Evening star., 1961-12-10

huNC uP AAAo NAAA ohANs W maj
And now, on the eve of
Editors note: Twenty-Five yecrs
oso romance did whot the centuries
roreIy could-toppIed O King Of
England. Here's O review Of those
tense Days thot cost Edword VII
his crown thut olso asks two in
trisuins questions: Has the Duke of
Windsor ony reerets' And did he
leave the throne willing y-or wos
he pushed'
Intriguing question has been
asked here:
Did the Duke freely abdi-
cate-and thereby step down
to the title of the Duke of
Windsor-or was he pushed
off his ancient throne?
Coincident with this theory,
another and perhaps even
more audacious question has
been raised:
Why is the Duchess of
Windsor still not allowed to
share her husbands title?
Wit hout exception. the
wives of the other royal dukes
carry the full royal tag.
Lord Beaverbrook's Sunday
Express says the exclusion
of the Duchess of Windsor
after Is years appears to be
childish on the part of Buck
ingham Palace.
The theory that the late
Prime Minister Stanley Bald
win drove King Edward VIII
into ab icating. comes from
the distinguished historian
biographer, Lewis Broad.
Nudged
In a new book, The
Abdication-A Re- Appraisal"
Broad offers clues to support
the theory that Baldwin
nu 'ged Edward off his
throne.
In his speech to the House
OF Commons on the abdica-
ton, Baldwin said the King
told him:
Il am going to marry Mrs.
Simpson and I am prepared
to go ="
Then, explaining his own
actions, Baldwin went on:
My efforts during these
last days have been directed
in trying to help him (the
King make the choice which
he has not made" (give up
Mrs. Simpson an. stay on as
King.
Broad then recalled that
years afterwards, when he
had retired, Baldwin told his
official biographer:
The only time I was
frlg hi tened was when
thought he might change his
mind"
In other words. Baldwin
was frightened that the King
might give up the woman he
loved-and remain King.
Baldwin publicly insisted
that he wanted Edward to
remain on the throne.
But now, a quarter Of
century later, a number of
people are leaning towards
the theory that the King
threatened to abdicate, but
didn't offer to.
They feel he put up a
courageous fight to marry the
American and remain King.
Dramatic
AS interesting as this
theory is, the Kings love for
the fascinating Baltimore
born Wallis, the twice
divorced woman, contains the
elements from which high
drama is made.
Edward Albert Christian
George Andrew Patrick
David, the dashing Prince of
Wales, first met Mrs. Simp-
son at a weekend house
party near London in the
winter of 1881.
He was a bachelor, blue
eyed, fair haired and 81.
She was married to a
London shipping magnate.
She was witty, urbane, slim
and highly attractive at the
age Of 35.
Striking up conversation,
the Prince asked Mrs. Simp-
son if she, as an American,
didn't find discomfort in
Britain'S lack of central heat
ing.
I'm sorry. sir" replied
Mrs. Simpson. "but you have
disappointed me-"
I'm what way?" asked the
Prince. pleasantly surprised
at a woman, or anyone for
that matter, giving him any
thing but sugary answer.
Every American woman"
she is reported to have re-
piled, "is always asked that
same question. I hoped for
something more original from
the Prince of Wales"
That was as far as the con-
versation went. But the
Prince was intrigued by her.
More and more they found
themselves together at
parties. Mrs. Simpsons hus-
band was usually along too.
The friendship blossomed
to the point that the Simp-
sons invited the Prince to
their apartment in London.
Dropping In
He accepted, had a good
time and began dropping in
on them.
In his own account of