observer Posted May 10, 2012 Report Share Posted May 10, 2012 Interesting prog last night about Edward VIII: seems he was an OK guy and 50 years ahead of his time. Problem arose when he fell in love with Mrs Wallace Simpson, an American divorcee - which upset the establishment ("the old gang") led by Cosmo Gordon Lang, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who determined to oust him as King. Seems there was a solution, which was tried later with another Prince of Wales - keep the woman you love on as a mistress, but marry an appropriate blue blooded mare for the production of a heir and a spare! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted May 10, 2012 Report Share Posted May 10, 2012 Funny I thought she was a catholic, and as King he would have been head of the Church of England, Do I have to point out the problem. And as it turned out he was a fascist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2012 So she could have remained his mistress. As for him being facist, the public loved him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted May 10, 2012 Report Share Posted May 10, 2012 The public loved him till he abdicated, then they hated him. Their would have been big problems with the head of the church of England having a mistress who was a catholic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2012 "Big problems" - like what? Another civil war? I doubt it, as we know from here, folk are far too subservient to question their betters, especially our Monarch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted May 10, 2012 Report Share Posted May 10, 2012 Except for the fact that she wasn't a Catholic (High Anglican perhaps but certainly not Catholic). It was more the two previous marriages that were found to be scandalous I think. :grin: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted May 10, 2012 Report Share Posted May 10, 2012 She was Episcopalian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 I could be wrong, but did she not become a catholic when she got married, not sure which one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 One of the complaints by Archbishop Lang and Co, was the fact that Edward didn't attend Church very often; niether was he a fan of expensive pomp and ceremony. As I said, he seemed 50 years ahead of his time, and could have modernised the monarchy 50 years ago; now we'll have to wait for Wills and Kate to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 Well as Edward had no issue, the question is who would be on the throne now if he had not abdicated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 It would have still been Lizzie (in 1972): unless Eddy had just kept Simpson on as a mistress, and married some "peoples princess", and had an heir and a spare with her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 I could be wrong, but did she not become a catholic when she got married, not sure which one. Â Â I think you're mistaken there. Nothing I've read about her has her religion as anything other than, as Mary says, Episcopalian. The question has been asked on the internet, but the answer seems to be no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted May 11, 2012 Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 Your right Asp and Mary, I was mistaken, I can not find anywhere that says she was a catholic, And she was Persona non grata, because she was a divorcee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2012 Got there in the end then?! :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 After all is said and done, you have to admire the man. He gave up a kingdom for the woman he loved rather than give up the woman he loved for a kingdom! Not many would do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 I wonder what would have happened during the War, as he was a fascist ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 Well you know what happened during the war, it's all well documennted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 A good deal of "the establishment" at that time would have happily become part of the Third Reich; just has they've been happy to become part of the Fourth Reich (the EU). But Monarchs no longer lead their peoples into wars, they get shipped over to the safety of Canada, if the worst got to the worst. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 Didn't our Monarch (at the time) remain firmly in London during the war, refusing to leave the uk? I am sure I have seen pictures and film of the king & queen visiting bomb sites in London. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 Yes Cleo, he was passing on secrets, but we might as well let Obs dream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 That was Ed's brother George VI: for whom they had a destroyer on standby in Scotland ready to take them to Canada, IF the Germans had invaded. You don't imagine for one sec that they would have stayed here do you? I don't think any of the European monarchs or their Governments, stayed in their countries when the Krauts took over. :roll: Part of the rationale behind having a Royal Yacht later, was to provide a safe exit for Queenie, in the event of an imminent nuke attack. The yacht used the shelter of the lochs of W/Scotland, just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 The King of Denmark choose to stay in the Country when the Germans invaded, he used to ride a horse round the capital, to show he had not abandoned his people, much to the Germans discust. I thought you new about WW2 Obs. Â Your favourite royal on the other hand, abandoned his post in France, ran to Spain against orders, then went to Portugal where he went to parties organised by fascists, and then went on to Portugal before the British cought up with him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 Wow - Kije finds ONE monarch to prove a point! So what about the kings/queens of Belgium, Holland, Norway; plus the Governments in exile incl the Czechs and the Poles? As for Ed, he was no longer King, and was eventually posted to Govern the Bahamas, to safeguard against being put back on the throne by the Krauts! :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted May 12, 2012 Report Share Posted May 12, 2012 The King of Belgium surrendered his troops to the Germans Obs, and stayed in the Country. Â Ed was sent to the Bahamas to keep him away from the Germans and any intelligence that he might of past on. You seem to be bait wavy on your WW2 history Obs. Â The Polish government were invited by Churchill, they also brought many troops who fought in the 8th army in the Desert, and they had a parachute regiment that went in on the Arnem raid, plus all the pilots that fought in the battle of Britain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted May 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2012 Whoops you've found another King, which gives you a pair! Can't see why "being invited by Churchill" makes any difference, the Polish Gov still came here for safety; not that Churchill did them any favours in the end; selling them out to Stalin and banning them from the VE DAY parade. As for Ed; he was forced to abdicate in 36, so can't quite see his relevence to WW2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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