Original subtitles

when Britain's future King Edward Prince

of Wales fell for a twice married

American divorcee Wallis Simpson their

secret affair caused a constitutional

crisis that would cost him his crown on

this day the decision of King Edward the

eighth was awaited with anxiety

throughout the Empire he became the

first monarch in British history to

voluntarily give up his throne

the man who gave up with many other man

has ever done lovely woman linking him

forever to one of the world's most

enduring love stories I viewed it as the

greatest romance of the 20th century I

have found it impossible to discharge my

duties as king but I'm with the help and

support

I love

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it's been 80 years since Edward quit his

throne for Wallis Simpson

the people are still fascinated by their

love story and what happened to them

after he was no longer king at ten

thousand pounds ten thousand sold many

of the items under the hammer today have

been sold at auction twice before

attracting record-breaking prices 1

million viable two thousand dollars that

they're still pulling in the bids for a

third time shows how fascinated people

still are with this remarkable story one

of the most precious and perhaps the

most beautiful is a 1952 onyx and

diamond bracelet it's shaped like a

stalking Panther and it just became the

star of the night Edward Windsor was the

eldest of six children fathered by

George the Duke of York later King

George the fifth he was born on the 23rd

of June 1894 when his great-grandmother

Queen Victoria ruled the British Empire

he was christened with seven names

Edward Albert Christian George Andrew

Patrick David he chose David as his

Christian name and that's what the

family and close friends called him for

the rest of his days life was not easy

for David his father was determined to

prepare his son for the job he would one

day inherit his childhood was along

military lines stand up straight beyond

time dressed properly

giving the young Prince a strong sense

of duty

when his father became king one of his

first acts was to make Edward now 17 the

Prince of Wales

a lavish mini coronation in a medieval

Welsh fortress Carnarvon castle this

grainy film of the ceremony shows King

George personally crowning his teenage

son who from then on would be known as

Edward Prince of Wales when the first

world war broke out in July 1914 Edward

was among the first to sign up keen to

see active service he joined the

Grenadier Guards and became a star

officer but the Prince of Wales was not

allowed anywhere near the frontline the

Secretary of State for war Lord

Kitchener feared not only that he might

be killed but also that the Germans

might capture him alive

Edward pleaded to be allowed to fight

with the men he was training with he

argued that he had three other brothers

able to become heirs to the throne

despite the ban on him fighting Edward

visited the trenches whenever he could a

newsreel cameramen went with him to show

the British people that their heir to

the throne was at the very heart of the

battle they didn't know that the Prince

stayed behind when the men went over the

top to take on the German machine guns

Edward was even given a Military Cross

one of the highest army awards for valor

at the time few knew that he had not

fired a single shot in anger the public

image of the future King was being

carefully managed handsome brave and

heroic when the Great War ended Edward

became a roving ambassador he could do

no wrong

able to experience things that lesser

mortals could only dream of from the

Austrian Terrell we have secured the

latest pictures of the Prince of Wales's

early attempts at skiing the princess

aptitude for all sports is well known

and it will not be long before he has

found his Snow Lake so to speak if there

was something that had never been done

before

he was the royal to try it here is the

first flight of the Prince of Wales over

London

they've been sat next to the pilot in

the John Palmer and flew for an hour

over the cabin at the end of the fight

the Prince said it was a glorious stunt

a phrase which caught the fancy of the

world's journalists Edward had become

the pinup of his day women adored him

men envied him the ultimate bachelor but

his family wanted him to settle down

find a wife and produce an heir to the

throne

but Edward wasn't interested married

women were more his style and one in

particular had his eye the American

socialite Wallis Simpson he first met

her in 1931 when he was 36 and she 41 it

wasn't love at first sight he already

had a married girlfriend Thelma Furness

but there was something about Wallace

that intrigued him by 1935 it was clear

that Edward and mrs. Simpson had become

an item albeit a discrete one they were

regulars of London's high society social

scene and the government of the day was

concerned

mrs. Simpson was not only married she

was an American

how would that sit with the general

public when Edward tried to officially

introduce Wallace to his parents they

refused

the concern was so great that the

government ordered Scotland Yard's

Special Branch to spy on the couple the

surveillance was kept under wraps for

more than 60 years it only came to light

when the government decided to

declassify some royal documents in 2003

sensitive papers concerning the royal

family they usually kept secret for a

hundred years but these were released 36

years early revealing police reports

from 1935 which alleged that during her

first year with Edward mrs. Simpson was

also seeing another man the mystery man

according to the Special Branch officer

was a car salesman from Yorkshire

he was also married his name was guy

Marcus trundle start working at the

National Archives are far from sure that

the 1935 reports are to be believed now

I'm not saying that mrs. Simpson did not

have an affair with guy trundle I just

don't know the doubts have crept in

because the reports have been spiced up

by the undercover policeman who spied on

mrs. Simpson he writes that Wallis

Simpson and her husband Ernest were Jews

an incorrect rumor that was doing the

rounds at the time I won't say I won't

believe it but I have not been convinced

that it's true especially in the light

of the other pieces of information in

these reports the police interest in

Edward and mrs. Simpson came to an

abrupt end in January 1936 with the

death of George the fifth shortly after

midnight the world heard the broadcast

announcement death has come peacefully

to the king at 11:55

on Monday the 20th of January in 1936

Britain had a new king headed to my

mother and to us his job the past trials

assembled reverently

of Euro the homage to the late please

memory is a thing that we will never

forget the way was now clear for him to

pursue his affair with mrs. Simpson

whatever the cost to the country or his

family

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you

shall we

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guns boomed out in the distance as a new

chapter of English history was unfolded

by the Garter King Arms the Garter

command were unfolding a new king and

ruler of the then British Empire high

and mighty Prince Edward Albert

Christian George Andrew Patrick David is

now Edward the eighth the people had

high hopes for Edward even braving

driving rain to see him in action that

weather sparked the Kings drive for the

State Opening of Parliament as a pageant

and a spectacle and it did not deter the

crowds who lined the route to cheer his

majesty as he went to his first meeting

with parliament since his accession he

spoke optimistically of the future of

Industry and Trade and of shipping and

of the strengthening of Britain's

defense forces while they are essential

for the defence of the Empire no

opportunity will be lost for the

promotion of peace throughout the world

it was not peace but work which was

challenging the UK at the time and the

former Prince of Wales found disastrous

levels of unemployment amongst the Welsh

the grimmest phase of all this talk came

at dulles the king inspected what had

once been a busy and prosperous

steelworks 9,000 men lost their jobs

when this works closed down the king

left South Wales with the determination

that something must be done his

determination put him at odds with the

government of the day he was supposed to

stay out of political issues but it

wasn't only his politics that worried

the government his relationship with

Wallis Simpson was becoming ever more

intense

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he was showering her with jewelry and

taking her on luxury holidays Edward had

been on the throne for less than six

months when his reign almost came to an

end a right-wing Irish extremist tried

to shoot him in Hyde Park during the

trooping of the color it what bigger

arch a man comes out pistol in hand as

the King passes a mounted policeman

plunges from his horse and assaults

couple and the pistol falls near the

Kings horse that before then you know

what's happened George Andrew McMahon is

shuttered up in custody and later taken

to post race is the bush will you tell

us exactly what happened I noticed a

disturbance in the crowd and I saw three

policemen arresting a man if you don't

like an actual attempt on the King's

life well it all happened so quickly I

was all over in a few seconds I could

not possibly form an opinion but the

most remarkable thing of all was away

which the King continued one he's wired

in head of his troops as if nothing had

happened

as he continued to carry out his duties

Edward the eighth was also still

courting mrs. Simpson out of the public

eye when news of it broke in the press

the government gave him an ultimatum

give up Wallace or renounce the throne

quite apart from the fact that she isn't

of noble blood

mr. Simpson has twice been in the

divorce courts to my mind that

completely rules her out as Queen of

England I don't think anybody for a

moment with a single exception of the

king himself thought that there was ever

a chance of her being queen ever and I'm

sure she didn't she's much too sensible

is Hughes any stupid manner since she

was a very intelligent woman as the

political debate raged the people joined

in tune I think a ganger marry the woman

he loves erect the kingship please so we

marries but he knows he got everybody

going despite the public support

Edwards throne was now on the line the

nation is behind him and we must not

lose on this day the decision of King

Edward the eighth was awaited with

anxiety throughout the empire and the

decision was not what the people wanted

to hear a few hours ago i discharged my

last duty as king and Emperor Edwards

reasons for abdicating was not political

I have found it impossible to carry any

burden of responsibility and to

discharge my Indians of King and ieave

I help and support and the woman I love

Edwin became the Duke of Windsor and his

younger brother Bertie King George the

since the news sent shockwaves around

the world

he had been king for just 325 days the

third shortest reign in history Wallis

Simpson divorced her husband Ernest and

six months after giving up the throne

Edward quietly and privately married the

woman he loved

in the South of France she became the

duchess of windsor but Edwards brother

the new king band members of the royal

household from attending the wedding

Edward was now in exile banished by his

own family within months the pair were

in Germany being feted by Adolf Hitler

and his henchmen a huge crowd greeted

the Duke and Duchess of Windsor the

purpose of the visit was to study social

institutions and welfare Edward Wallace

studied Joseph Goebbels Hitler's

propaganda boss and had tea with Herman

Goering commander of the Luftwaffe and

mastermind of the Holocaust but the most

important meeting of the lot was with

man who personally invited the Duke and

Duchess to Germany it is March 2016 a

rare photo album containing images of

Edward and mrs. Simpson from that 1937

visit is being sold to a private buyer

someone who doesn't want to be

identified or have the picture seen

there are several pictures showing the

Duke of Windsor with Nazi officers but

pictures like this led to complaints

that the Duke was fraternizing too

openly with the Nazis the album was sold

for five thousand six hundred pounds but

the photographs are not the only record

of Edward and mrs. Simpsons trip to see

Hitler German newsreel cameramen were

there and filmed extensively for

propaganda purposes the official visit

gave weight to the allegations that

Edward was a Nazi sympathizer and a

traitor King in the make

the album doesn't contain one of the

most infamous images from the visit one

which shows the Duke giving what looks

like a Nazi salute it was quietly sold

for eighteen hundred pounds at another

auction in Wales in July 2015

modern historians have uncovered

evidence that Hitler intended putting

Edward on the throne again if Germany

succeeded in conquering Britain in 1940

there's a plot in Germany to put him

back onto the British throne in the end

of his life in nineteen seventy saying

Hitler wasn't a bad chap in the Second

World War was the responsibility of the

Jews and the Reds Edward was no stranger

to German culture his family had strong

German connections and he spoke the

language fluently one of his best

friends was Diana Mosley wife of the

fascist leader Sir Edward Moseley in the

making in the heart of him

even though it disapproved of his German

connections the then British government

found jobs headed as far away from the

UK as possible on the way to take up his

appointment as governor of the Bahamas

the Duke of Windsor called a Bermuda a

guard of honour was formed by Navy Army

and Home Guard

the allegations of Nazi collaboration

were always been the Royal outcasts

flirtation with Nazism is well known he

and his wife visited Germany in 1937 and

met Adolf Hitler but was he a traitor

prepared to see a Nazi victory in

Britain in order to regain the throne

with his wife Wallis Simpson as Queen I

thought that he will come over as a fool

as a man whose idiotic vanity and

egotism drove him down a path that was

extremely injudicious however I do not

think that there's going to be anything

to suggest that he actually actively

helped Britain's enemies during the war

after the war Edward and Wallis

effectively retired to Paris where the

French gave them a palatial mansion

Edwards family did not really want to

see them but they did return to the UK

occasionally arriving at Hendon Airport

the Duke of Windsor returns to England

for the first time since 1940 to visit

his mother in the grounds of Marbury

house the joke was welcomed by Queen

Mary whom he had not seen for nine years

the lunar Queen Elizabeth is ready to

sail as the Duke of Windsor prepares to

return to New York he hopes to come back

to Britain shortly

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like all the people yes wherever else

they went the Duke and Duchess would

treated like royalty the Duke and

Duchess of Windsor in happy mood arrived

in the United States for the first time

in 18 months they particularly enjoyed

American presidents and Hollywood stars

as the 60s became the 70s Edwards health

began to fail prompting the royal family

to begin the process of ending his exile

his doctors wouldn't let him take tea

with his visitors so the Duchess took

them upstairs afterwards to see him the

visit was arranged at the Queen's

request she spent 37 minutes there

rather longer than planned this was the

first time that she received the Queen

in her own home ten days later Edward

died less than a month short of his 78th

birthday his body was flown back to

Britain for burial at Windsor Castle

there was no state funeral no pomp and

circumstance this was a simple service a

private act of remembrance by a small

congregation of mourners on top of the

coffin there was no crown but a wreath

from the duchess of windsor outside the

public had gathered once again still

wanting to pay their respects even after

two days of the lying in state the

service lasted half an hour then with

the Queen the duchess of windsor left

the chapel the service also finally laid

to rest 36 years of feuding Edward was

back in the fold as was the love of his

life Wallace

this afternoon the Duchess attended the

last and completely private act of

remembrance for her husband

his burial at the royal mausoleum at

Frogmore within the grounds of Windsor

Castle and after that service the

Duchess left immediately for her home in

Paris she leaves with the memory that

this past week thousands have shown

their affection to the last for her

husband

Wallace spent her final years in

isolation in Paris suffering from

increasing dimension the mansion which

the city gave to her and her husband so

many years ago stood for lawn today the

body of the Duchess still lying inside

the chimneys are corroded the roof has

not withstood the weather and the

boundary fence lies unrepaired on Monday

evening the Duchess's condition suddenly

deteriorated her staff called her doctor

he in turns summoned a Paris specialist

who diagnose pneumonia this morning the

Duchess woke up feeling considerably

better but then the fever quickly

worsened and within two hours she was

dead and so the drama which rocked

Britain to its core 50 years ago ended

here in the Bois de Boulogne this

morning she died 14 years after Edward

and was buried next to him at Windsor

Castle

the Windsors have left a lasting legacy

their love story has become the stuff of

TV and movie legend many famous names

have played the couple Edward Fox played

him in the TV series Edward and mrs.

Simpson do you think history treated him

Furman life treats us all more or less a

sweet deserved and Madonna wrote a

Hollywood film about her

I viewed it as the greatest romance in

the 20th century called w e as in

wallace and edwin well i think it's a

complex story and I don't think there's

any real there's no black and white

there's no real clear-cut villains good

guys or bad guys it was important for me

to portray everyone in the film as a

human being even the actors chosen to

play the couple bought into their story

he didn't try and hide his life behind

closed doors he just enjoyed everything

and it became it was much more public

and much more troublesome I think to the

rest of all family than anybody really

wanted it to be after all these years

what Edward really wanted is hard to

tell but one thing is clear he really

was the king who gave up his throne for

the woman he loved until death did pop

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