duke of Kent (E.VIII’s great grandfather ).

E. DofK separated from his love, M. St. Laurent, to marry and have a child (Q. Victoria ).

E.VIII, abdicated the English throne to marry his love, Wallis Simpson.

E. DoK restored the Gibraltar Colony in 1803, but was criticized.

E. VII was criticized for abdication, but perhaps he intended to deceive Hitler and position himself to moderate harsh subjugation of England if America remained neutral, and Germany won?

[TheAnn2shoes]

@RichardElden They weren't then though.

[TheAnn2shoes]

@RichardElden Richard, that is a very naive comment. The Jews obeyed the laws - didn't do them much good.

[TheAnn2shoes]

@RichardElden Would have been no need for the death penalty - we would have all been worked to death or in Concentration camps.

[TheAnn2shoes]

@RichardElden And let Hitler rule us? No way.  That wouldn't have been much fun.

[TheAnn2shoes]

@RichardElden That would have meant Hilter over-running us too. No thanks.

[TheAnn2shoes]

@RichardElden Are you American or British? I'm British and I don't think we had a choice. America? They had to come and rescue us eventually! Late - but thanks.

[TheAnn2shoes]

@RichardElden Oh and before I forget - they visited Germany, almost on the eve of WW2, ostensibly to look at a housing project. Not a very patriotic or sensible thing to do!

[TheAnn2shoes]

@RichardElden Maybe not, but they could have spent their time in a more productive way, instead of worrying about her whether the Duchess should have an HRH or not! Also, there was some kind of unpleasant scandal in the Bahamas while they were there. During all of their years of exile they never thought to start a charity or do anything for anybody else - they just went back and forth from Paris to New York socialising and worrying about how grand their homes were.

[TheAnn2shoes]

@RichardElden I believe he said it to the person who was showing him around. I have read a couple of biographies of him and from what I can deduce, he would not have made a good King. After his abdication and during WW2 he was living in the West Indies. While his brother, King George VI was busy trying to keep the up morale in the UK he and the Duchess of Windsor were busy harassing the King about her not having the title of Her Royal Highness!