BEAVERBROOK'S INVOLVEMENT IN ABDICATION OF EDWARD VIII

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BEAVERBROOK'S INVOLVEMENT IN ABDICATION OF EDWARD VIII

Causes

  • Stanley Baldwin (PM ) insisted that Edward could not be king and marry Simpson as he didn't with agree with him marrying a divorcee.
  • Edward wanted to appeal to the British public via radio broadcast on December 3rd but Baldwin blocked this by saying such a private appeal was an unconstitutional breach of the government's advice to the monarch.
  • Beaverbrook played a small role in these events - although his eneimes exaggerated his part.
  • He wad not friend of Edward and had only met him a few months before the 1936 abdication crisis. His only role was to permit the pulication of news about Mrs Simpson's divirce trail.

Effects

  • A week later, Edward abdicated
  • The King invited Beaverbrook to he palace in October 1936 and requested privacy for Mrs. Simpson.  Beaverbrook visited Rothermere to then pass on the King's wishes.
  • In mid-November, Edward told Beaverbrook of his desire to marry Simpson and asked for advice - Beaverbrook was scared the effects a abdication would have on the epire so told the king he would support the idea of a morganatic marrige.
  • Only the Daily Mail and the Daily Express supported the marrige with all other national dailes opposed to it.
  • Beaverbrook's critics suggest that the Express had been used in his on going campaign agaisnt Baldwin as he loathed the PM.
  • Howver, Beaverbrook had been brought into the crisis by the King and acted according to what was best for him and Simpson throughout - he was only marginally influenced by the postive press in The Express in December .

Overall summary

Beaverbrook did not support the idea of a morganatic marriage between Edward and Simpson in order to spite Stanley Baldwin - as he was only brought into the matter when asked to not report on Wallace Simpson. 

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