The Man Who Would Be King...Again? The 1946 Duke of Windsor Plot
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- In 1946, a secret plot emerged to make the Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII, king again, but not of Britain, but of part of a foreign country. Find out the full story of this completely forgotten and overlooked story.
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA, is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.o...
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress;Geni; A.Savin; Wolkenkratzer; Raycer; Matthias Suessen.
Mark just casually taking a stroll down to the national archives to uncover obscenely obscure historical tidbits by accident, you absolute legend, best historian on the planet
agreed
Dr. Felton: "I've got some time to kill. What shall I do? Oh, I've got it! I'll casually peruse the British national archives!" Legend!
LMAO that was my thoughts too. Just having a casual looksie in the national archives. As one does.
INDEED!!
INDEED!!
Does anyone else notice how much information mark can cram into 15 minutes, never ceases to amaze me, and all easily delivered, again pure genius
There are no wasted words and every sentence is informative.
True
Best line ever..... "His only real interest was sleeping with other man's wives"..... laughed so hard at this, the delivery Mark, spot on!!
I thought that was Charlie Boy.
Another phrase that I found amusing was "the Dukes of Hanover." It made me think of a Mercedes Benz coupe with a rebel flag on the roof.
I have to dissent: he also liked drinking, smoking & steeplechasing.
freda dudley ward and thelma furness
"Edward the Eighth used to be an Admiral of the Fleet. Now he's third mate on an American tramp."
If you want pure historical data, with a hint of obscure theory? Mark has it. He doesn't surmise. He shows you the paperwork with quotes, film footage, and those that were either there, or factual history that came before the topics. He is an imperical historical journalist with no spin.
If only the world and modern media had more like him.
Thank you Mark.
While other historians re-package and rehash from other history books and published sources, Dr. Felton does the actual research as a true author would. The results are fascinating stories that we’ve never heard just like this one. Thank you, Dr. Felton.
While an elementary schooler, I saw the Duke & Duchess of Windsor on an American television talk show. They looked like forgotten old actors. Not knowing them, I asked my dad who the man was. My father answered, "That man is the biggest fool of all time."
Your dad was spot on!
After Edward abdicated, a popular joke at the time was, "He gave up being King to become third mate on a tramp steamer"!
Harry should have learned from him.
Sounds like your Dad was a wise man.
He just wanted no responsibility, but still a lavish life style, he didn't deserve to be king. And should have lived in his beloved Germany, good riddance I say
Mark this is one amazing piece of history and plot. Your meticulous research and high quality presentation is truly world class.
As Mark’s report progressed, I realized I knew less and less of this criminal affair and really am quite sickened but better educated as a result.
Dr Felton treating us with constant content is one of the joys of the Internet. Many thanks from Romania! I wish there would be coverage of our involvement in the second world war for my personal enlightenment as this format is very enjoyable 🇷🇴
I second Luigi's motion!
Y'all let the sixth get circled among other things leading to the defeat at Stalingrad
@@ChanchoBlancowe asked for weapons and we told the Germans we can’t hold the Soviets. They didn’t listen.
@@killthereds2.043but mark is also pay by chi Na gov
@@matpk eh, Churcill gave half of Europe to Stalin
80 years since WW2 and Dr Felton continues to educate us on facts that have never been revealed before! 👍🏼👍🏼
it really makes me wonder what kind of world we are living in
I've come across most of these things - maybe I was just in the right place at the right time!
Can we just appreciate how much Wallis Simpson did for the war effort.
Yeah, and everyone says that the US was late in coming to the party! They were there in 1938.
Depending on the side you're referring to.
The point,I think, is that Edward’s obsession with Wallis led him to abdicate. He was pro Nazi and utterly inept, spoiled and stubborn. Thank goodness he abdicated and Britain was not taken over by Hitler thus possibly changing the outcome of WWII.
@@divadaedalus yes, she got Edward to abdicate, which allowed King George VI to become king and not befriend the Austrian painter and his noughtsee club.
I grew up with the romantic view of the Duke of Windsor walking away from his crown because of the woman he loved. This was perpetrated by my mother. But there are so many levels to the Duke's story beyond abdicating to be with the woman he loved. And Mark has added some new layers to this tale for me today.
What is ironic is that there nothing romantic about the story. Edward was an immature codependent and Wallis was miserable her entire life. She wanted to go back to her last husband but he had moved on. That, plus the Nazi ties, destroys the whole “love story”
Let me summarize:; their was a palace coup and the displaced leader plotted a come back. The story is as old as history.
@@pixelpatter01 There
right you are
@@garyfrancis6193
in Denmark the story typically is that Edward was forced to abdicate in order to be allowed to marry her. It was discussed quite heavily when our princes married commoners (20-25 years ago), but in modern Denmark, no one cares about such things and the government would probably have been forced to step down (by the people) if they tried to pull such a stunt
Edward and Wallis were vacuous malignant narcissists. It is a good thing he inadvertently removed himself from all positions of influence before he called lasting harm. Mark, this is a significant contribution to the historical record. Thank you.
Agreed
Vacuous? Malignant? Narcissists? This sounds very familiar!
@@gordonbergslien30 OMG, my thoughts exactly!
Family traits. The biggest shysters going - and the population seem to by and large still love it!
@@markjeffery3237 Every family has one, and Harry is totally a Spencer rather than a Windsor. Just like his mum and uncle unfortunately. Meghan is also unfortunately rather like Wallis.
Thank you, thank you, thank you; I am so sick of the myth that Edward VIII abdicated simply for Wallis Simpson.
yep an offer that couldnt be refused
He was a traitor
@@bernardrandles8013 That is exactly my point.
Nobody ever really believed that. It was just a cover story, because the real truth would've been too damaging in 1938
@@tombombadil9123 But the myth keeps getting perpetuated
Excellent narration. Absolutely spot on with the historical facts and beautifully edited and uploaded. You're a star Mr Felton . Thank you for the hours of entertainment you have given to me and I'm sure many others !!
You can always count on Mark for obscure and (almost) forgotten pieces of history. I'm amazed every single time. Highly appreciated and anticipated!
His niece Queen Elizabeth II apparently knew this , as did his sister-in-law, the queen mother Queen Elizabeth. Wallis did the British people and the free world a good turn, by marrying Edward.
America saving the day and WW2, once again, without even trying. USA! (Joking)
An excellent point I had not considered… until now.
@@tobywareing6435that has yet to be determined....
The Queen Mother banned Diana from buying any of Wallis Simpson's jewelry after she died. Now I understand why .
I'm willing to bet they forced Edward to abdicate because of his ties with Hitler. Do you really believe the King of England couldn't marry who he wants? Charles has made his lover Queen. Henry divorced how many times and married who he wanted mutiple times.
Believe me when I say I listen to every word you say with the ear of an historian: your narrative here is masterly- even by your own standards. Knowing how tempting it is to push a line, you deserve genuine credit for always allowing your facts to speak for themselves, and your reticence in forwarding claims is to be admired. Thank you.
Totally agree - he is the best. It's just a pity Dr. Felton doesn't get wider coverage on the broadcast media but it's clear that broadcast TV seems to have abandoned history documentaries. It's now better covered on UA-cam!
This is absolutely fascinating! And confirmation of Edward’s stupidity and total unfitness to be King. Sadly it was probably best that he remained a kind of unemployed celebrity and was not allowed a position from which he could influence or harm anyone.
I think Prince Harry is being iced out in a comparable manner! Though he’d be a lot less dangerous to the “Firm”
I think Earl Mountbatten was a much better choice as a British installed German monarch than Duke of Windsor.
@@mapmanlxii1715at least Harry isn’t parading around with Putin and Xi
One less traitor we had.
@@petershen6924Except that Churchill had barely a higher regard for "Dickie" than for "David". Churchill was quick to use the Dieppe debacle to have Mountbatten hustled off to Burma, well away from the European theatre. Churchill considered him an incompetent headline grabber who was too close to the Americans, and therefore a potential obstacle to Churchill's own wartime and post-war agendas.
Love most videos that Mark Felton comes out with. I enjoy learning all the complexity of history and the nuances of seemingly questionable allegiances that are not as black and white as many history teachers make them out to be.
So I see in my crystal ball Mark's grand kids carrying on the historical tidbits and the first story will be Harry and Megan. LOL.
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was also also the name of the Royal Belgian House, which is now named House of Saxe-Coburg. The title Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is still in use for the descendants of King Leopold I.
Interesting. (And that's not a connection I'd want to be saddled with...)
This is also an interesting historical gem, adding to the flavour of another remarkable video by Dr Felton … through casual meanderings
Dunno If there is some tie with princess Leopoldina married with Pedro I the Brazilian regent prince
That deserves a one armed salute.
All relations of Queen Vic.
A senior royal marries a divorced American ignorant of court life? That could never happen again. Oh, wait...
a good cover story
Not even close
The British owe Wallace Simpson a great debt of gratitude for cutting short what would have been the disastrous reign of Edward. Can you imagine what it would have been like listening to his Nazi loving nonsense while Churchill was vowing to “fight them on the beaches” and defend their island home to the bitter end?
Simpson was most likely a German spy. It's the anti-Edwardian plotters that deserve credit, although she herself made for a convenient excuse with her unsavory reputation that made Edward's removal that much easier.
It really is an amazing quirk of history that Edward VIII was forced to abdicate
Thank god he was forced to abdicate
I don't know, maybe London would still be majority English, instead of pakis and blacks.
It could have been the end of the monarchy.
The perception that he "loved" the Nazi is likely exaggerated. He didn't want a war. It's very logical for anyone who saw any of the carnage of war war one not to. He did observe some of the fighting.
"She was American and totally unacceptable, to the royal family and the church of England."
"He was not officially banished , but he went to a type of self imposed exile."
This sounds REALLY , REALLY familiar.
🤔😆
True that!😅
I mean they both had good reason lol
Known throughout the Navy as “The man who gave up his job as First Lord of the Admiralty in exchange for the position of Third Mate on an American Tramp”. Harsh but funny- and true
What a find and so surprising that it was just sitting there and you are the first to report it. I think Edward would have been a poor King no matter which country had him. He struck me as selfish, lazy and not very bright. He wanted all of the perks but without having to work for them. During his 1920 tour of New Zealand, he thought it tedious how the public fawned over him. He was supposed to be there to thank New Zealand for their sacrifices made for the Empire during WW1.
As soon as his mates invaded France he rushed off to Portugal for protection. What a dirt bag of a traitor, and I wonder what the French would think of this king helping his mate, Hitler, to invade France?
@@PORRRIDGE_GUN I know. The establishment sought to cover up what he had done, and it has well been reported that he informed his pal, Hitler, where to break through, to get into France, and that was through the Arden.
What a legend Mark is! Plus I love this chapter of British history
Did Wallis learn tricks from the bordellos of Shanghai?
Wow! Pretty amazing that literally every other historian has ignored this until now. Kudos Dr. Felton.
I wouldn't say "literally."
A bit like almost all of mainstream media ignoring what has truly taken place over the last three years - they're under orders to ignore it.
It's a fairly obscure and unimportant historical footnote. it will have been mentioned in an academic journal and there will probably be the odd footnote about it in some biographies but it doesn't really tell us much. Maybe you need to read more academic history?
What you really mean is "literally every other historian hasn't done a youtube video on this until now"
He made it accessible to the masses so to speak.
“Literally every other historian”
Umm. The Crown did an episode on all this several years ago, based on work by many historians. And a full book - Traitor King - was published by Andrew Lownie last year
We dodged a bullet when he abdicated. He was the complete opposite to his niece late Queen Elizabeth II
Liz was a traitor.
Both my parents, who were young teenaged Americans at the time, were so enchanted by "the King who gave up his throne for the woman he loved", were so disillusioned by the real story in their old age, would have been really disgusted by these new turn of events. I'm glad they're both gone now so they didn't hear it.
It actually make me angry that they hounded Alan Turing to death and that Nazi sympathiser, degenerate and waster was given a free pass.
well said buddy
Alan turing was not that good as well, he had sexual relantionships with underage boys
Ironic right? It's almost as if the winners werent actually good guys.
People like Alan Turing would eventually be allowed to live as they please, without fear. It took several decades, but it happened. If the other side had won, people like Turing would be fertilizer. @@Theanimeisforme
@@TheanimeisformeYou think the Nazis liked gay people either?
As an American. I apologize for Wallace Simpson, ugh.
I doubt she's nearly as bad as Meghan Markle
Same.
Nothing to apologise for, what a favour she did us, even if by accident.
We had a terrific British comedian called Les Dawson, he was a wonderful wordsnith, he would have likely described her as having a face like a bag of spanners.
@@ericwalstrand3512Meghan may not be perfect, but comparing her to someone who is pro-Nazi is too much. It pretty much gives credence to her and Harry's claims that race is a major factor in certain people's behavior towards them.
I've generally believed that 80% of human history has been lost for one reason or another. But this presentation has caused me to wonder if it's more like 75% lost, 5% just overlooked and still recoverable with effort and skill? Thanks for your work, Dr. Felton.
It's probably in excess of 97%. Remember how many humans lived and died before the written word, and the ones we know of are but the largest of history.
Always pays to read through Comments and you pick up bits and pieces ...well once you toss aside some of the BS and vile people seem to vent
@Rusty_Gold85 true!
@@jamestarbet9608 Even Heroditus the father of history, wrote more propaganda than real history.
Lost or repressed?
If Edward had remained king, maybe the war could've been avoided, or at least Britain would've fought on the right side.
Mark, As a respected historian you should be aware that there is no title “king /Queenof England” this fell after 1707 (union of Scottish and English parliaments).
Such a kit o unpack here.....
I am going to need to watch it a second time & I can't imagine the work that Mark put in to condensing all this research into a digestabe format.
An incredible effort, well done sir!
Mark, I enjoy your videos and was watching something on Dr Goebbels. I have always wondered about his doctrinal thesis: does it still exist or do we even know what he wrote about?
This is one of the best channels on UA-cam, since I learn something new everyday! Many thanks, Dr. Felton! Best wishes from Dublin, Ireland ☘
It’s just an amazing Channel ☘️🇮🇪
@@niallmartin9063 Indeed it is 🇮🇪
Mark Felton in his introduction refers to the "King of England". I would have thought that one of the basic facts of the monarchy that a historian would have known was that there has been no such role since the Treaty of Union in 1707 when the monarchies of England and Scotland were combined to become the monarchy of the newly-formed Kingdom of Great Britain, since evolved to be the monarchy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Tut tut Mr Felton - bottom of the class.
Remember reading an article that extolled Wall Simpson for saving England from disaster by marrying Edward. Funny how history can turned on trick of fate.
Queen Alexandra loathed Germany with a passion. She never forgave the Kaiser for invading Denmark. As for the abdication, I would not call it a plot. I would call it a process. I have never begrudged Mrs Simpson a single jewel. I just feel gratitude towards her. She would have made a dreadful Queen, but she did successfully get him away from us. Glad that she never got a title though. Thank you for the video!
The Kaiser didn't invade Denmark.
@@conveyor2 Danielintheantipodes6741 is referring to the Seven Weeks War in 1864, when his grandfather and future Kaiser William I, the King of Prussia's armies invaded Schleswig-Holstein.
Blame Bismarck for that.
@@johnhblaubachea5156 👍
He really was a nasty piece of work 😈
I have heard rumours of this, but now it makes sense. What I find amazing that these things in history can create as much drama now as they would then.
Confirmation that Germany offered to put Edward back on the throne was obtained by Noel Coward. He went to Portugal in 1940 to entertain Edward and Mrs. Simpson face to face. Edward told Coward all about it. Noel Coward reported it all to British military intelligence.
Noel Coward never talked about this with anyone. He wrote it down in his diary. After he died in 1973, his lover Graham Payn went through the diary, edited it, and the world found out when the diary was published in 1982.
Instead h went to base 211 with the penguins......with the brits on their tail.
Fascinating I had no idea Edward was more German than a lot of Germans. He's lucky he only got sent to play in Bahamas during the war.
and some currency exchange
He was even more lucky not to see the end of a rope after the war.Due to who he was,most likely.
Meanwhile, England now has a divorced monstch who is married to a divorcee. How times change!
Ironic, considering the Church of England split from the Roman Catholic Church purely to give Henry VIII a divorce.
That would be a great tale on film! Thanks Dr Mark.. Actual historic discoveries on this channel! Brilliant work Mark!.
Mark, you have happened upon an amazing gem of history through your diligence. One can only imagine how this would have played out in later years with the establishment of West Germany and the later reunification. David, as a Prince seemed ambitious to have things on his terms and I wonder what would have happened had the Prince applied for Hannoverian citizenship, were it formed as a discrete state, only to renounce British citizenship in order to take the throne.
"Subject and King are clean different things!" Edward would not have applied for citizenship to become king. However, without support from the British and American governments, the project would have remained a pipe dream of the tiny monarchist minority, on a par with restoring the throne of France. Things were going the other way in Europe: Stalin made the kings of Romania and Bulgaria abdicate, the Italians voted to abolish their monarchy, and that of Spain was in suspended animation.
Okay, I'm getting a bit confused here -- was he David or was he Edward?
He was both: David was his personal name (call name) as one of his forenames and Edward was his regal name.
@@seanbigay1042 The princes in Britain usually have a string of names. When Diana married Charles she even got the order of his names muddled up as she could not remember all of them correctly. ;) It came as a surprise for some people that Charles kept his calling name as his regal name. He might have chosen to be the next King George rather than Charles III.
Another great video! I highly recommend Andrew Lownie’s book “Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor”, which portrays Edward VIII as a middle-aged child. Edward’s abdication was a good thing for the free world. His own mother and ERII never trusted him and ‘that woman’.🎉
I thought I was an authority on WWII until I started watching this channel... You are a treasure, Dr. Felton. I hit like on every one of your videos as soon as they start.
Come on 2 million subs! Dr. Felton deserves it!
Considering what she saved them from, I would think there should be a giant monument to Wallis Simpson somewhere in London.
His mother, Mary of Teck, was called that because her father was a Prince of Teck (a very minor German royal house) who married into the British royal family. However, he was penniless (and he discovered after marrying that his British princess, Mary Adelaide aka "Fat Mary," was just as penniless), and they lived in Britain, off of the graces of Queen Victoria; Mary and her siblings were born and raised in the U.K.
Doesn't make her any less German, does it?
@@MarkFeltonProductionsthese videos are gripping. Absolutely top notch.
Fat Mary was Duchess of Cambridge, Queen Victoria's first cousin-the only other legitimate grandchild of George III.
So they were broke Germans
@@MarkFeltonProductions How do you define "German"? Does simply having "German blood" define her as German? Or does being born and raised in Britain all her life, speaking English and practicing English customs, make her English?
Yours is one of just a few historian pages that I genuinely enjoy. You present excellent material, well researched, and avoiding the cutesy interjections of cartoon and media clips that certain other pages think make their presentations droll. You also pronounce names and places correctly. One certain “dark” producer is guilty of egregious mispronunciations, while others have too expansive estimations of the entertainment of their own wittiness and sense of humour.
You and Drachinfel present some of the best military histories, with The History Guy close on your heels. I find some channels just completely unwatchable.
Keep up the good work.
I agree, Mark and The History Guy are 2 of my favourite historians. They don’t waffle on & just present the facts in a concise manner that we can understand.
@@personwhotalkstomuch4898 We can tell who the real authorities on their topics are.
Mark, as a young guy who loves history, I gotta say that your videos really stand out among the rest. Your attention to details and the stories you tell teach me so much that I never knew I needed to know. Thank you for being so knowledgeable and sharing it with the rest of us.
As a quite old-ish guy who loves history, I can only concur, my dear youn frien. Could not said that better myself.
Actual historic discoveries on this channel! Brilliant work Mark!
Amazing Mark - I've always wondered what is still "classified" from WW2 given we know about most of the Intelligence operations & military secrets - even the Cambridge boys - which is not unrelated . . . . . .
plenty theres a future eyes only classification it has a clause that the information can only be released a century after the last person mentioned in the file dies as long as a descendant doesn't block it then theres the royal library at windsor trick we often stash files there you have to get permission of the monarch to access them so never then theres simple misfiling even in the national archives if it has to be released we simply mislabel it with a boring number that no one will ask for hiding in plain sight no one can read the millions of hard copies to find the gold
I believe that information relating to Amy Johnson’s fatal plane crash are sealed for 100 years.
Edward needed his eyes checked. Ms Simpson was not a good looking woman.
A true revelation Mark! What a discovery! Thank god the disgraced Windsor chappie wasn't even contemplated for any roll in Germany's future, nor any other countries either. He was a disgraced, womanising German playboy. So thankful that his brother the late King George VI was a better human being and Loyal to this country, despite his German ancestry. And thus we got in 1952 on George's death probably the best monarch this country ever had or will have. She reigned for 71 glorious years, God Bless Her!
I now understand the total antipathy of an old German college roommate of mine toward the German aristocracy. I used to think he was overstating it, but these people always do seem to be up to something antidemocratic.
No kidding! have you heard of the (relatively) recent raid on a fascist paramilitary by german police?
They were plotting a coup, had organised a shadow cabinet to install once they enacted the takeover, and their leader was none other than a member of the aristocracy
Honestly, it would have been better to revive the German monarchy and make it something Germans can rally around
Being antidemocratic is a good thing
I mean German democracy seems pretty intent on removing the Germans as a people and a nation so maybe the aristocrats were onto something.
For 50 years, I have wondered why the revengeful Hitler, against his generals wishes, halted their tanks & artillery outside Dunkirk instead of destroying the trapped 400.000 English troops.
Is it possible that Edward had influenced Hitlers decision?
Nope, it's because the tanks had outrun their supply lines.
If Edward had stopped it, why was he leaking the battleplans?
Dr. Felton has a video for this, as well. His video on German Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt.
Hitler had sympathy for Britain, or at least he had until then, and still believed that a friendly peace could be reached with the English, now that France was defeated and Britain could no longer win the war (that was what the Germans assumed, of course). Hitler was perfectly willing to make a peace with the English that fully respected the British Empire and its possessions, in exchange for the English recognizing the German right to rule continental Europe, and of course, the last thing Hitler wanted was to carry out an unnecessary massacre of British soldiers at Dunkirk.
@@Mitch93maybe he had agreement with Hitler to spare British life's in exchange for battle plans.
Well if the germans had defeated us, he probably would have been king again, installed as a puppet to replace his brother.
Strikes me he was a little sh*t of a man.
A nation can have an instinct for what’s going on, before a lot of this came to light and when I was boy, several people I met alluded to Edwards unsuitable politics. Interesting.
I knew some about King Edward and his brief time as King and his closeness to Germany, my mom’s side of the Family is British, but I never knew the full extent of his involvement with the Germans, before, during, and after the War.
What a remarkable story you have uncovered.
Imagine being offered the chance to re-take the British throne after Germany 'bombed the UK into submission' & thinking it was a good idea! All the other members of the RF would have been slaughtered
She was mid - we all know she was mid - he fumbled the crown
What is "Mid?"
She was worse than mid, she looked almost as much a man as him.
@@garystrittmater8258homely
@@garystrittmater8258honestly that’s what I wonder. She’s 3/10 I think but yaknow.
Mid as in Middle Class?
Reviving the Kingdom of Hannover as a British-style constitutional monarchy wouldn't have been an innately terrible idea, but Edward would've been perhaps the worst possible choice for the throne. His and George VI's younger brother Henry, Duke of Gloucester, on the other hand...
One more example of Mark Felton's brilliant nose for live history: history which is still vital and undecided. And he keeps exceeding himself, throwing thunderbolts from mountain top to mountain top, as it were, like a titan. I don't know if MacArthur Genius Awards can be given to foreigners, but if possible, Mark Felton deserves one. He is doing more, personally and single-handedly, to advance the cause of making the history of WWII real to people today than any professional historian or university academic I know of. Good work and good luck. We are firm and fervent fans. PJT
In normal countries traitors like that get imprisoned or worse. In monarchies, they get a mansion abroad 😂😂😂
My friends elderly parents, now sadly dead, watched with disbelief and disgust the royal family’s reaction to the death of Wallace Simpson and they were muttering “the bastards didn’t want to know her when she was alive”.
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother, hated Wallis with a passion and Elizabeth II was known to be very careful "never to upset Mummy". Given her mother was still alive when Wallis died, Elizabeth was as gracious as she possibly could be.
This story is frequently presented in tabloid-like setting, thanks for presenting it in this political,diplomatic like manner.
In the olde Pathe genre.
excellent research. To belatedly learn that the English non-response to the German reoccupation of the Rhineland was contributed, in part, to Edward's opposition to the British responding militarily and throwing out the then weak Wehrmacht along with his pro-Nazi leanings (as well as admiration for Hitler and his gang of thugs) only reinforces the idea that keeping Edward off the throne of any nation was a good idea. Thank you again Dr. Felton!
If only they had been as firm with the Bolsheviks.
I have read that Wallis Simpson was more enamored with the Germans than Edward VIII was. They were indeed quite a pair.
Sad they can't have hanging him
Edward was based and should have been king
Edward was a traitor and a completely self centred individual. His narcissistic personality is not so far away from some members of the current royal family who have an equally strong feeling of their entitlement. Andrew and Harry take note!
The Duke of Windsor was supposedly like a little lost sheep round Wallace Simpson. Lets just say she wore the trousers.
"She" filled her trousers better 🤫
History repeats then .
In my day we called that "cu*t struck"😂
@@stephenaustin142nice try, but no
Dr. Felton the plot wasn't overlooked. The plot as you called it (my personal opinion) could have damaged the reputation of the British Crown. The plot was a weak point and the best way to protect a weak point is not to call attention to it. Your shows are great and the high point of my day when you upload one.
His strong pro-Nazi views are the real reason.
@tc2851 Yeah O.K. that too but I'll stick with my comment but I'm open to other suggestions. Maybe my mind can be changed.
Excellent video 📹
...the late Queen 👸 never allowed her private life to be revealed as the Establishment would manipulate her abdication.
Is the story of Edward just propaganda?
Contrary to popular belief, Great Britain and Germany were not equals before WW2. Great Britain was an Empire. Why should Edward be subservient to the Germans?
Germany became only a state in 1871 and lost two wars?
the Brits, and possibly the world at large, dodged a huge bullet with this guys abdication, kinda crazy to think there may be an alternate universe where he doesn't abdicate and buddies up with hitler ...
Dr Felton knocking it out of the park this week!
What an American comment. USA! USA!
That would be a great tale on film! Thanks Dr Mark.
It would be extremely interesting to learn more of Ernest Augustus's role in the July Plot. Might be a thread worth pulling.
2:38 This is why I love history - it's more hilarious than even the best comedy. Remember Granville? Suspected of being half Hungarian? They just didn't know which half 😂 As for David here, I'm sure it was the bottom half, the way he was carrying on 😂
The Crown, on Netflix, touched on this very briefly. If memory serves me correctly, the former King, on a trip to visit the Queen, and to ask to be back in the good graces of the royal family was flatly and coldly denied by Elizabeth because of a letter that was found by royal intelligence, in which it states that he had colluded with the Nazis in an attempt to retake the Throne. If you haven't watched The Crown, I highly recommend it, it's stylized history, but history none the less. Many thanks Dr. Felton.
Yeah, but this was before the war
Throne.
Indeed, corrected. Thanks.@@lynnewilliams3859
The Crown is a drama series, not an accurate account of history. Don't depend on fiction for facts.
I knew the Nazis wanted Edward as a puppet king, but I thought it was in England. Very interesting video! ❤️👍
Yes, but that was if they successfully invaded England.
I’m not particularly a royalist, however I’m an admirer of Albert and Elizabeth after him. They worked hard to erase the mess that Edward created.
Naked self-interest on their part.
My best friend's Mom was English.
And she said something that really stuck with me.
"You have to understand that before the war the Nazis didn't look so bad. The British government did a lot of the same things because of the depression, it wasn't until there was no peace after Dunkirk we knew we were in a fight to the end "
I had a history professor back in the 80s have the class compare the FDR administration and the pre-war Nazi government.
This isn't fair to FDR in many ways and we understood that but the idea of the state as sort of a parent for the nation was widespread on all sides. Certainly vastly different in execution..
I'm saying this because we have the benefit of hindsight, something none of the subjects of our story has. If Edward had kept the throne and told the prime minister to hop it, he was going to marry who he wanted. Thank you very much, it's very interesting to consider what might have happened.
@@M167A1 I’m sure a Jewish person in Germany wouldn’t agree, however at the time a lot of countries didn’t mind Nazi Germany, as at the time there was more fear of the USSR and a strong Germany would help keep communism at bay. Some like Churchill were not fooled.
Fortunately, as a constitutional monarch, Edward didn’t wield such power, any attempt to do this would backfired. The main person calling for Edward to abdicate or breakup with Wallace was the arch Bishop of Canterbury, which meant that Edward stood little chance of succeeding, as he needed the support of the church to win over the public.
Edward was never suited for the thrown, he was selfish, lazy, rebellious and was better at being a playboy than a Royal.
Church of England: (Founded on a divorce larping as an annulment).
Also Church of England: How dare you marry a divorced women.
We have known that the Duke of Windsor was offered to be a (puppet) king of the UK under German rule, because Hitler was certain he would defeat Britain, but I hadn't heard that someone was plotting to have him be a legitimate king of Germany after the defeat of Hitler's regime.
An interesting proposition,, but I can't see Germany ever agreeing to the idea if it had become common knowledge.
I can understand why the British parliament wouldn't have agreed, as the goal of defeating Hitler wasn't to takeover Germany but to defeat the despotic regime.
How about a video about the castle in Sigmaringen German. I visited the castle years ago and was told that some very important German royalty are buried in the basement. Unfortunately I can't remember which ones.. I would be very thankful for some help. Keep up the good work.
I googled. Hohenzollern family. There is a website you can switch to English.
Not only is history stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can think. With apologies to Werner Heisenberg.
Hoc scio.
Ok, that has to be the most fascinating video you've done!
Makes you wonder what other tidbits are hiding away in (somewhat) plain sight in various archives.....
If Edward hadnt abdicated, Im pretty sure Moseley and the Nazi sympathizers would be very cocky in their opposition against Churchill
In 15 minutes mark maybe able to bring down the whole British Royal Monarchy. Something people have been trying to do for centuries.
I wasn't feeling well the other day and binged about eight hours of Dr. Felton's videos...While I still felt crappy, I also felt like I had spent the night at a Holiday Inn Express and knew that if I had my IQ tested that it would have gone up a couple points!
😐😉😁
In all seriousness, this is a fantastic bit of unintentional sleuthing...Bravo Zulu!
Plus an additional point for the Holiday Inn Express reference.
Stay hydrated, my friend.
free pancakes@@dougearnest7590
The only thing Edward was fit for during WW2 was the gallows.
We should have allied with the Axis against the real threat.
@@JamesRichards-mj9kwYou should ally with a mental warden
@@danielogats The only threat was from Communism.
@@JamesRichards-mj9kw
Nope. Just because you hate people and want to hate in peace, dosent mean the axix were good. Now go call your mother or something, you seem in dire need of attention.
@@danielogats The Axis was the good side.
2:20 Albert was very popular, so the Royal Albert Hall and a memorial in Hyde Park were placed after the German prince.
In the badge of the Prince of Wales, it is written in German "ich dien" ( I serve ) King Charles speaks also German.
There's an old controversy as to whether Edward I said "ich dien" when presenting his son to the Welsh, or "eich dyn" which means "your man" in Welsh and would have made more sense. Or was the motto adopted by the Black Prince to honour John of Luxemburg, King of Bohemia, who was killed at the Battle of Crécy?
I know of at least one child who was given as his first and second names Victor Albert in honor of the then Royal Couple, sadly he never survived to reach his teens.
He and his American wife who was not accepted by the royal family should have moved to Montecito , California and complained about his wife being poorly treated….
Maybe write a book and go on TV?
as we say in paddy me arse land, he's helping to put abit to 8 on the table for Mark is the auld fueler :)))
This event was referenced in the Netflix show, The Crown, Season 2, episode 6 "Vergangenheit." Thank you for providing much more detail on this affair!
Why even mention that nonsense.
Mark, I just want to say every time you upload a video, the world becomes a more interesting place. Your an absolute legend. Cheers mate.
That 👑 keeps floating down that long hallway and the Nazi stooge with his arms outstretched just quite can't get it😂
Dear Dr Felton, I might have found a slight error. You mentioned Lübeck, but the letter you show (08:39) mentions Lübbecke. That is a town near Münster in Westphalia, pronounced in three syllables. Not the same like Lübeck in Schleswig-Holstein. In the latter I lived, in the former I have family.
Fascinating. Edward was a very bad news elitist with dangerous sympathies towards the German Leader of WW2. A true risk to the free world as it was failing. A great reminder here by Mark. The twisted thinking of Edward should never be forgotten.
How is this not being made into a major TV documentary??
Good job it hasn't. They would have just turned the solid 15 minutes of gold Dr Felton has given to us into 45 minutes of drawn-out padding plus adverts.
Anything is possible five time zones over here on streaming service.
They're still doing the research - to make sure they don't accidentally get anything right.