25-03-22, 01:03
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Re: Edward VIII Helped NAZIS Invade France-Revealed Defence Weak Spots
Edward VIII Helped Nazis Invade France by Revealing Defence Weak Spots to Known Collaborator
Edward VIII told Nazis to keep bombing England and passed information to Germany during WWII, new documentary claims
Claims are revealed in Channel 4 documentary Edward VIII: Britain's Traitor King
Edward is said to have encouraged the Nazis to bomb Britain into submission
He then wanted to be re-installed as King of a puppet state in Britain
New documentary, which airs on Sunday, is based on book by Andrew Lownie
Daily Mail UK.25 MAR 2022
Edward VIII encouraged the Nazis to bomb Britain into submission in World War Two and crown him as King.
The former king, who abdicated in 1936 to marry the divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson, also passed information to Germany that aided the fall of France in 1940, according to a new documentary.
The programme, Edward VIII: Britain's Traitor King, will air on Channel 4 on March 27 and is based on the work of historian Andrew Lownie.
It uses evidence such as captured German documents that are held in the Royal Archives to support the claims.
The damning allegations come after years of academic research into how close to the Nazis the Duke of Windsor was and the effect of his friendships on the war.
The documentary details how the Duke gave information on weaknesses in the French military to a Nazi informant, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Edward VIII encouraged the Nazis to bomb Britain into submission in World War Two and crown him as King. Above: The then former king Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson meeting Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler in 1937
The former King was living in Paris and had written four reports on the French First Army describing its poor leadership and morale.
The reports were ignored by British officials but captured German diplomatic cables showed that Edward then gave the information to his close friend, Nazi informant Charles Bedaux.
The subsequent German invasion of France targeted the weaknesses Edward had identified.
During the invasion, Edward and Mrs Simpson fled to Lisbon, Portugal where they socialised with German agents and sympathisers.
The former king, who abdicated in 1936 to marry the divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson , also passed information to Germany that aided the fall of France in 1940, according to a new documentary
In another captured diplomatic cable from the German ambassador to Portuguese authorities, the Duke is said to have told representatives of Francoist Spain that 'continued severe bombing would make England ready for peace'. Above: A fireman carries a young child out of the rubble of a building hit by a bomb in London during the Blitz
In another captured diplomatic cable from the German ambassador to Portuguese authorities, the Duke is said to have told representatives of Francoist Spain that 'continued severe bombing would make England ready for peace'.
Then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill removed the Duke from Europe, making him the Governor of the Bahamas.
While travelling there, Edward sent a coded telegram to a Nazi associate saying he was willing to return to Europe.
Dr Lownie argues that this indicates Edward was aware of Operation Willie, the German plan to put the Duke back on the throne as the head of a puppet state.
In 1937, Edward and Wallis, met Hitler and his officials during a tour of Germany. Whilst there, Edward was infamously photographed giving a Nazi salute (above)
The allegations are also detailed in Dr Lownie's upcoming book Traitor King, which will be published in May.
The documents used by Dr Lownie as evidence have been in the Royal Archives for decades but a recent policy change allowed greater access for researchers with new documents emerging.
In 1937, Edward and Wallis, met Hitler and his officials during a tour of Germany.
Whilst there, Edward was infamously photographed giving a Nazi salute and later also toured industrial facilities and even a concentration camp, whose guard towers were said to have been explained to him as meat stores.
The former king was reported to have said as late as 1941 that Hitler was the 'right and logical leader of the German people'.
King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson enjoying a luxurious Mediterranean cruise in the wake of the abdication crisis, which saw him give up his throne for George VI
King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson enjoying a luxurious Mediterranean cruise in the wake of the abdication crisis, which saw him give up his throne for George VI
Edward's proposal to marry Wallis – whilst divorce proceedings with her second husband were still ongoing - sparked a constitutional crisis which culminated in Edward's decision to abdicate. Pictured: The couple on the day of their wedding in 1937
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