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00:00King Edward VIII he was on the throne for less than a year and yet in that short time brought
00:08about one of the greatest crises in modern royal history he lived for 77 years but is really only
00:17remembered for two things giving up the throne for love in the shape of Wallis Simpson and that
00:23infamous meeting with Adolf Hitler complete with Nazi salute but surely there's more to him than
00:30that in this episode I'll examine the private life of Edward VIII I'll look behind closed doors at one
00:37of the most pivotal relationships of the 20th century and find out that giving up the throne
00:43may have been a mistake after all I'll discover more about his love of clothing and how he was a
00:50real innovator in fashion this is the outfit that he would have want to go golfing he was famous for
00:59making the plus force popular if the abdication crisis hadn't derailed him then he could have
01:06been the king that people wanted him to be but the historical record suggests otherwise Edward was a
01:11dreadful Prince of Wales and would have been a dreadful game he wasn't diligent he didn't really
01:18listen to people anymore he was surrounded by courtiers who had very mixed feelings about whether
01:24he should be there in the first place he made no bones about how much he hated many his own family
01:30how much he resented his own role how he couldn't see the future you know he couldn't face the thought
01:36of the kind of marriage he was supposed to make while Edward clearly loved Wallis enough to give up being
01:43king did she really love him how did the abdication create a rift in the royal family that would never heal
01:50was that infamous meeting with Hitler really so unforgivable and how did Edward pay for his decisions for the rest of his life
01:59this is the private life of King Edward VIII
02:29the young Edward's life was dominated by his father ever mindful that his son would one day be king
02:36he imposed strict rules regarding dress punctuality and etiquette even as a boy the weight of future
02:45responsibilities lay heavy on Edward's mind as he feared that the rigid regime he was brought up under
02:52could only get worse the Duke of Windsor's upbringing was fairly draconian you know his father was incredibly
03:01strict his mother was very cold was very distant and I don't think the Duke of Windsor's character
03:07was was made for that kind of upbringing to make matters worse he also had a nanny who was not particularly
03:16nice to him who used to pinch him before he was meeting his parents so he would cry
03:24Edward was given a solidly naval education first at the Naval Academy at Osborne and then on board HMS
03:31Britannia at Dartford Edward didn't enjoy this education it was strict it was unbending he was teased and bullied
03:39he was nicknamed Sardine it wasn't particularly successful
03:46Edward's father ascended the throne in May 1910 as King George V
03:52and Edward was appointed Prince of Wales nine weeks later on his 16th birthday
03:58as he moved closer to becoming king doubts about his future role grew and grew
04:06Edward did not take well to his position as Prince of Wales while he was determined to do his duty
04:12he hated being put on a pedestal and he despised people gawping at him but in 1914 an event happened
04:20that he hoped would change everything that would give him the chance to do his duty but on his terms
04:27that event was the first world war
04:34when the first world war erupted Edward requested a commission in the grenadier guards
04:40and was overjoyed to escape the palace
04:43he wanted to put his royal title to one side and fight on the front lines as an ordinary soldier
04:50but as he soon learned a Prince of Wales was not allowed to be an ordinary soldier
04:59I think there was no question that the heir to the throne was going to be pushed into the trenches
05:03and allowed to be cannon fodder but that wasn't really the point
05:06the point was he could have been captured and he would have been used as a pawn by the Germans
05:11so it wasn't so much killing the Prince that would have been a bad thing
05:14it would be the Prince staying alive and being captured
05:18nevertheless to his credit Edward did visit the trenches
05:21and it has to be said that he banked some goodwill with veterans after the war
05:29Edward arguably entered the war a boy and came out a man
05:33while he didn't fight on the front lines as he'd wanted to his natural charm made him enormously popular
05:40but after the first world war revolution was in the air
05:44monarchies across Europe and Russia were toppling
05:47so back in Britain Edward approached his duties with a renewed sense of purpose
05:52I think the Prince of Wales saw all the royal cousins in Russia in Austria in Germany fall
06:01so the monarchy the absolute monarchy disappears
06:04and he sees that there's a way forward and he can do something
06:07he can be a powerful good
06:09he began to realize that he could use this position as Prince of Wales
06:14to in a sense save the establishments save the old order
06:18I don't think he wanted a revolution
06:20he just realized that the monarchy had to do something in order to avoid a revolution
06:25but that was not the only aspect of his life that he increasingly applied himself to
06:35his first world war experiences saw him grow up in more ways than one
06:40as was the case for many young soldiers who found themselves out from under the watchful gaze of their parents
06:46he could have much more of a private life
06:51towards the end of 1916 his Aquarius decided it was about time that he lost his virginity
06:58so while in France they hired him a prostitute called Paulette
07:02and whatever she did it worked giving him a new sexual appetite
07:08after his sexual experience with Paulette Edward's eyes were opened
07:17during and especially after the war women became a fixture in his life
07:23I'm meeting Sarah Gristwood to hear more about his dalliances with members of the opposite sex
07:31so Sarah do you think it's fair to say that Edward's first experience with the French prostitute
07:38was really the beginning of his sexual awakening
07:41yes probably because after all he came from this enormously repressed family
07:47I mean neither his father King George nor his mother Queen Mary
07:51are people you really think of as being very open or very happy in these ways
07:58so when his Aquarius put him together with Paulette in Paris
08:03it almost certainly did set him off on the path he later followed with some enthusiasm
08:12so Sarah who were the most important women in this early part of Edward's experience
08:17there were really three of them that's counting Wallace Simpson
08:21there was Freda Dudley Ward with whom he did have this long warm relationship
08:28and she remained an influence in his life even after he moved on to Thelma to Lady Furness
08:36and interestingly she was not only another married woman
08:39she was another who was half American
08:42Edward had this huge thing for America and Americans
08:46he even began to speak with something of an American accent himself
08:49it was one of the ways he's differentiated himself from his parents
08:57he did dive into womanising with a kind of frenzy that may or may not have something
09:03you know a little bit defensive about it
09:05but there's a famous story that he was abroad
09:08and he was told that his father might well be dying
09:12but he refused to set off to leave and come back to England
09:17because he was too busy trying to seduce the wife of a local official
09:21now that's a man with his mind on other matters
09:25affairs of the heart above affairs of the estate
09:29yes interesting
09:35Edward's affairs with women were one of the ways in which he rebelled against the rigid line drawn by his father
09:41another was through his clothing which became a great passion throughout his life
09:47I've come to Kensington Palace to meet curator Isabella Carrasa to see some of the actual clothes that Edward wore
09:55and to discover more about his love of fashion
10:01so we'll start with this suit this green tartan suit and this is from later in his life
10:09so this is when he is the Duke of Windsor he is now in France this is the Lord of the Isle tartan
10:17so this particular only the royals could wear it
10:23and the story goes that this tartan was actually made in the 15th century
10:29for the head of the Macdonald clan in Scotland
10:33but then later in that century they had a conflict with the king
10:39and the king decided that he could not wear the tartan anymore
10:43the clan was not allowed it would be now incorporated to the royals
10:47and this is why now he could wear it
10:49so everything has meaning doesn't it
10:51absolutely absolutely
10:55Edward described himself as a true British dandy
10:59and he had a style that he called dress soft
11:02so it was stylish and comfortable
11:05it was tailored to make him look slimmer and taller
11:09you know kind of padded shoulders, big lapels, turn ups and so on
11:13his father George V was less impressed by his tailoring
11:17I mean he thought basically his son looked like a spiv
11:19like a Mayfair socialite and not like a prince
11:25so what have we here?
11:27well this is I think one of the favourite items we have in the collection
11:33I just absolutely love this
11:35so this is the outfit that he would have worn to go golfing
11:39aha, okay, so the plus fours
11:41exactly, so he was famous for making the plus fours popular
11:49and he writes in his autobiography
11:51he's always very humble you know with how trends start
11:54and he said well I don't really know why people say
11:57I'm the one who started using plus fours because my father
12:01and my grandfather they had worn
12:03large knickerbockers when they went golfing as well
12:07but yes I suppose mine were a little wider
12:09and yes mine were a little longer
12:11so maybe that's why people liked it
12:13and we have the golfing shoes here with the
12:17very practical studs
12:19well the interesting thing about the shoes is that
12:21it's actually normal fashionable day shoes
12:25that he actually had the spikes added on
12:28ah, so he adapted them rather than going for the
12:31less fashionable traditional golfing shoes
12:33exactly
12:35and I just want to show you one more thing
12:37that I find really clever
12:39is that he was passionate about his clothes
12:42he would spend hours with his tailors
12:45not just deciding oh maybe this fabric or that
12:47they would sit together
12:49and actually discuss minor details
12:52things that people wouldn't think otherwise
12:54and for this one
12:56so it's wool
12:57and you wouldn't necessarily wash your wool
13:01and this is something that he's actually thinking
13:03how am I going to get my clothes clean
13:05and he got detachable lining
13:08and they go all the way down to the hem
13:11and you have that washed
13:13that's quite unusual isn't it
13:14that he's not just
13:15it's not just about the aesthetics
13:17and how he's looking
13:18he's thinking about the practicalities
13:20yes and this is why we think it's so interesting
13:23his relationship with clothes
13:25because he was
13:26I mean so flamboyant
13:28and he loved all those crazy styles
13:30but actually when you look at them
13:32they're very practical
13:33everything about them
13:35has a reason for being there
13:37like with the trousers as well
13:39he would always have a button
13:41right at the center front
13:43and that means that he could button his shirt
13:46so when he sat or moved
13:48the shirt wouldn't be moving around
13:50you would see as much of the Prince of Wales
13:53in the newspapers
13:54in golf attire
13:56so he used to wear the flat baker boy caps
13:58that were made by James Lockencoe
13:59on St. James's Street
14:01one of his great innovations
14:03was to crease the trousers to the front
14:05instead of to the side like his father
14:07he was also in the 20s known for wearing Oxford bags
14:11which were these great white trousers
14:13that were popularized by undergraduates
14:14at Oxford and Cambridge
14:16and he also wore turn-ups
14:18which George V ridiculed
14:19and said they were there to catch rain
14:21one gets the impression that George V
14:23didn't have a very entertaining sense of humor
14:26clothes were clearly just a means of expressing himself
14:33wasn't it?
14:34oh yes and I mean for a person that had such a life
14:39full of you know crazy events
14:41I mean he is the one who abdicated for love
14:45he was Prince of Wales
14:46traveled the world
14:47became king
14:48and yet in his autobiography
14:51he dedicates a whole chapter
14:53just for his clothes
14:55that's the status of clothes for him
14:57well thank you
14:58it's been absolutely fascinating
15:00to get this glimpse into Edward's wardrobe
15:03which of course reveals his public side
15:05he was seen in these clothes
15:07but it also reveals an awful lot
15:09about his private life as well
15:11oh absolutely
15:16Edward's dress style
15:18while it annoyed his father
15:20was bearable for the royal family
15:22and while he was rather frequently falling in love
15:25with married women
15:27at least they returned to their husbands
15:29so such affairs could be kept fairly private
15:32as long as he didn't make the mistake
15:34of thinking he could marry one
15:37in January 1931
15:39while Edward was staying with his mistress
15:41Lady Furness at her country house
15:44he was introduced to her friend
15:46Wallis Simpson
15:47and her husband Ernest
15:49at this point
15:50there was little sign of what was to come
15:52Wallis made very little impression
15:54on Edward at all
15:55but it's probably fair to say
15:57that she was a bit of a social climber
15:59and was excited at the prospect
16:01of having a future king
16:02in her circle of friends
16:04so she kept in touch with him
16:06the pair met up on several occasions
16:08and became close
16:10but Edward's loyalties remained primarily with Lady Furness
16:15until in January 1934
16:18she sailed to the United States
16:21with Furness out of the picture
16:23Wallis backed herself a prince
16:26Edward's psychology yearned for domination
16:30and this is what he found in Wallis
16:35he was somebody who was in a very powerful position
16:38who nobody ever said no to
16:41and the thrill of having somebody say no
16:45somebody challenge him
16:46somebody make him feel little and nothing
16:49was extraordinary for him
16:54Wallis Simpson is almost so severe
16:57so domineering
16:59so rude
17:00that you know she's almost a dominatrix
17:03you know in relation to Edward
17:04you rather get the impression of Edward
17:06as wanting to fall into the role of naughty prince
17:09and Wallis is there to hole the whip
17:11maybe literally
17:12we don't know
17:15the royal family initially ignored what was going on
17:19perhaps thinking that Wallis was yet another
17:22in the long line of married women
17:24that Edward fell in love with
17:27Edward himself professed that his relationship with Wallis
17:31was innocent
17:32but in November 1934
17:35the reality of the situation became apparent
17:39Alan Lascelles said that it was as easy to believe
17:42in the innocence of their relationship
17:44as it was to believe
17:46that a herd of unicorns were grazing in Hyde Park
17:49or that a shoal of mermaids were swimming in the serpentine
17:53obviously we don't know what was going on
17:56but Edward was seen coming out of her room
18:00with lipstick all over him
18:02I think that kind of gives you a fairly good indication
18:06of what had happened between them
18:10it would have been imagined
18:11that even though Wallis Simpson was known
18:13to the royal family
18:14they wouldn't have been presented with her
18:16unless the Duke of Windsor was absolutely adamant
18:20that they had to meet
18:21and this happened at a party at Buckingham Palace
18:24that was celebrating the Duke of Kent's marriage
18:26to Princess Marina
18:27and she was physically put in the way of the Queen
18:31so they couldn't ignore her
18:33he was almost declaring his love
18:35and saying this is the woman I'm going to marry
18:37whether you like it or not
18:41it has pleased almighty God
18:44to call to his mercy
18:46our late Sovereign Lord King George V
18:54On the 20th of January 1936
18:57Edward's father King George V died
19:00Queen Mary took her son's hand and kissed it
19:04he'd had 40 years to prepare himself for this day
19:07but it had nearly been 40 years dreading it
19:11the now King Edward VIII burst into tears
19:15but now he was King Edward was determined to make the most of it
19:20he planned to make his reign different from those that had gone before
19:24he'd be open to new ideas progressive willing to make changes
19:29the more traditional regime of his father was over
19:32his own reign was to be a more modern reflection of the times
19:37but such a modern attitude combined with a more informal approach
19:42would make his a controversial reign
19:46One of my favourite stories which I think epitomises Edward VIII's new approach
19:51concerns the clocks at Sandringham
19:54since the reign of Edward VII they'd always been set half an hour fast
19:59it was known as Sandringham time
20:01and was done to give him more evening daylight for hunting
20:05but shortly after his father's death
20:07Edward VIII ordered that they be put back to the correct time
20:11that seems to make sense
20:13it must have been pretty confusing having a state in its own time zone
20:18but it was also a tradition
20:20and in the royal household
20:22tradition has sometimes mattered more than common sense
20:26Edward VIII was ripping up the rule book and ruffling feathers from day one
20:32Edward hadn't particularly enjoyed the education he was given to be king
20:38and he didn't value the sort of king that his father was
20:43Edward wanted to be more modern, more relaxed, less stuffy and high bound
20:48but in throwing away many of the elements of traditional kingship
20:52he ended up throwing away those that earned him the trust and respect
20:56of his ministers and those he worked with
20:58to the extent that he came to be seen as an unreliable character
21:03I think as king Edward was contrary to say the least
21:08he was also quite a vain man
21:10you know the idea of being shown on the reverse side rather than the conventional side
21:14because it was a better side to his face
21:16is faintly ludicrous I would have thought
21:20there were huge problems with the diplomatic boxes
21:23that were sent to his personal residence
21:25and they would come back covered in red wine stains
21:28or with cigarette ash flicked all over them
21:30which suggests that these very private papers were left around
21:33while there were parties occurring in Fort Belvedere
21:36and even if there weren't parties and Mrs Simpson
21:39was actually looking at these papers
21:41that would have been a huge breach of protocol and intelligence
21:45King Edward's modern approach was popular with the public
21:49but not with the establishment
21:51and it was nothing compared to the biggest elephant in the room
21:55Wallace Simpson
21:57by October 1936 it became clear that he was not going to give her up
22:02and wanted to marry her
22:04the establishment was horrified
22:06and Edward's position became untenable
22:10in the end rather than give up Wallace
22:12he gave up the throne
22:14and abdicated on December the 10th 1936
22:18a few hours ago
22:21I discharged my last duty
22:24as king and emperor
22:27but you must believe me when I tell you
22:30that I have found it impossible
22:32to carry the heavy burden of responsibility
22:35and to discharge my duties as king
22:39as I would wish to do
22:41without the help and support of the woman I love
22:46so why did Edward make this momentous choice
22:50and was Wallace really the conniving social climber
22:53that history remembers her as
22:55to find out I'm meeting biographer of Wallace Simpson
22:59Anne Sieber
23:00so Anne can you pinpoint the moment when it became more serious
23:04and Edward really fixed upon Wallace as his future wife
23:08I suspect it was very early on actually
23:11once Thelma Furness had to go away to America
23:16really Wallace moved in at that point
23:19and Thelma knew immediately she was back
23:22that Edward and Wallace had developed this intimacy
23:25now if you read Wallace's memoirs
23:30it was a holiday in 1934
23:32when Edward slipped a little jewel into her hand
23:36at the end of the holiday
23:38and Wallace says that imperceptible moment
23:41there was no going back
23:42so I really think jewellery was the root of it
23:47but Wallace convinced herself
23:49that as soon as Edward became king
23:51he'd be forced to dump her
23:53because you know mistresses in history
23:55as you know well historically they get dumped
23:59what she failed to understand
24:01was Edward's need for her
24:04was very deep obsessional
24:06pathological if you like
24:08now Wallace has been seen as the kind of arch schemer
24:13who manipulated Edward
24:15because she had her eyes on the throne from the beginning
24:17how fair is that?
24:19not entirely fair
24:21of course Wallace was a manipulator
24:24she manipulated it so much
24:26that in January 36 when Edward insisted
24:29that that summer they went on a cruise together
24:32Wallace thought
24:33oh how can I keep Ernest happy?
24:36because she was certain that at the end of it all
24:39she'd go back to Ernest
24:45Wallace was really living in cloud cuckoo land
24:48because don't forget the British press was self-censored
24:51so nobody really knew about this story
24:54and Wallace thought well you know
24:56a little bit of adultery
24:57I'll be forgiven for that
24:59what changed was at the end of this holiday in 1936
25:03when she stopped in Paris
25:07and her thoughtful aunt had kindly clipped photographs of her
25:11that had been seen in the world's press
25:13with Wallace's hand
25:16a married woman on the arm of the king
25:19once that photograph went viral
25:21it was all over for Wallace
25:24because she realised then how hated she was
25:27that the women in all the Commonwealth
25:29were not prepared to accept as Queen Wally
25:33a woman who was already married
25:36so she wrote at that point to Edward
25:39saying you and I must call it off
25:41we'll only create disaster together
25:43she'd missed her opportunity
25:45she really didn't want to be Queen
25:48with all the responsibility of opening factories and schools
25:53you know that was work
25:54she liked the fun of it
25:56she liked the enjoyment of the jewellery
25:59but not the real responsibility that goes with it
26:03England's day of days
26:05Westminster Abbey is the setting for the shore of the century
26:08as peers arrived for the coronation of King George VI
26:12well, Wallace was never going to be Queen
26:15after the abdication
26:17Edward's brother became King George VI
26:20and Edward, now His Royal Highness the Duke of Windsor
26:23departed Britain
26:25not for France and Wallace
26:27but Austria
26:28he and Wallace couldn't be together at first
26:31as it would jeopardise her divorce
26:33Edward was at a bit of a loose end
26:38he spent the next few months pining for Wallace
26:41he tried to distract himself
26:43by playing the drums loudly to gramophone records
26:46drinking copious amounts of brandy
26:49and running up huge telephone bills speaking to her
26:52he could not live without her
26:55and I think we find this very difficult to understand
26:58whether there was a sexual hold over him
27:01which is entirely possible and was rumoured at the time
27:04or whether this domineering character
27:06was something that he needed
27:08I mean, to give up a throne
27:09for a twice-divorced American lady
27:11who wasn't terribly pretty
27:13she was sharp, she was chic
27:14but she was never pretty
27:16is still inexplicable to many people
27:25Edward had left the country so quickly
27:27that there'd been little time to work out
27:30what his future role was going to be
27:33it's often said that he never wanted to be king in the first place
27:36and so must have been glad to be out of it
27:39but that's probably an oversimplification
27:42not being particularly suited to the position
27:45didn't make it easy to give up all that power and prestige
27:49it's more likely that he thought that once the dust had settled
27:53he'd be allowed back into the fold
27:55and given some sort of role
27:58but as one by one he was stripped of the positions he held back in Britain
28:03it soon became clear to him
28:05out meant out
28:06the new king even banned his family from attending their wedding
28:10but Edward had no intention of fading away
28:14just four months after their wedding
28:16he and Wallace hit the headlines again
28:19when they embarked on that infamous trip
28:22to Nazi Germany
28:25it's incredible to think that a year after abdicating
28:29with all the rumours that have been swirling round
28:31Edward decides the best thing to do is to go and visit Hitler
28:34at his mountain lair in Berthesgaden
28:37and worse, to be photographed, to be filmed
28:40him and Wallace giving the classic Nazi salutes
28:44I think Edward understood from World War I the lessons
28:49that at all costs you would avoid another world war
28:52it was in retrospect ill-advised
28:55but at the time most of the British aristocracy were pro appeasement
28:59they really did not want another war
29:01and thought they had to do business with Hitler
29:04so Edward and Mrs Simpson going to Germany
29:07was more pro appeasement than it was pro Nazi
29:10what tragedies
29:13what horrors
29:15what crimes
29:17has Hitler
29:19and all that Hitler stands for
29:22brought upon Europe
29:24and the world
29:26justifiable or not
29:28Edward of course failed in his diplomatic mission
29:31with the coming of the Second World War
29:34Edward briefly returned to Britain
29:36before being posted to France and then Spain
29:39while there he openly criticised the British government
29:43and his defeatist talk was hugely embarrassing
29:47and so they decided to ship him off
29:49to a far more lonely and obscure outpost
29:52the Bahamas
29:54upon arrival
29:56the pair went to their new home
29:58government house
29:59and instantly took a dislike to it
30:01they'd already been given 2,000 pounds for redecoration
30:05but Edward asked the British government for more
30:09Lord Lloyd the colonial secretary
30:11suggested that the money could probably be better spent
30:14on a fighter aircraft
30:16there was after all
30:18a war on
30:19so the Windsors paid
30:20for most of the redecoration themselves
30:23well I think that Edward was a Sybarite at heart
30:26you know that he loved the luxuries of life
30:28and when he was sent to the Bahamas
30:30the first thing he thought about
30:31was asking the Duchess of Windsor to redecorate government house
30:34which was pretty poor show really
30:37when you think that the rest of the world was at war
30:39and all he could think of was paint colours
30:42Edward was very self-centred
30:44and very self-serving
30:46he was brought up to be this way
30:48he didn't know
30:49how to look after his best interest
30:51he didn't know how to put on a good public face
30:54because you know PR what's that
30:56you know why should I partake in that
30:59you know he thought only of himself and his own pleasures
31:04life on the Bahamas was quite dull
31:06though Edward did try to improve what was a pretty backwards island
31:10but if the British government hoped that sending him away
31:13would finally get him out of the newspapers
31:15they were to be disappointed
31:19Edward seemingly couldn't keep his mouth shut
31:22when it came to criticisms of the war effort
31:25he told an American stockbroker
31:27that he thought the United States should keep out of the war
31:30because democracy in Europe was a lost cause
31:34he hinted that he believed communism would take over Britain
31:38and that America should just look after itself
31:41such defeatist talk was one thing
31:43but there have been allegations that Edward
31:46and particularly Wallace went much further
31:50even though Edward was in the Bahamas
31:53he spoke openly about his view that England couldn't win
31:56he saw that either the Nazis would
31:59or that communism would be successful
32:02but in all of these speeches
32:04even from the Caribbean
32:06he managed to do nothing other than undermine the attempts
32:09of the allies who were trying to create
32:11a coherent narrative against Germany and the Axis powers
32:15I think it's ridiculous to say that Edward was a Nazi
32:19you know the entire British royal family is German
32:22or has to have German origins
32:24so he might have felt that he had empathy with the Germans
32:28or empathy with Hitler
32:29and he could avoid an international catastrophe
32:31that was World War II
32:33by early 1945
32:38it was clear that Edward's defeatist predictions were false
32:41and that the fall of Nazi Germany was edging closer
32:45and so the British government's thoughts increasingly turned
32:49to what Edward and Wallace would do next
32:52Edward announced his resignation of the governorship of the Bahamas
32:56to take effect in April
32:58so a decision had to be made
33:00this was a tricky situation
33:02it's very rare to have someone who's an ex-king
33:06running around alive and well
33:08what do you do with him?
33:10Edward initially wanted to serve a useful purpose
33:13perhaps an official posting to the United States
33:16where he could help to further Anglo-American relations
33:19his brother the King thought it sounded a good idea
33:22but after taking advice from his ministers
33:25and his private secretary Tommy Lascells
33:28the King changed his mind
33:30I think it's fair to say that at this point
33:33Edward lost faith in ever being a productive member
33:36of the royal family
33:38his last day as governor of the Bahamas
33:41proved to be his last day of work for the rest of his life
33:47once he was out he was just left to wander the globe
33:51being a jet setter
33:52there wasn't much else to life
33:54apart from you know wanting the Duchess of Windsor
33:56to be called HRH and be curtsied to
33:58which meant nothing if she wasn't going to be curtsied to in England
34:02the truth started to dawn that the rest of his life
34:07was going to be
34:08celebrity articles, TV interviews
34:11completely pointless socialising
34:13and a bit of gardening
34:15in the end he and Wallace split their time between the United States and France
34:23primarily due to the latter's tax advantages
34:26he would spend the rest of his life waiting for something to happen
34:31for a time they rented a house in Paris
34:35and managed to avoid the tightening of belts that defined post-war Europe
34:39they held lavish lunches and dinners
34:42for a crowd of French and foreign dignitaries
34:45as well as numerous friends
34:47there were cocktails, caviar and lobster
34:51meals were ten courses washed down
34:54with a cavalcade of drinks
34:56music would be played
34:58and Edward would wave his arms around like a conductor
35:05the royal family thwarted all of his ambitions
35:08he tried to gain positions
35:11he wanted to do something
35:12and they just prevented him from doing that
35:15so he had to turn his time towards something
35:19and he began writing his memoirs
35:22and he really put himself into that
35:25because it was a way of channelling his frustrations
35:28and it was a way of passing the time and doing something
35:36at least Edward had the woman he'd given it all up for
35:39Wallace
35:40but with little else to fill his time
35:43Edward's already obsessive love for her became stifling
35:47and she increasingly sought escape
35:50in the arms of a millionaire socialite called Jimmy Donoghue
35:54but was Wallace really being unfaithful to the man who'd chosen her over the throne?
35:59I'm meeting author Christopher Wilson
36:02Edward's made this enormous sacrifice for Wallace
36:06the woman he loves
36:07but one would imagine that would put some pressure on the relationship
36:10is that the case?
36:12consider this
36:13the Duchess of Windsor is in a dry, unrewarding human relationship
36:23he adores her but he won't leave her alone
36:27and it gets very wearing
36:29I think their personal relationships were fulfilling for him
36:33but they were not fulfilling for her
36:35she had got to the stage in her life where she was looking at herself in the mirror
36:40and saying
36:41I've got all the jewels I want
36:43I've got all the photographs I want
36:47I've got, you know, houses and money
36:50and what next?
36:52and at that point
36:54a young man called Jimmy Donoghue walked across her path
36:57and she fell for him hook, line and sinker
37:00and did Edward find out about this?
37:04there was a moment which is recorded by the Windsor's private secretary Anne Seagram
37:10in her private diaries
37:12where she overhears the Duke finally confronting the Duchess
37:18the Duchess had been having an affair with Jimmy Donoghue for four years
37:24and finally in their apartment in New York
37:28the Duke tells the Duchess it's got to stop
37:32he is in tears, he's begging her, he's pleading her
37:36that she should give up this young man
37:39and she's been found out
37:41she didn't know that he knew
37:43and she walks away from that encounter
37:46full of chagrin, full of doubt
37:50and still the relationship went on
37:54they were inseparable for four years
37:57Wallace's actions must have left Edward feeling utterly distraught
38:02but things weren't about to get any better
38:05in February 1952
38:07his brother King George VI died
38:10followed just over a year later
38:12by his mother Queen Mary
38:14Edward had spent a large part of his life
38:18seeking his mother's approval
38:20and he was never ever able to get it
38:23he wanted her to like
38:27or even forgive him for marrying Wallace
38:32and she was never going to like Wallace
38:34and she was never going to forgive him for marrying her
38:37and when she died
38:41he lost that opportunity
38:44to ever have that reconciliation happen
38:49and so he was very, very upset about that
38:55Upon his brother's death
38:57Edward's niece ascended the throne as Elizabeth II
39:01but if he expected any change in the royal family's position
39:05on himself and Wallace
39:06then he was to be disappointed
39:08he wasn't even invited to the coronation
39:11and so filled his time writing articles about the monarchy
39:14looking after property in France
39:17playing golf
39:18and for some reason
39:20practicing Spanish and German
39:26What Edward never seemed to get his head around
39:29was that the monarchy had essentially struck a bargain
39:32with the government and with the British people
39:35you enjoy your privileges, your palaces
39:38but you play by the rules
39:40you have duties
39:41you behave in a certain way
39:43I think the one thing the Duke always remained steadfast about
39:47was his love of Wallace Simpson
39:48he never regretted it
39:49and it was almost like
39:51you have to entertain me
39:53you have to keep me occupied
39:54because I'd given up all of this for you
39:56I would imagine that Wallace Simpson felt very trapped
40:00in the marriage
40:01because she had to keep on entertaining this man
40:04who was born to be king
40:06and threw it away for her
40:07so what a poison chalice that must have been
40:14Wallace may have felt trapped
40:16but she continued life with Edward
40:18and even at this stage
40:19he was still fighting to get her an HRH title
40:22something the royal family back home
40:25never relented on
40:27Edward expressed his displeasure
40:29with some unusual titles of his own
40:32the pair kept pug dogs
40:34called Disraeli, Trooper and Davy Crockett
40:38but for a time
40:39there was even a fourth
40:40cheekly named Peter Townsend
40:43their creativity for naming their dogs
40:46was only matched by the way they referred
40:48to their relations
40:50Edward nicknamed the Queen Shirley Temple
40:53due to her having as he saw it
40:55a dumpy frame and curly hair
40:58which bore a passing resemblance to the child star
41:01Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
41:03was known as that fat Scotch cook
41:06and the Loch Ness monster
41:07and when she appeared on television
41:09Edward would exclaim
41:11here comes the blimp
41:13the rift in the family showed no signs of healing
41:16it was a very cruel blow not to give the Duchess of Windsor an HRH
41:23it was vindictive
41:24and the vindictiveness was coming from Queen Mary and from Queen Elizabeth
41:29Queen Elizabeth would not allow Wallace to have the protocols and the privileges that HRH would give her
41:35The question of Wallace's title became a long running sore for Edward
41:41but it was in his personality not to let things go
41:45and so right until his deathbed
41:47he was still writing and complaining as to why Wallace wasn't given this simple dignity of the title
41:54Towards the end of 1971 doctors found a malignant tumor in Edward's throat
42:05it was inoperable
42:07in May 1972 attached to his life support system
42:11he had a last meeting with the Queen and died nine days later
42:16the funeral took place on the 5th of June
42:19and the body was buried in the lawn at Frogmore
42:22Wallace was to be buried beside him 14 years later
42:26Edward's funeral was not a state occasion
42:29Wallace was there on invitation of the Queen
42:32she stayed at Buckingham Palace
42:33she was apparently very bewildered
42:36and almost the onset of Alzheimer's had almost begun
42:40not being a state occasion
42:42it was slightly hugger mugger
42:44the grave is not particularly remarkable
42:46there's no great monument to him
42:49so he was sort of buried round the corner as it were
42:52rather than in Westminster Abbey or St George's Chapel Windsor
42:57Edward's biggest flaw had been his self-centred outlook
43:05that had led him to believe he could keep his public life
43:08and his private life separate
43:10and therefore get away with marrying Wallace
43:13but this had proved impossible
43:16and in order to live the private life he'd wanted
43:19he'd had to pay an enormous price
43:22the throne
43:23he'd never really come to terms with what that meant
43:26and the rest of his life had been spent waiting for calls to do his duty
43:30that never came
43:32but was he ever suited to the job in the first place?
43:36for while the trappings of monarchy may be appealing to some
43:40to Edward, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St James's Palace
43:45became just the finest gilded prisons in the world
43:49he escaped
43:50and the nation was spared too much of King Edward VIII
43:54and Britain now has the most stable monarchy the world has ever seen
43:59everyone's an expert at something
44:03your expertise could land you the title of Australia's Mastermind
44:06if you're ready to face the spotlight
44:08and you think you've got what it takes to win television's most demanding test of memory
44:12go to sbs.com.au forward slash mastermind to apply
44:29Thank you