#Edward VIII

[romanovsonelastdance]

King George V with his wife, eldest son, and only daughter.

[royalwomeninhistory]

Four Generations

Queen Victoria with her son & heir the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), grandson the Duke of York (later George V), and great-grandson Prince Edward of York (later Edward VIII; Duke of Windsor), at Osborne House, 5 August 1899.

According to Frances Donaldson: “When they were children Prince Edward and Prince Albert were also terrified in the presence of their great-grandmother … they would frequently burst into tears in her presence for no obvious reason, which ‘both saddened and annoyed the Queen, who would ask, with the petulance of old age, what she had done wrong now. It also mortified the children’s parents’”. (Edward VIII: The Road to Abdication, p.17)

Source: Royal Collection (photographs), @kingedwardviii (text)

[petermorwood]

That aged less than well.

I picked up a few common-subject books (The 1936 Abdication of Edward VIII, and what came after) from the library a couple of weeks back, and after reading several non-fictions, started on the single example of fiction.

It's "To Catch A King", a thriller by Jack "The Eagle Has Landed" Higgins, and Hoo-Boy, the opening made me roll my eyes:

The Higgins novel was first published in 1979.

The non-fiction books all came out much later.

"Much later" meant post-Charles / Diana / Camilla / Andy / Fergie / Harry / Meghan etc, and thus also meant "Much Less Deferential".

They used research material unavailable* when Higgins wrote his novel.

* That said, every single non-fiction writer commented about how many documents were Not Yet Available, or Lost, or Withheld, or Heavily Redacted, etcetera, etcetera.

Even without that excuse there's an unsavoury brown-nosing feel about the novel which seems very un-Higgins.

IMO, of course, and YMMV.

By contrast, one of the non-fiction books - this one by Andrew Lownie - was entitled "Traitor King". Make of that what you will.

Considering what came from the documents which WERE available, and wondering what might be in the ones kept out of reach - also WHY they're so out of reach - leaves me thinking there's a lot of "no smoke without fire" about the Duke of Windsor's doings before and during WW2.

And terms like "credit", "gallant", "honourable", even "gentleman" may be at best less than accurate, at worst completely false.

The show will, no doubt, go on.

Right now I'm turning attention to some novels from my TBR pile - including at long last a few "Redwall" titles - because after that other lot, fiction has a less dodgy flavour...

[thepastisalreadywritten]

A collage of The Record Reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria — 63 years, 216 days.

The collage shows the Heir Apparent (Edward VII) - Heir Presumptive (George V) - David (Edward VIII).

Also, her other living children when attaining this historical reign. There are 8 miniatures of Queen Victoria.

Credit: Illustrated London News (special edition)

[teatimeatwinterpalace]

God Save the King !

King Edward VII ✧ 24 January 1901 King George V ✧ 9 May 1910 King Edward VIII ✧ 21 January 1936 King George VI ✧ 12 December 1936 King Charles III ✧ 10 September 2022

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

❤ Queen Alexandra with her grandchildren ❤

Edit made by me using CapCut!

[oscarwetnwilde]

James Wilby as Bertie/George VI and Charles Edwards as David/Edward VIII in Bertie And Elizabeth.

[for-valour]

‘The Greaze is an annual custom unique to Westminster School, held each Shrove Tuesday since at least the mid 1700s but in a tradition likely to be medieval. A school cook tosses a pancake over an iron bar and pupils scramble to retrieve what they can of the pancake. The pupil with the largest piece wins a guinea from the Dean of Westminster, who also grants the whole school an extra day’s holiday — the ‘Dean’s play’.

The Greaze is the most anticipated event in the School diary and is a popular spectator event, notably in 1919 when it was attended by King George V and Queen Mary, alongside their sons, the future Edward VIII and George VI.’

Source: Westminster School

Aww, look at our baby-faced Bertie!

[davbertieloml]

King George V and The Prince of Wales, 13 March 1914

On this day in 1936, King George V died at Sandringham House aged 70.

His eldest son, Edward, then ascended the throne to become Edward VIII and reigned for 326 days, making him the shortest reigning British Monarch to date. He abdicated on 10 December of the same year and was succeeded by his younger brother Prince Albert, Duke of York, who took the reign name George VI.

[ladygoehnio]

Prince Edward of Wales and his father, King George V taken in Buckingham Palace, 1914.

[duchessoflennox]

PRINCESS ELIZABETH OF HESSE & PRINCE EDWARD OF YORK 🥺💗🤍

During the funeral of Queen Victoria in 1901, Princess Elisabeth of hesse sat next to her second cousin Prince Edward of York.

"Sweet little David behaved so well during the service," wrote his aunt princess Maud, "and was supported by the little Hesse girl who took him under her protection and held him most of the time round his neck. They looked such a delightful little couple."

[romanovsonelastdance]

The family of the future King George V after the birth of Prince George.

[spiritundaunted]

Queen Mary, when Duchess of York, with her children, Prince Albert, Princess Mary, and Prince Edward, circa 1897.

Oh goodness, look how cute little Bertie is here - he looks like a little sprite! Sweet little face!

[ykzzr]

Prince Edward of Wales, his wife Princess Alexandra of Wales and their two sons Princes Albert Victor and George of Wales 1870s.

Princess Alexandra’s face looks weirdly edited.

[collarsncrowns]

The Duke of York (later King George V) with his first child, Prince Edward (later King Edward VIII).

Photographs ranging from 1894-1898

[queenalexandraofdenmark]

Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna giving Prince David(Edward VIII) a piggyback ride 🥺🫶