The Man Who Would Be King...Again? The 1946 Duke of Windsor Plot
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- Опубліковано 23 гру 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
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.
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
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!
You can always count on Mark for obscure and (almost) forgotten pieces of history. I'm amazed every single time. Highly appreciated and anticipated!
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
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!
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.
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 !!
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.
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?
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
Thanks!
I very much appreciate when you candidly state, "This is pure speculation on my part." Too many don't let the listener know when they are doing so. Kudos.
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.
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
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.
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.
This type of find is exactly why this is the best history channel on UA-cam. 10/10
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
@@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.
I wonder if Hitler would have entertained the idea if he won. I presume he would have been a pretender King of England. I guess we have to thank the Russians.
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.
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 just want to say every time you upload a video, the world becomes a more interesting place. Your an absolute legend. Cheers mate.
Dr. Mark Felton, the Greatest Historian of Modern Times!
What a legend Mark is! Plus I love this chapter of British history
Did Wallis learn tricks from the bordellos of Shanghai?
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 👍
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 🇮🇪
Isn't it strange that historians just forget some very important parts in history like this! Mark Fenton, you should be the staple for our History, end quote!
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.
Come on 2 million subs! Dr. Felton deserves it!
Dr Felton knocking it out of the park this week!
What an American comment. USA! USA!
Actual historic discoveries on this channel! Brilliant work Mark!
Thanks for the great job!
Britain has the best historians, and Mark is the best of the best.
❤❤❤❤❤
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
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.
That would be a great tale on film! Thanks Dr Mark.. Actual historic discoveries on this channel! Brilliant work Mark!.
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
More stories from National Archives, please. There are lots of good histories waiting to see the light of day.
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.
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?
This story is frequently presented in tabloid-like setting, thanks for presenting it in this political,diplomatic like manner.
In the olde Pathe genre.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Any time that I bring up something history-related, I always ask myself whether or not Dr. Felton would approve.
Keep up the not just good, but SUPERIOR work Doc!
If you ever make it to Cleveland, OH, we have the USS Cod Museum, the IX Center (a former factory for B-29's and Bulldog Tanks) and theres even a few decomissioned Nike missile sites around here.
That's only touching the surface of my hometown's history!
I Love these Kind of Stories Mark F.
If you watch this channel, you're a history nerd like me. And most of the time, i have at least some prior knowledge of marks video, but he goes into details ive never heard of before.
This though, ive never heard about this. This is awesome.
Thank you Mark!
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!
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!
I read a biography of Wallace Simpson several months ago and there was no mention of this at all. What a revelation and what a supreme historian we have in Mark.
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
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.
That would be a great tale on film! Thanks Dr Mark.
Mark Felton you are really a genius man your voice is so quiet that i find myself understand the history easily + you have a really nice character, you are a likeable man continue please upload a videos about history this channel is a rare gem !
perhaps the best Felton video in a long line of great ones...
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.
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.
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...
I JUST WANTED TO SAY I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CHANNEL!!!!!
Just discovered your channel and it’s been a great thing indeed. Keep up your amazing work
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.
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.
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
Fascinating backstory. Just like today, we see how the powers that be spin stories to fit their narrative. Especially in this critical election year, 2024, where new leaders will be chosen, not only in America, but in countries around the world that have representative forms of government.
A lot of people still believe the fairytale, how a king gave up the throne for the woman he loved. This channel is one of the great gems of UA-cam. Happy to like and share, all the time.
The history people THINK they know is constantly being shown to be based on illusions and your work is showing how things really were Mark. Keep up the good work!
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.
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.....
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.
Thank you Dr Felton for unearthing another fascinating “little detail” of history, and for presenting it so well.
Fascinating video!! Thank you for this lesson!
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 ...
Man just waltzes into the National Archives like its nothing and thinks "Yeah, this'll make a good video."
We really don't deserve Dr. Felton and his unending dedication to history. Getting to meet you is now on my bucket list 😊
Macaulay, Gibbon....Felton. The finest historians, and histories, come from England. The best WWII documentaries have come from the English, ever since the end of the war. Of course, it was our American involvement that got me interested in this, but it has always been the English who have educated me.
Thank you, Mark...
Remarkable and disturbing story, fueled by Edward's vanity. Whatever he saw in Wallis could not have been her "beauty", because the woman was as homely as a mud fence. Kudos to Dr. Felton for shining a light on this episode.
Fascinating stuff, Doc! I don’t know how you do it. I look forward to your videos more than anyone else on YT.
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.
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.
It would be extremely interesting to learn more of Ernest Augustus's role in the July Plot. Might be a thread worth pulling.
Excellent history and detective work. Thank you
Another fabulous tour d’force Dr Felton. Ty.
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.
Considering what she saved them from, I would think there should be a giant monument to Wallis Simpson somewhere in London.
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 love Mr, Felton's analysis, comments and approach on these kind of issues! Well done!
That was fascinating and beautifully researched and narrated
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.
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.
We dodged a bullet when he abdicated. He was the complete opposite to his niece late Queen Elizabeth II
Liz was a traitor.
Wow, just wow. Dr. Felton, as a recent graduate in the field of history, my hat is most certainly off to you for this one.
I was talking to a friend a few hours ago, telling her I learned something new today…I will now tell her I learned 2 new things today 😂. Thank you, Dr. Felton, for helping to keep my brain active 😊
Best documentary channel ever continue the good job!!!! A fan from Greece!
Dr. Felton, Thank you for your continued amazing videos and books.