Churchill and the Abdication Crisis 1936

Churchill
and the
Abdication
Crisis 1936
Who was Edward VIII?
Eldest child of George, duke of York and Princess Mary of
Teck, Edward was born June 23, 1894 in Richmond, Surrey,
England. He was a well educated, popular young man
who travelled extensively after World War One
throughout the British Empire.
2 brothers & 3 sisters
GEORGE V
1865 - 1936
3 brothers & 1 sister
EDWARD VIII
(abdicated 1936)
DUKE OF WINDSOR
1894 - 1972
GEORGE VI
1895-1952
Princess Margaret
1930 - 2002
ELIZABETH II
b. 1926
Charles,
Prince of Wales
b. 1948
Anne,
Princess Royal
b. 1950
Andrew,
Duke of York
b. 1960
Edward,
Earl of Wessex
b. 1964
Lady Louise
Windsor b. 2003
Prince
William of
Wales
b. 1982
Prince
Henry of
Wales
b. 1984
Peter
Phillips
b. 1977
Zara
Princess Eugenie
Phillips
of York b. 1990
b. 1981
Princess Beatrice
of York b. 1988
2
‘Who was Edward VIII?’
Task Page
Questions:
1. What relation was Edward VIII to our present Queen Elizabeth
II?
2. Who became King as a result of Edward’s abdication?
3. Explain how this new king was related to our present Queen
Elizabeth II.
4. Explain why the abdication of Edward VIII is so significant to our
royal family today?
3
In 1930, having already had a number of affairs, Prince Edward met and fell
in love with a married American woman, Mrs Wallis Simpson. This did not
go down well with Edward’s family, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin or other
British political leaders who were all opposed to this marriage. Reading a
statement such as this in the 21st century, it may seem a ludicrous idea that a
man should be considered an outcast if he even considers marriage to a
divorced woman and that is why I think it is important before we go any
further to put this whole notion into its true context. In order to explain such
disapproval we need to go right back to 1701 and the Act of Settlement. The
Act of Settlement was set up largely because of William III. By the end of
1700, William was very ill and had produced no heir to the throne of England.
His sister-in-law, Anne had just lost her only surviving child. There was also a
great fear that the exiled (and more importantly, Catholic!) James II was
gathering increased support and might try to recapture the throne. As a result
the Act of Settlement was produced. The Act stated that if anything should
happen to William or Anne, the crown must pass to the Protestant Sophia,
granddaughter of James I. In short the Act had made it illegal for a Roman
Catholic to inherit the throne of England. More importantly it also said: “That
whosoever shall hereafter come to the possession of this Crown, shall join in
communion with the Church of England, as by law established.”
(www.hfac.uh.edu/gbrown/philosophers/leibniz/BritannicaPages/SettlementAct/Settleme
ntAct.html)
Because the Church of England did not recognise divorce, by declaring that
all future monarchs must join in communion with the Church of England,
the Act was clearly making it illegal for any future ruler to enter into a
marriage with a divorcee whose partner was still alive. Given this
explanation it is easy to see therefore why Edward’s situation had caused so
much disapproval from those around him. The only person it seemed,
prepared to help Edward in any way was Winston Churchill.
It must be explained however, before going any further that although
Churchill was supporting Edward, he himself, along with the majority of the
population in England, still did not agree or approve of what he was doing.
The main problem was that Edward wanted to marry a divorcee, and at this
time, not only was it against the beliefs of the Church of England it was also
practically unheard of for anyone, whoever they were, to get divorced. Even if
your marriage was not a happy one, vows were taken seriously and people
literally did stay married “…till death do us part.”
Not only was it rare, it was also extremely expensive. The average person
simply could not afford to get divorced and so many people were forced to
stay in unhappy marriages whether they liked it or not.
Having explained the situation at the time therefore, it should now be easier
to understand why there was such a huge level of outrage directed at Edward
4
and particularly at Wallis Simpson. People were genuinely shocked by what
their King was intending to do.
‘Divorce’
Task Page
What does this extract mean?
Why did this cause a problem
for Edward?
“That whosoever shall hereafter
come to the possession of this
crown, shall join in communion with
the Church of England, as by law
established.”
An extract from the Act of
Settlement, 1701
Give 2 other reasons why people
generally did not get divorced at
this time:
•
Why did people not approve of
what Edward wanted to do?
•
5
Winston and Edward
Winston Churchill and Edward had been friends
since Edward had been made Prince of Wales in 1911.
They played polo together and as time went on
Churchill helped Edward draft many important
public and ceremonial speeches.
Many years after Edward had abdicated it was
revealed that his own father, George V had had no
faith in him whatsoever, declaring: “When I am gone
the boy will ruin himself within the
year.”(http://www.loyno.edu/-history/journal/19956/mccary.htm) In contrast to this, Winston Churchill
had predicted on Edward’s accession that his name would “shine in History as
the bravest and best loved of all sovereigns who have worn the island crown.”
(www.winstonchurchill.org/wplumpton.htm) It was not long before Edward was
able to prove the accuracy of each prediction.
Although Churchill himself did not approve of Edward marrying the
divorcee, Wallis Simpson, he continued to support him throughout the
abdication crisis. He even appealed for Edward to be given more time to
make a decision. Churchill suffered much abuse from this as many thought he
was trying to discredit Baldwin and lead a revolt against his party. Churchill’s
reply was that he merely wanted the King to remain on the throne.
Despite Churchill’s efforts however, the abdication and subsequent marriage
went ahead. He had even tried to persuade Wallis
Simpson to withdraw her petition for a divorce from
her husband Ernest Simpson, as this would obviously
have made marriage to Edward impossible anyway.
All Churchill’s efforts were to be in vain, and on the
10 December 1936, Edward submitted his abdication,
declaring “I have found it impossible to carry on the heavy
burden of responsibility and to discharge the duties of King
as I would wish to do without the help and support of the
woman I love.” (http://www.incwell.com/Biographies/EdwardVIII.html)
6
‘Winston and Edward’
Task Page
Questions:
1. Look at the 2 predictions given by George V and Winston Churchill
concerning Edward’s future on the throne. In your opinion who was
more accurate and why?
2. Why do you think Winston Churchill supported Edward even though
he did not approve of what he was doing?
3. What reason did Winston Churchill give for supporting Edward?
7
Should Churchill have supported Edward through the
‘abdication crisis’?
As soon as it became apparent that a crisis was looming in the British
monarchy, Winston Churchill made clear his firm support for the King. This
was not to say that he agreed with what Edward was doing but that he
merely wanted (as he himself claimed) the King to remain on the throne.
Besides, accession to the throne of England was hereditary, Edward couldn’t
choose whether to take up the role or not, it was his duty. In fact when
looking at the situation from this angle it would appear that there was a
strong constitutional argument from both Baldwin and Churchill, they both
had the welfare of the nation in mind. Despite this Churchill did not think it
right that Edward should be forced into a decision by hasty Government
action. In a letter to the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin dated 5th December
1936, Churchill explains how the King had been to see him to ask for advice.
In the course of the letter, Churchill tells Baldwin that the King was not at all
well, to the extent that he even urged Edward’s “…staff to call in a doctor. His
Majesty appeared [to me] to be under the greatest strain and near breaking point. He
had two marked and prolonged ‘black outs’ in which he completely lost the thread of
his conversation.” Churchill concludes the letter with an appeal claiming: “It
would be a most cruel and wrong thing to extort a decision from him in his present
state” (www.pro.gov.uk/releases/abdication/docs.htm)
Churchill also talks in the letter about his close friendship with Edward, a
friendship which led on numerous occasions to the King seeking help and
advise from Churchill and which meant that like it or not, Churchill was
involved in the abdication debate right from the start. Many failed to see
however, that Churchill had, in a sense been pushed into this situation
without choice. As soon as he started requesting more time for the King to
make his decision, many questioned Churchill’s own motives. Both the
Cabinet and the Times newspaper “…regarded Churchill’s statement as an
accusation that not only was Baldwin not being truthful when he claimed that no
pressure was being placed on the King for a decision but there was actually something
in the form of a conspiracy taking shape to prevent the facts of the case and the true
feelings of the King from becoming public” (www.loyno.edu/-history/journal/19956/mccary.htm)
Due to his changing allegiances since the start of his political career, Churchill
had failed to win the trust of many British people, particularly the working
classes. By 1936 however, people were once again starting to take notice of
Churchill and his repeated warnings against Hitler. His outbursts over the
abdication debate however, once again made him an outcast, he himself
thought at one point that he had over stepped the mark and possibly ruined
his political career once and for all. Robert Boothby described the situation
perfectly as stated in Harold Nicolson’s diary: “I knew that Winston was going
to do something dreadful. I had been staying the weekend with him. He was silent and
8
restless and glancing into corners. Now when a dog does that, you know that he is
about to be sick on the carpet. It is the same with Winston. He managed to hold it for
three days, and then comes up to the House and is sick right across the floor…He has
undone in five minutes the patient reconstruction work of two
years.”(www.winstonchurchill.org/wplumpton.htm)
When considering the question as to whether or not Churchill should have
supported Edward throughout the abdication crisis, it would appear from
looking at the evidence that he was really left with no choice. The desperate
King had come to him looking for advice and assistance, was he likely to
ignore the pleas of his own sovereign and friend? His political career was just
starting to regain some real momentum after a number of relatively fruitless
years, is it likely that he would risk jeopardising something which he thought
he had lost but now had a second chance of succeeding at?
Having looked at the evidence therefore, it appears unlikely that Churchill
entered into this debate with any thought of personal gain. The situation as a
whole did his political career no good what so ever and if anything, as
Boothby noted, actually erased a lot of the progress he had made over the
previous few years. I think it would be true to say that Churchill had far too
much to lose to risk entering into something on such a scale as this, unless he
was absolutely certain that what he was doing was for the good of his
country, rather than for the good of himself.
9
Should Churchill have supported Edward through the
‘abdication crisis’?
Task Page
From Winston Churchill’s point of view there were many reasons for and
against supporting Edward through the abdication crisis. Most of the
reasons for seem to be personal, most of the reasons against seem to be
professional. Using the last 2 pages text to help you, fill in the following
table from Winston Churchill’s point of view:
Reasons why you would support
Edward
Reasons why you would not
support Edward
•
I am being loyal to my
sovereign.
•
•
Edward and I have been
friends for many years.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
10
I don’t agree with what he is
doing.
Conclusion:
How were people affected by the abdication crisis?
“I don’t think we could ever imagine a more incredible tragedy, and the agony of it
has been beyond words. And the melancholy fact remains still at the present moment,
that he for whom we agonised is the one person it did not touch”
(Robert Rhodes James: A Spirit Undaunted. The Political Role of George VI (1998), p. 115)
These words were expressed by the Duchess of York, who was soon to
become Queen of England, much against her wishes. Her thoughts would
most definitely have rung true with a number of people as it did appear that
the only person who came out of the abdication crisis with exactly what he
wanted was Edward himself. Even Wallis Simpson was against such a move
on the grounds that she had planned much of her life around becoming queen
herself.
In this conclusion therefore I think it would be fitting to look at a number of
people who were most closely linked and therefore most affected by the
abdication crisis. Everyone except Edward it seemed lost out in some way,
some more than others and some due to only very selfish reasons.
I think it would be true to say that the person most affected by Edward’s
actions, was his younger brother Prince Albert, Duke of York. His life was
drastically altered as he was thrust into the role of King of England, a title he
did not relish. The complete opposite of his brother, ‘Bertie’ was shy and
hesitant, with an obvious stammer in his speech and a lack of confidence in
his own abilities, many assumed that he would struggle to secure the survival
of the monarchy. He was however to prove the nation wrong. With the
constant support of his wife, Queen Elizabeth, to whom he told virtually
everything of any importance, the new King soon won the hearts and respect
of those around him.
Never before had a queen been so involved in the role of
her king than Queen Elizabeth. She resented her new role
as much as her husband did his, but accepted it with a
strong determination to succeed, they both knew after all
that they had a major role to play if the monarchy was to
survive. Of course, not only were their roles about to
change but also their entire family would have to be
uprooted: “To move her family and
relatively small staff from their London
house to the bleak grandeur of Buckingham Palace, with its
army of servants, retainers and equerries, and from the comfort
and domesticity of the Royal Lodge to the vastness of Windsor
Castle, was in itself a major logistical and emotional operation”
(Robert Rhodes James: A Spirit Undaunted. The Political Role of George VI (1998), p.125)
11
No one was more surprised than Elizabeth at the way her husband embraced
his new role, but embrace it he did and with the help of his family and a close
knit community around him, George VI at least went part way to repairing
the almost irrevocable damage caused by his brother’s abdication.
It is interesting to note in this conclusion that we do not only have to talk
about the obvious victims, but also those who suffered from Edward’s
abdication purely through personal and some would say selfish reasons.
Strangely enough Wallis Simpson, from her own point of view, suffered as
much as anyone. She was very much against Edward giving up the throne.
She had firm plans for her life as Edward’s wife, and living in ‘exile’ was not
one of them. Once it became obvious that she was not going to become
Queen, she and Edward tried to make the most of the situation by pushing for
the title of ‘Her Royal Highness’. The new King had firm views on this
however, believing that only people who were in line to the throne should be
rewarded with such an honour. As a result she was refused the title,
something which made Edward particularly angry. It would not have been a
popular decision had the King agreed to it, and so for the sake of the country
he clearly did the right thing.
So what of Churchill? What had he gained or lost from the situation? It is
definitely true to say that he had taken a huge risk in supporting Edward, his
own reputation had certainly taken a battering. Just as his political career
was starting to be revived after a few years in the wilderness, he suffered a
massive set back due to his allegiances during the abdication crisis. Many,
including himself, thought that politically he was finished. Despite eventually
being able to claw his way back into power with his determination to re arm
against Nazi Germany, Churchill’s own confidence was badly shaken. In
keeping with the words uttered by the Duchess of York shown at the start of
this chapter, Churchill was yet another victim of Edward’s decision to
abdicate.
The royal family, the political world and the nation as a whole had been left
reeling by the situation in which Edward had left them. The monarchy was in
turmoil and the British people had been abandoned by their leader. Even the
woman for whom Edward had given up the throne did not really benefit
from events as she had wished. As the Duchess of York correctly stated, the
only person it seemed not to be hurt by events was Edward himself. In
conclusion I think Edward’s mother Mary summed up the thoughts of the
nation in a letter to her son dated 18 months after the abdication. In it she
wrote: “I do not think you ever realised the shock which the attitude you took up
caused your family and the whole nation. It seemed inconceivable to those who had
made such sacrifices during the war that you, as their king, refused a lesser sacrifice.”
(Robert Rhodes James: A Spirit Undaunted. The Political Role of George VI (1998), p 114)
12
The Great Royal Debate
Teachers Notes
“It is December 4th, 1936. Last month, on the 16th November,
King Edward VIII told the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin that
he wanted to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson. We have been advised
of the Prime Minister’s response, apparently telling the King
that the British public would not accept Mrs Simpson as their
Queen. In reply, the King is said to have told Mr Baldwin that
he is prepared to abdicate if the government will not allow him
to marry”.
Pupils must be sorted into 7 groups, each group representing
one of the following people/groups of people:
1. King Edward VIII
2. Mrs Simpson
3. Prince Albert (later George VI)
4. Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth)
5. Winston Churchill
6. The Nation
7. The Government
Each member of the group must now be given the relevant
information appertaining to their particular person/groups of
people.
“You have been gathered here today in groups to discuss the
future of the British throne. An abdication crisis is imminent
and as representatives of the people involved it is up to you to
decide what to do”.
13
DEBATE 1
Task 1:
Each pupil must carefully read the information they have been
given (this can be done individually or as a group depending on
ability). When they have fully understood the information (a
time limit is probably necessary here) they must create a
profile on the sheet provided filling in as much information as
possible. (Again this can be done individually, in pairs or as a
group).
Task 2:
Each group must now clearly present their findings one by one
to the other groups. The one point they must ensure they
include is whether their chosen individual is for or against the
abdication. I also suggest here that while one group is speaking
other pupils take notes on what they are saying as this will help
them later.
Task 3:
Pupils must now vote on who is for the abdication and who is
against it. It would be good to make a record of the results so
that the whole class can see.
They should now discover that everyone was in fact against
the abdication, but each with a different reason.
DEBATE 2
Task 1:
A small group of impartial judges must now be chosen (maybe a
chance to use pupils who were away for the first debate?)
Using all the information they have been given and the notes
they have made themselves, in their groups, the other pupils
must now put together a strong argument as to why their
14
chosen individual is against the abdication of Edward VIII.
(Suggested timing 5 minutes)
Task 2:
One of the representatives from each group must now stand in
the middle of the room and pretend they are in a hot air
balloon. (They will need to wear or hold something to signify
who they represent. The group of ‘judges’ could have been
making these while others were putting together their
arguments?)
Task 3:
The situation is as follows:
The balloon is rapidly losing height. In order to stay in the air
and avoid crashing, 4 representatives must be thrown
overboard so that the lives of the remaining 3 can be spared.
In order to save the life of their fellow representative, each
group must in turn present their case to the board of judges.
When presenting their case, pupils should be encouraged to
criticise the actions of other individuals if they think it will
help their case.
Task 4:
The chosen group of judges must now openly discuss each case
as it is presented, then retire for no more than 5 minutes in
order to reach a decision as to which representatives will be
thrown over board and which will be spared (i.e. they need to
decide who has presented the most convincing case).
15
The Great Royal Debate
Notes for Pupils
“It is December 4th, 1936. Last month, on the 16th November,
King Edward VIII told the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin that
he wanted to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson. We have been advised
of the Prime Minister’s response, apparently telling the King
that the British public would not accept Mrs Simpson as their
Queen. In reply, the King is said to have told Mr Baldwin that
he is prepared to abdicate if the government will not allow him
to marry.
You have been gathered here today in groups to discuss the
future of the British throne. An abdication crisis is imminent
and as representatives of the people involved it is up to you to
decide what to do. Time is running out…”
DEBATE 1
Task 1:
Having read and fully understood the information given to you
concerning the person or persons you are to represent today,
you must now create a profile on your chosen individual.
Task 2:
Present your profile to the other representatives remembering
to give clear reasons why your individual is either for or
against the abdication of Edward VIII. (It would be a good
idea to make
notes on the opinions given by the other representatives)
Task 3:
Have a vote around the table: who is for the abdication, who is
against?
Make a note of the results.
16
What have you discovered?
DEBATE 2
(Your teacher will already have chosen a small group of
impartial judges for this debate)
Task 1:
As a group you must now put together a strong argument as to
why your individual is against the abdication of the present
King.
(You must use all the information you have been given as well as
using your notes from the previous debate to try and predict
what arguments other representatives might come up with).
Task 2:
One of the representatives from each group must now stand in
the middle of the room and pretend they are in a hot air
balloon! (Each should be wearing or holding something to signify
who they represent).
Task 3:
Imagine the situation. The balloon is rapidly loosing height. In
order to stay in the air and avoid crashing, 4 representatives
must be thrown overboard so that the lives of the remaining 3
can be spared.
In order to save the life of your fellow representative, each
group must in turn present their case to the board of judges.
(Remember, you can also criticise the actions of other
individuals if you think it will help your case).
Task 4:
Judges must openly discuss the evidence they have been given
before retiring to reach a decision as to which representatives
will be thrown overboard and which will be spared.
17
After no more than 5 minutes they must present their decision
to the table.
Profile
Name:
Age:
Education:
Role within the nation:
Ambitions for the future:
Reasons for or against the abdication of Edward VIII:
18
King Edward VIII
Edward (christened Edward Albert Christian George Andrew
Patrick David Windsor) has only been king since the death of
his father, George V on the 20th of January this year. He is
known as David to his close family, was born on 23rd June 1894
and is currently single. When his father ascended the throne
on 6th May 1910, Edward automatically became Duke of
Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron Renfrew,
Lord of the Isles and Great Steward of Scotland. On 2nd June
1910, he was also created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester.
Edward was born in Richmond, Surrey, the eldest child of
George, Duke of York (later King George V) and Princess Mary
of Teck. As he was growing up, Edward’s father found him
difficult to understand and as a result their relationship was
often strained, particularly in public. Edward was a bright child
but never really got the chance to excel among other children
as he was educated at home by a tutor until the age of 13. In
1907 however, he went to the Royal Naval College at Osborne
on the Isle of Wight. 2 years later in 1909 he went to
Dartmouth Royal Naval College and finally in 1912 spent a few
months at Magdalen College, Oxford University. When war
broke out in 1914 Edward was old enough to serve as a staff
officer in the Grenadier Guards, in France, Italy and Egypt.
Through his later education and due to his role as Prince of
Wales, Edward has had the opportunity to travel extensively.
Since 1919 he has made state trips to the United States,
Japan, South America and the dominions (territories within the
British empire). As well as carrying out these official overseas
tours, Edward has also made a number of regional visits,
concentrating particularly on areas hit by economic depression.
Many believe that he has a genuine concern for the
underprivileged, a belief enhanced by the fact that he has in
19
recent years instigated a firm battle against growing
unemployment in this country. This, along with his youthful
good looks has made him a popular figure, not only in Britain,
but also throughout the empire.
Edward is a very adventurous man. He is also an excellent
gardener, something which he became interested in whilst
living at Fort Belvoir, the 18th century home given to him by his
father.
Being such a handsome and popular prince, it is not surprising
to hear that Edward has had a number of affairs in recent
years. These include Mrs Freda Dudley Ward, an Anglo
American textile heiress and Viscountess Thelma Furness, wife
of an elderly shipping magnate. Six years ago however, Edward
was introduced to Mrs Wallis Simpson. At the time she was
still married to her second husband Ernest Simpson. It was not
long however before Edward claimed he was madly in love with
Mrs Simpson and wanted to marry her. He has done everything
he can, it seems, to try and keep both his throne and marry his
new love. It is becoming more and more apparent however that
this is not going to be possible, clearly Edward is going to have
to choose one or the other. . .
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Mrs Wallis Simpson
Wallis Simpson was born Bessie Wallis Warfield on 19th June
1896 in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania. Her father, Teakle a
successful business man sadly died of tuberculosis just five
months after she was born, leaving no money. As a result,
despite being born into a very prominent family within America,
Wallis Simpson grew up virtually penniless. Wallis and her
mother were forced to live off the charity of Teakle’s brother
‘Sol’ Warfield. It was thanks to her uncle that Wallis was able
to go to boarding school in 1912. She was sent to Anne Arundel
County Annapolis High School in Maryland. It was at this time
also that she dropped her first name of ‘Bessie’, claiming that
too many cows were called Bessie, and adopted the more
‘sophisticated’ Wallis instead.
In November 1916 Wallis married Lieutenant Earl Winfield
Spencer, known as ‘Win’. He was a pilot for the U.S. Navy.
Unfortunately this first marriage was not a happy one as soon
after the war ended in 1918 Win started to drink heavily. He
also abused Wallis and became extremely jealous and
possessive. As a result of his behaviour Wallis ended up leaving
him and going to live in Washington by herself for 6 years.
They got back together briefly in 1922 but it did not work out
and they finally divorced in December 1927.
It was only 6 months later however, that Wallis married Ernest
Aldrich Simpson. Ernest is a respectable man who works in his
family’s shipping company. He was a dependable husband for
Wallis and when they married they moved to London.
Mrs Simpson loved her new life style. She is a very sociable
woman and so fitted in well with the London social scene.
Unfortunately for Ernest Simpson however, it was through this
new social life that Wallis was introduced to King Edward VIII
21
(then Prince of Wales). The 3 of them were often seen
socialising together at parties. Eventually, 2 years ago in
August 1934 Wallis was invited to spend a holiday cruising on
the Rosaura with Edward and a close circle of friends. Ernest
had been invited but was away on a business trip at the time. It
was during this cruise that by her own admission, Wallis
Simpson started a relationship with Edward that was more
than just a close friendship. Over the last 2 years the couple
have become inseparable and it was last year in 1935 that they
announced their intention to marry. It is this decision that has
resulted in us meeting here today. Wallis, from her own point
of view is very much against Edward giving up his throne, she
has firm plans for her life as Edward’s wife and going into
‘exile’ is not one of them. Following the recent reaction from
the public, the government and the rest of the royal family
however, it seems clear now that if he does not give up the
throne then Edward is going to have to give up Wallis Simpson
herself…
22
Prince Albert
Known as ‘Bertie’ to his family, the current Prince Albert,
christened Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor, was born
at York Cottage, Sandringham, on the 14th December 1895.
Many of us here may know that this was not a particularly good
date on which to be born: the 14th December marks the
anniversary of the death in 1861 of Prince Albert, the beloved
husband of the present Prince Albert’s great-grandmother
Queen Victoria. Luckily for Bertie however, Queen Victoria
took this to be a favourable omen and ended up loving her
great-grandson dearly.
Sadly, since a very young age, Prince Albert has suffered with
poor health. Among other things as a child he had poor
digestion and knock knees, a condition for which he had to wear
splints on his legs. By the time he was 8 years old he had also
developed a stammer. This stammer has resulted in several
ordeals for the Prince as he has carried out his duties as Duke
of York. (He was created Duke of York in 1920). Roughly 10
years ago however, the Prince started attending regular
sessions with speech therapist Lionel Logue. These sessions
have quite clearly been a huge success as there is now very
little sign of Albert’s stammer in his now frequent public
speeches.
Despite these set backs, Prince Albert became extremely good
at horse riding and shooting and at a young age established
himself as a very popular and reliable member of the royal
family, both with the public and with his own parents. In 1908,
his father decided he should join the navy as his older brother
had done the year before, and so sent him to the Royal Naval
College at Osborne. Although he did not do very well there,
coming bottom of the 68 entrants, Albert still went on to the
Royal Naval College at Dartmouth and eventually became a
midshipman on the battleship Collingwood, he saw action at the
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battle of Jutland in 1916. Whereas his brother David had
thoroughly enjoyed his time in the navy, the whole experience
had the opposite affect on Albert, making him extremely
miserable.
When ill health finally forced him to leave the navy, Albert
went on to study constitutional history at Trinity College
Cambridge. It was around this time also that Albert met a
certain Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon at a ball in London. It was 3
years and 3 proposals later however that Elizabeth finally
agreed to marry Albert in April of 1923. They first lived
together at White Lodge in Richmond Park before moving to
145 Piccadilly. 5 years ago however, they moved into The Royal
Lodge in Windsor Great Park where they currently live with
their 2 daughters Elizabeth, aged 10 and Margaret aged 6.
Prince Albert is the President of the Industrial Welfare
Society. He and his wife work hard and make many public
appearances. They are a very popular couple and are content
with their happy family life. If King Edward VIII does decide
to choose Wallis Simpson rather than the throne Prince Albert
will become our next King, a role that neither he or his wife
desires.
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Princess Elizabeth
Princess Elizabeth was born Lady Elizabeth Angela Marguerite
Bowes-Lyon on 4th August 1900. Her parents are Cecilia Nina
Cavendish-Bentinck and Claude George Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of
Strathmore. She was the 9th of 10 children.
Coming from such a distinguished family it seems strange to
say, but even Elizabeth herself admits that she never had any
intention of marrying into royalty. The fact therefore, that
she now finds herself so close to the English throne itself must
be as much of a shock to her as it is to anyone.
Elizabeth’s education started off at a private academy on
Sloane Street. She was not here for long however and after 8
months she left as her family felt it more appropriate that she
be educated at home with a private German born tutor.
When the Great War broke out (22 years ago now!), not only
did the tutor have to be dismissed but Elizabeth, along with
the rest of the population also took on a new role. Her home in
Scotland, Glamis Castle, was turned into a nursing home for
wounded soldiers. Although she was not old enough to officially
nurse these soldiers herself, the young princess worked hard
running errands for others and caring for the wounded as much
as she could. It was hardly one year into the war however
before the Bowes-Lyons suffered a tragedy of their own.
Elizabeth’s elder brother Fergus was serving as an officer in
the Black Watch when he was killed at the Battle of Loos in
1915. Another brother Michael was also held prisoner during
the same war. If nothing else this shows us that as with any
major event, everybody is touched and affected in some way,
just like the situation we are here to discuss and debate today.
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It was at the end of the war in 1918 that our young princess
started to ‘come out’ at society balls. Although Elizabeth and
Albert had met before when they were very young, it was only
now that the youngest daughter of the Earl of Strathmore
caught the eye of the royal prince. At a small dance in 1920
the couple met for the first time since childhood. In the
autumn of the same year, Albert went back to visit Elizabeth
at Glamis Castle. Because her mother was ill at the time, it was
Elizabeth who did all the entertaining and from that moment,
for the next two years, Albert pursued Elizabeth until he
finally won her hand in marriage. She did not make it easy for
him however. As we know she was very happy and was reluctant
to exchange the freedom of her own home and family for the
official duties that would surely become the focus of her life
were she to become part of the royal circle.
After 3 proposals however, she finally agreed to marry the
determined Albert. They were married on April 26th 13 years
ago in 1923. And so began the happy and successful union that
is still so strong between this popular couple today. This union
has had to be stronger than ever in recent months when it
would be true to say that the prince and princess have had to
take on a far more active role within the royal circle due to
Prince Edward passing over many of his own royal duties. As
time passes with no decision being reached, it seems more and
more likely that Albert may indeed become the next King of
England. Elizabeth has made no secret of the fact that being
Queen of England is not something she wishes for either her or
her family, but we do know that she is extremely loyal and has
an undiminished sense of duty. She will support her husband
whatever happens.
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Winston Churchill
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was born nearly 2 months
premature on November 30th 1874 at Blenheim Palace,
Woodstock, Oxfordshire. His mother, Lady Randolph Churchill
was an American. Winston loved her dearly but she sadly died
15 years ago now in 1921. Winston’s father, Lord Randolph
Churchill had, as I’m sure everyone here knows a very
distinguished career of his own. In 1886 he became Chancellor
of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons. Lord
Randolph died in 1894 however, after failing to fight off a
serious illness, something which had affected him for a number
of years.
As for Winston himself it would certainly be true to say that
he has so far led a very eventful and active life. On the 17th
April 1888 he started at Harrow School. Despite being given
some of the best education money could buy, Winston was not a
particularly good student and his tutor for most of his time at
Harrow, H. O. D. Davidson often complained to Winston’s
mother that he was late, unprepared or had lost his books. It
was Lord Randolph who encouraged Winston to pursue the
course into which he was to enter after Harrow. He was
adamant that his son should join the army and so in 1891 he
took his first entrance exam for the Royal Military College at
Sandhurst. He failed. He had to take the exam 3 times in total
before he finally passed and entered Sandhurst in 1893.
Despite having had such difficulty getting into the Royal
Military College in the first place, Churchill actually made a
complete success of his time there and finally passed out in
1895 in the top 20. He immediately joined the Fourth Hussars
and it was with them that he took part in the Battle of
Omdurman in 1899 in the Sudan whilst in action on the Indian
North West frontier.
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Our young Winston, had it seemed made a successful start to
his military life. Despite this however, he was by this time
beginning to take an interest in a totally different career path
altogether. He was already producing a lot of written material.
This included both military reports for the Daily Telegraph and
books (‘The Story of the Malakand Field Force’ in 1898 and
‘The River War’ in 1899).
In 1899 Winston Churchill finally left the army and started
work as a war correspondent for the ‘Morning Post’. It was
whilst reporting for the ‘Morning Post’ during the Boer War
that Churchill was captured by the Boers. His dramatic escape
however made him a national hero and on this new wave of
optimism he returned to Britain and became the Conservative
member of Parliament for Oldham. And so started Winston
Churchill’s political career.
Winston Churchill has had a number of allegiances during his
colourful career and it wasn’t long (1904 in fact!) before he
changed sides and joined the Liberal Party. Since then he has
held a number of different posts: 1906- Secretary of State
for the Colonies; 1908- President of the Board of Trade; 1910Home Secretary; 1911- First Lord of the Admiralty.
It is important to note of course that it was in 1908 that he
also met and fell in love with his beloved wife Clemetine.
In 1912, having become one of the first people to appreciate
the military potential of aircraft Winston established the Air
Department at the Admiralty and always one for a challenge,
even took up flying lessons himself! In 1914 at the outbreak of
the Great War, Winston joined the War Council. We all know
however that in 1915, he was blamed by many for the failed
Dardanelles Campaign. As a result he was moved from his
position on the War Council, something which left him
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extremely frustrated. He hated having such little influence on
what was going on in the war and so rejoined the army and
commanded a battalion of the Royal Scots Fusiliers on the
Western front.
When David Lloyd George became Prime Minister 20 years ago
in December 1916, be brought Winston Churchill back into his
government as Minister of Munitions and in the final year of
the Great War he was in charge of the production of tanks,
aeroplanes, guns and shells.
In 1922, when Winston was defeated in the General Election,
he rejoined the Conservative party where our current Prime
Minister, Mr Stanley Baldwin appointed him as Chancellor of
the Exchequer (a position his father had held 36 years before
him!) Unfortunately for the Conservatives however, as we all
know they were defeated in 1929 and Winston Churchill lost
office. Since then we are told that Winston Churchill has spent
much of his time at his home at Chartwell concentrating on his
writing and painting.
It is only in very recent years that we have seen his influence
starting to emerge again. In 1933 for example when Adolf
Hitler and the Nazi party gained power in Germany, it was Mr
Churchill who almost immediately starting warning us to re-arm.
Nobody has really taken much notice of this warning and
whether anything comes of this apparent threat remains to be
seen. It is certainly true to say however, that within the
abdication crisis that we are here to discuss today, Winston
Churchill’s influence has certainly been felt and appreciated by
one person in particular. Our King, Edward VIII, the person at
the heart of this discussion is a firm friend of Winston
Churchill and has sought his advice on a number of occasions.
The advice that Winston has given the King and the fact that
he has asked for Edward to be given more time is something
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that has made him extremely unpopular with our government.
It seems strange that he would risk his already rather
unstable career giving advice that seems to go against those
around him but that is exactly what he has done. Winston
Churchill has remained loyal to the king throughout this
episode, apparently with no other motive whatsoever…
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The Nation
The British nation as a whole has been greatly affected by the
events leading up to the situation in which we find ourselves
today. Although our newspapers have taken on an apparent vow
of silence over the whole affair, this has not stopped Britons
abroad from getting hold of certain press cuttings and sending
them home to anxious relatives. In America and Europe for
example the story has been prevalent for some time, the press
there are apparently keen to report fully on every aspect of
this ‘scandal’. Over here however things have been much
quieter. Not until August of 1934 did we see our first real
clues that something was going on between the King and Mrs
Simpson. When certain pictures were released of a
Mediterranean holiday hosted by the King, it was clear that
among the party on board Lord Moyne’s yacht, the Rosaura, was
Mrs Simpson, most notably, without her husband.
As the affair between our King and Mrs Simpson has become
more public, so we, the public have become more vocal. Many
British people feel that what Edward is doing is wrong for a
number of reasons. Firstly, it is generally felt that Mrs
Simpson would not make a good queen, not only is she an
American but she is also twice divorced. The Church of England
in this country does not recognise divorce and so as head of
this Church, Edward should not be condoning it. We believe
that a divorced person should not remarry while their former
spouse is still alive, and we know that Ernest Simpson is still
very much alive and well.
Divorce is also something that many of us find it hard to relate
to. Generally people do not get divorced, most of us can’t
afford it and even if we could we tend to take our vows very
seriously, ‘till death do us part’ means ‘till death do us part’. I
think it would be true to say therefore, that for all these
reasons and others, many people are genuinely shocked at the
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thought of our King marrying Mrs Simpson. Equally so, if he
decides to give up the throne for her as well, I think there will
be a strong feeling of betrayal among the British people. It
would be as if our own King were abandoning us, and at a time
when things throughout Europe and the world are so unstable…
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The Government
The British government has been very much involved in events
leading up to the crisis in which we now find ourselves. As we
all know, the role of our monarchy is changing, our Kings and
Queens are now becoming more symbolic figureheads than
anything else. It has almost become custom now for the
monarchy to stay out of politics and so Edward, more so than
any who have gone before him should realise that this is a time
when he needs to obey the decisions of the Cabinet.
As soon as the situation arose, the King correctly sought the
advice of his ministers, but as TheTimes (a Conservative
newspaper) reports today, the response was a negative one:
“The King has expressed his desire to contract such a marriage
as would require a special act of Parliament; that he has
himself taken the initiative in asking whether such a measure
can be passed; and that Ministers, after full consideration and
consultation, have replied that in their opinion it is impossible.”
Having received a negative response therefore, the King has
been left with 3 choices: to finish his relationship with Mrs
Simpson, to marry against the advice of his ministers who
would then resign, or to abdicate. There seems to be a lot of
support for Stanley Baldwin and his ministers as many people
feel that to marry the twice divorced Mrs Simpson would be
morally wrong for the King, but to abdicate would mean
abandoning the Nation at a very unstable time. General feeling
at this time seems to be that the stability of the Government
and the Nation as a whole is more important than anything else.
Yesterday, the King asked Mr Baldwin if he could make a public
broadcast appeal to the Nation, presumably in order to win
public support for his cause. Mr Baldwin has rejected the idea,
thinking it to be an unconstitutional act. This very morning
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however it would appear that because of this, a rift may
develop between Mr Baldwin and Mr Churchill. Mr Churchill is,
as we speak, at the King’s residence at Fort Belvedere. Leaked
information tells us that he is going to appeal for the King to
be given adequate time to make his decision. It would appear
therefore that in his advice, Mr Churchill is going to go against
that of the Governments’. What this will mean for the
Government remains to be seen…
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