The Peoples King

by Susan Williams

  London, Hogarth Press, 1938] [Woolf, Virginia] Bell, Anne Olivier (ed.), assisted by McNeillie, Andrew, The Diary of Virginia Woolf. Volume y. 1936-41. London, Penguin, 1985 [ist edn London, Hogarth Press, 1984] Wragg, Arthur, 'Jesus Wept': A Commentary in Black-and-White on Ourselves and the World To-day. London, Selwyn & Blount, n.d. [1935] Wrench, John Evelyn, Geoffrey Dawson and Our Times. London, Hutchinson, 1955

  Young, G. M., Stanley Baldwin. London, Rupert Hart-Davis, 1952 Ziegler, Philip, Crown and People. London, Collins, 1978 Ziegler, Philip, Diana Cooper. London, Hamish Hamilton, 1981 Ziegier, Philip (ed.), The Diaries of Lord Louis Mountbatten 1910-1922.

  London, Collins, 1987 Ziegler, Philip, King Edward VIII: The Official Biography. London, Collins, 1990

  Index

  Abdication Act (1936) 145, 230 Aberdare 7 Abertillery 7, 17 Abyssinia (Ethiopia) 109 Accession Council 63 Admiralty 55, 121 African colonies 204-5 Aga Khan III 54, 73, 191 Agate, James 166-7, 239 Aird, Sir John 25, 230 Airlie, Mabell, Countess of 10-n Albert, Prince, Duke of York ('Bertie', Edward's brother); later George VI 72, 86, 137, 170, 210 at Naval College 157 in the Great War 55 health 55, 116 and Sheila Loughborough 38 made Duke of York (1920) 38 proposes to Poppy Baring 38-9 initiates Duke of York's Camps 10

  marries Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon 40 honeymoon at Polesden Lacey 45 and Edward's dress 71 friendship with Alexander and

  Helen Hardinge 87 identifies with his parents 99

  Lang visits 99-100

  told of Edward's abdication

  decision 106 promises cooperation in the event

  of abdication 115 personality 115, 130, 230 readiness to be the new king 211 see also George VI, King Albert Victor, Prince ('Eddy') 116 Alexander, Duke of Wrttemberg 112

  Alexander, Major Ulick 69, 181, 210

  Alexandra, Queen 79 Alexandra Feodorovna, Empress of

  Russia 229 All Souls College, Oxford 61, 76 Allen, George 85, 153, 155, 181,

  210, 217, 275, 278 Aly Khan, Prince 73 Amery, Leo 108 Amritsa Bazar 205 Ancaster, Earl of 39 Anglo-French Luncheon Club 194

  appeasement period 76 Argyll House, London 44 Arlen, Michael 73 The Green Hat 73'Arms and the Covenant' movement 160

  Asquith, Margot (Lady Oxford and

  Asquith) 37, 242., 251 Associated Negro Press 144 Association Better Citizenship, Inc. 109

  Astor, Lady Nancy (nee Langhorne)

  41, 200 Astor, Waldorf 41 Astor, William Waldorf 41 Atatrk, Kemal 43 Athenaeum club, London 61 Athlone, Alice, Countess of 253 Athlone, Earl of 253 Atlantic Fleet 121 Attlee, Clement 63, 113, 176, 193, 199, 279

  Australia 117, 118, 130, 166, 176,

  180, 185, 201, 202-3 Australian Labour Party 202-3 Austria 233, 253, 261

  Baden-Powell, Lord Robert 243 Bahamas 278

  Bakewell Branch, British Legion 225 Baldwin, Lucy 100,104, 161, 166, 194, 215, 219, 221, 222,

  2-54-5.161 Baldwin, Stanley 41, 63, 68, 115, 119,143, 147, 158, 159, 172, 180,181, 186, 187, 191, 197, 238, 248, 266 as a businessman 61 very worried about Edward as king 63

  and Edward's proposed North-

  East visit 65-67 on Edward's relationship with Wallis 68

  discusses the royal crisis with Alexander Hardinge 74-5 and Wallis's divorce petition

  75-6, 194, 273 discussions with Stanley Bruce

  XOO-IOI

  Beaverbrook's foe 101 meeting with Edward (16

  November 1936) 102-4, x°6 and the Memorandum by

  Parliamentary Counsel 103 rearmament admission 107-8 and morganatic marriage plan 112-13, 116, 117, 118, 129-30, 161, 201, 251 on the General Strike 121 consults the Dominions 124, 125,

  129-32, 201-4 abdication message discussed 128 Thomas Dugdale on 137 and reactions to the royal crisis

  139, 162, 169, 170 pressures and bargains with

  Edward 145 discusses Times leader with

  Dawson 148-9 proposed speech to the nation by

  Edward 155, 178, 221 broadcast speech 158-9,161-2, 164

  Churchill confronts 173-4,

  175-6, 194 admits to Edward that wants him

  to abdicate 178-9 alleged unfair treatment of

  Edward 182 and foreign affairs 185 Ernest Simpson's offer 192 speech in the House 192-5 defeats Churchill 195, 199

  told of Edward's intention to

  abdicate 209 final talk with Edward 210-n worried Edward will change his

  mind 215 breaks news of the abdication

  219-22, 226 abdication as a triumph for him 222-3

  receives letters regarding the

  abdication 223-8 blamed for the abdication 228 and Edward's final broadcast

  237-8, 239, 246 Lloyd George on 241 telegram to de Valera 245 and Lang's speech 256, 259 and Lord Brownlow 261 Balmoral Castle and estate 9, 29, 72, 86, 88, 99, 100, 115, 116, 173

  Baltimore, Maryland 21 Barbados 208

  Baring, Helen ('Poppy') 38-9 Barkers department store, London

  144, 213, 240, 254 Barnes, Thomas 230 Barnet Urban District Council 179 Barrington-Ward, Robin 148 Basutoland 205 Batterbee, Sir Henry 124, 131, 2-51

  BBC (British Broadcasting

  Corporation) 153, 154, 156-7,

  159, 2-35, 2.41

  Beach House, Felixstowe 84-5 Beasley, Jack 252 Beaton, Sir Cecil 32, 45, 158 Beatrice, Infanta, of Spain 37 Beaverbrook, Lord 'Max' 114, 128,

  129, 136, 147, 155, 172, 176, 200, 264 on Wallis 28

  agrees to suppress news of the

  Simpson divorce 86, 101 returns to Britain on Edward's

  request 101 rivalry with Rothermere 112 on Edward's social interests 118-19

  the Dominion prime ministers'

  cables 125 feels that Baldwin is in danger

  politically 139 comments on a Dawson article 148

  Belton House plan 151, 192 plan for Edward to broadcast to

  the nation 153 'King's men'/'Cabinet men'

  remark 171 Edward urged to work with him 175

  told of Edward's intention to

  abdicate 209 'our cock won't fight' 210 Becker, Harry 279 Beecham, Sir Thomas 45, 260 Beefsteak Club, London 61, 169 Belgium 54, 55

  Belton House, Lincolnshire 26, 151,

  192, 265 Berenson, Bernard 234 Bernays, Robert 165, 200-201,

  220, 221, 254, 269-70 Berners, Lord 44

  'Bessie' (Wallis Simpson's aunt) see

  Merryman, D. Buchanan Bevan, Aneurin 4, 5, 15, 16, 221, 228

  Biarritz 79

  Bingham, Robert 50, xzo Birkett, Norman 85, 270 Birkhall, Balmoral estate 99-100, 2-55

  Birmingham Post 134, 135 Blaenavon 13-14 Blaina 16, 272 Blenheim 239 Bletchley Park 196 Bloomsbury set 242 Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania 21 Blunt, Alfred, Bishop of Bradford J34-5, I4I> I42-> 146-7, 148, 159,182 Bombay 208 Bombay Chronicle 206 Bombay Sentinel 205, 206 Bonham Carter, Lady Violet 160,

  199-200 Boothby, Robert 200, 209-10, 277 Boston Record 85 Boulogne 97 Boverton 5

  Bradford, Bishop of see Blunt, Alfred

  Bradford Diocesan Conference 134

  Bradman, Donald 166

  Bristol 193

  Bristol, Mrs 36

  Bristol cathedral 256

  Britannia (royal yacht) 79

  'Britannicus in Partibus Infidelium'

  89-90, 141 British Embassy, Paris 78, 217 British Empire 92, 98, 106, 128, 131, 136, 138,156, 157, 159, 162, 170, 180-82, 185, 187, 188, 203, 204, 208, 224, 228, 2-32., 2.37, 238, 244, 246, 272

  British Expeditionary Force 53 British Legion 55, 56, 142, 163,

  224-6, 269 British Medical Association 140 British Movietone Jarrow Crusade 66 Jarrow Marchers 66 News 139 British Union of Fascists (BUF)

  179-180, 226 Brittain, Vera 64-5, 165, 187-8,

  219, 226, 249 Brown, Ernest 5, 15-16, 65, 119 Brownlow, Kitty, Lady, Duchess of Buccleuch 42, 44, 99, 150, 258, 261

  Brownlow, Peregrine ('Perry'), 6th Baron 18, 26, 42, 44, 99, 149-52,192, 211, 212, 216, 217, 218, 253, 257, 261-2, 263, 265, 267, 275-6 Bruce, Mrs 100, 126 Bruce, Stanley 100-101, 114, 118, 126

  Bryanston Court, Marylebone,
>
  London 23, 24, 25, 28, 33, 82, 83,97 Brynmawr 12 Buccleuch, Duchess of see

  Brownlow, Kitty Buccleuch, Duke of see Brownlow,

  Peregrine Buchan, John 109, 114, 243, 269 Buchan, Susie 243 Buckingham Palace, London 5, 11, 24, 56-7, 61, 66, 69, 71, 86, 94, 95, 97, 102, 126, 139, 155, 187, 188, 237, 246, 282 Bullett, Gerald 197, 257 Burke, Mary 25, 33, 149, 152, 269Cabinet 102, 117, 118, 119, 124, 129,145, 155, 156, 158, 169, 175, 176,178, 179, 183, 185, 186,191, 212, 217, 218, 221, 276 Caernavon 2 Caf de Paris, London 73 Cain, Mary 33 Calcutta 205, 208 Caledon Shipyard Workers 142 Cambridge University 61, 121 Camrose, Lord 147 Canada 117, 124, 130, 132, 180, 201, 203-4, 266 Parliament 203 war veterans 56-7 Canadian Post 203 Canadian War Memorial, Vimy

  Ridge, France 56 Canal Zone, Middle East 54 Cannadine, David 114 Cannes 150, 174, 191, 211, 216,

  253, 262, 268, 274 Canning, A., Superintendent, later

  Chief Constable 95-9, 126 Canterbury, Archbishop of see

  Lang, Cosmo Gordon Case Harriman, Margaret 242 Catholic Times 181 Cavalcade magazine 19, 20, 98 Cazalet, Victor 19 Cecil, Sir Edward 76 Cenotaph, London 51 Central Ratepayers Association,

  Portsmouth 58 Ceylon (later Sri Lanka) 244 Chamberlain, Neville 14, 63, 69, 92, 102, 105, 114, 119, 147, 175, 187, 221 and Special Areas problem 62-3

  and Alexander Hardinge's letter

  to Edward 93 and unemployment 106 and the morganatic marriage plan 124

  and proposed speech to the nation

  by Edward 156 feels unsafe with Edward as King

  177

  on the duty of the press 212 becomes Prime Minister 276 Edward complains of his

  treatment 278 appeasement period 76 Channon, Sir Henry ('Chips') 18, 32, 46, 86, 88, 118, 122, 171, 263, 265-6 Channon, Honor 86 Chaplin, Charlie 48-9, 50 Charles I, King 171, 200, 234 Chartwell, Kent 209, 233, 239 Chteau de Cand, Monts, France 274 Chesham, Lord 121 Chiang Kai-shek 24 Chirac, Jacques 282 Christianity 77, 186 Church of England 41, 61, 76,

  77-8, 103, 135, 159, 227-8 Church Times 181 Churchill, Clementine 265 Churchill, Mary 265 Churchill, Randolph 275 Churchill, Sir Winston 44, 129, 168, 182, 186, 202, 264 Edward's investiture as Prince of Wales 2

  friendship with Edward 2, 29-30,

  172, 175, 233-4

  on Edward's relationship with Wallis 18, 26, 37Churchill, Sir Winston - cont. understands Edward's wish to

  marry Wallis 80 rearmament 107-8, 109, 160 and morganatic marriage plan 112

  distrust of 113-14, 195 support of Edward 128,151, 160-61, 172, 175, 247, 265, 279-80 Belton House plan 151, 192 and idea of Edward speaking to

  the nation 153, 155 attitude to Wallis 172-3 confronts Baldwin 173-4, I75_6, 194

  insists on the need for delay

  175-8, 194> 197, defeat in the House of Commons

  194-5, !98, 199, 2.00 and Lloyd George 198 and Edward's decision to abdicate

  209-10, 221-2 on Baldwin's skilful handling of

  the abdication issue 223 receives letters on the abdication

  crisis 23r, 250, 252 and Edward's final broadcast 239 blames The Times for its role M5-7

  and Lang's speech 258-9, 260 on Wallis's bad press 264 depression 265 view of the abdication 272 and Edward's wedding 275 visits the Windsors 277 cinema 48, 159-60, 214-15, 246,

  266, 277 Citrine, Walter 172 Civil List 101, 263, 265

  Claridges hotel, London 111, 116

  Clark, Sir William 204 Cliveden, Taplow, Berkshire 41 clover, four-leaf 270 Coldstream Guards 22, 231, 237 Colefax, Sybil, Lady 63, 127, 144, 234, 267 a popular social hostess 43, 44 personality 44 Labour supporter 44 approves of the Edward-Wallis

  relationship 44 on the abdication 246 spends Christmas Day (1936)

  with Wallis 264 Wallis's gratitude for her friendship 268 Collingwood, HMS 5 5 Commonwealth 161 Communism/Communists 109, 122,

  123, 164, 179 Conservatism 106, 107 Conservative Party 16, 49, 61, 109 Constitutional Association of New

  South Wales 202 Constitutional Crisis, The (Universal

  newsreel) 137 Cooper, Alfred Duff 42, 44, 45, 98, 102, 129, 176, 258 low opinion of women's abilities 32-3

  and Edward's relationship with

  Wallis 68-9 and the morganatic marriage plan

  116-17, 124 efforts to keep Edward on the

  throne 128 and the decree absolute 145 and the abdication 247-8

  Cooper, Lady Diana 42.-5, 86, 98, 258

  Cornish tin mines 50 Cornwall, Duchy of 14, 50, 94, 227 Corrigan, Mrs Laura 263 Court Circular 23, 37, 98, 261 Coventry 170 Coward, Noel 39, 44, 264 Cowes, Isle of Wight 5,39 Crawshay, Captain Geoffrey 12 Crisp (Edward's valet) 252-3 Cromer, Lord 70, 261 Crystal Palace, London 56 Cumberland 65

  Cumberland Terrace, London 85, 149

  Cunard, Sir Bache 45

  Cunard, Emerald, Lady 32, 45-6,

  87, 95> 98, 195, 2-60, 262, 263 Cunard, Nancy 95-6 Cunard shipping line 45 Curtin, John 202-3 Cwmavon 58 Cwmbran 12-13

  Cwmtillery colliery, Garn-yr-Erw 16

  Daily Express 86, 101, 136, 169,

  212, 213 Daily Herald 138 Daily Hindimilap 207 Daily Mail 59, 62, 66, 86, 108, 112,

  136, 138 Daily Milap 207

  Daily Mirror 59, 62, 65, 136, 138,

  168-9, 2I4 Daily Sketch 136, 140 Daily Telegraph 19, 61, 86, 122,

  136, 139, 147, 257 Dartmouth Naval College 157 Davis, Claude 140

  Dawson, Cecilia 254 Dawson, Geoffrey 138, 158, 254 and Edward's adoration of Wallis 40

  and the South Wales visit 61-2 appearance 61

  member of London clubs 61, 66 and Edward's popularity 63 and proposed North-East tour 66 discussions on the royal crisis 76 the 'Britannicus' letter 89-90 and Hardinge's warning letter to

  Edward 91, 93 lengthy talk with Lady Milner 104

  and morganatic marriage plan 113

  talks with Bruce 126 and Blunt 146-7 'Heir Presumptive' article 147 discusses Times leader with Baldwin 148-9

  defends the Government's

  position 164 hopes that Edward will abdicate

  177-8

  advocates rapprochement with

  Germany 189 on Canada 203 and Wallis's offer 212-13 role in the abdication 245, 246 Dawson, Lord, of Penn 40 de la Warr, Earl 176-7 de Valera, Eamon 131-2, 245 de Wolfe, Elsie 43 Deedes, William ('Bill') 19, 20, 59,

  85-6 Democrats (US) 106 Depression (1929) 3, 4, 15, 22, 50, 106, 121

  Dinas, Rhondda Valley 6 divorce, attitudes to 41-2. Dominion Federation League to

  Abolish Poverty, Ottawa 203 Dominions 1x7, 118, 124-6,

  128-32, 144, 145, 155, 158, 161, 191, 194, 201-4, 216, 245, 251, 252 Dorchester Hotel, London 28 Dowlais in

  Dowlais Aged Comrades' Choir 1 Dowlais steelworks, South Wales

  1-2, 59, 62 Driberg, Tom 212 Drinkwater, John 257 'Duck's Bill', Givenchy 225 Dudley, Lord 258 Duff, Patrick 177

  Dufferin and Ava, Marquess of 261

  Dugdale, Blanche 199

  Dugdale, Nancy 41, 137, 218, 219,

  220, 242-3 Dugdale, Thomas 41, 137, 149,

  210, 211, 230 Duke of York's Camps 10 Dulanty, John Whelan 131 Durham, County 3,4, 15, 58, 120 Durham Light Infantry 187 Dwyer-Gray, Mr 251

  'eanum' (pet name used by Edward

  and Wallis) 26 Eden, Sir Anthony 279 Edinburgh 137, 147, 219 Ednam, Lord 78 Edward VII, King (Edward's

  grandfather) 9, 35, 79-80, 116 Edward VIII, King, formerly Prince of Wales, later Duke of Windsor

  appearance 1, 29, 36, 52, 137,

  159, 2-67 at Naval College 157 investiture as Prince of Wales

  (1911) 2 at Oxford University 26, 51, 52, 94, ^02

  tours New Zealand (1920) 228 friendship with Churchill 2, 29-30, 172, 175, 233-4 relationship with Freda Dudley

  Ward 38, 52 relationship with Lady Furness

  2-3-4, 38, 44, 46 meets Wallis (1930) 23 war service in the Great War 14, 52-5, 58, 64, 187, 223, 225, 229, 243, 270 in love with Rosemary Leveson- Gower, a Red Cross nurse 78 proclaimed king (22 January

  1936) 36 planned coronation 3, 7, 74,

  7
6-7, 249, 271 Nahlin voyage 42, 86, 136 tour of South Wales (1936) 1-9, 11-18, 47-8, 57-64, 94, 100, 105, 106, 109, hi, 119, 120, 159, 170, 185, 186, 189, 210, 225, 227, 248-51, 254, 271-2, 276, 281 devotion to Wallis 18-19, 2-6, 46

  secret affair 19-20 private language 26 Wallis's care of 3 5-6 Wallis's influence 37-8 popularity 52, 63-4, 100, 111, 130, 131, 177, 184, 189, 231-2, 242, 280

  proposed tour of the North-East

  65-7 dress style 71 informality 71-z leisure pursuits 73 Hardinge's warning letter 89-94 under surveillance by Special

  Branch 95, 98 meeting with Baldwin (16

  November 1936) 102-4, IO(> prepared to abdicate 104 attitude to Communism and

  Fascism 109 morganatic marriage plan 112, 113,116-18, 124, 128, 132, IS5~6, 170 wants Parliament to be consulted 132

  Blunt's reproof 134-5 letters/telegrams from the general public 139-44, 153-5, 159, 161-4, J68, 170, 176, 183-7, 190, 201, 207, 208, 213-15, 225-8, 230-31, 234, 236-9, 241-5, 248-9, 250, 266, 270-72

  Baldwin pressures and bargains

  with him 145 tries to protect Wallis 148 proposed speech to the nation

  155, 178, 221 compared with Charles I 171, 234 and state security 196-7 visits India (1920) 207-8 decides to abdicate 209 final talk with Baldwin 209-10 executes the Instrument of Abdication (10 December 1936) 218-19, 2.26 farewell broadcast 233, 235,

  2-37_42> 256-7, 2-66-7, 2.68, 269-70 his new name 235-6 unable to take part in politics 235-6

  final meal with the royal family 2-53

  at Enzesfeld Castle, Austria 253,

  266-8, 274 told of Lang's speech 258-9 marries Wallis (3 June 1937)

  2-74-5 his title 276-7

  rest of life spent in exile 277-8,

  279,2.81

  Governor of the Bahamas 278 loyal supporters 279 and World War II 279 death (28 May 1972) 281-2 personality 130 charm 247, 268 chivalrousness 157-8 courage 248 kindness 48-9 natural intelligence 158 obsession with weight and

  exercise 29-30 sense of duty 157 sincerity 248 star quality 51, 189 sympathy with suffering 247 A King's Story 2, 25, 29, 98, 132, 188, 217, 229, 233-4, 253 Eight Hours Act 121 Elizabeth, Princess, Duchess of York; nee Bowes-Lyon; later Queen Elizabeth, then Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother 137, 228, 230, 266 marries Prince Albert 40, 276

  Elizabeth, Princess, Duchess of York - cont. honeymoon at Polesden Lacey 45 appearance 81

  friendship with Alexander and