November 28, 1936
King Edward VIII has been "formally requested" to inform the British public, "by word or deed," about his relationship with Mrs. Simpson, reports the Chicago Daily Tribune.
This demand for an "immediate end to the semi-secrecy" surrounding the romance was told to the monarch in conversations with peers and the British cabinet.
Information received in Washington, D.C., from official and semi-official sources in London today have "failed to indicate" what Edward's answer will be.
Reports "trickling" into London are now strongly indicating that a "decisive crisis" has developed.
Two scenarios, neither confirmed, have been suggested to the king from those who are said to be in the know. One is for Mrs. Simpson to leave England and travel to the United States or to Rome for a vacation - and her departure would be for a "decorous but nevertheless publicized 'farewell' by his majesty." This would give the impression that there was a close friendship between the American divorcee and the king, but nothing more.
But if the king is determined to "continue the affair with matrimonial intentions," he should make "this fact evident by his public conduct," which would allow the British public to "express its approbation or disapproval" of such a marriage.
The response of his subjects would also depend on whether or not his wife would have the title queen or another title, or whether the king would abdicate in favor of his brother, the Duke of York, which would allow him to be free to marry Mrs. Simpson.
The king, according to "important" Britons in Washington, has been reminded of the "obligations of the hereditary ruling class."
He was also told that if he "chooses to act as if such traditions and obligations do not exist," he should be willing to give up his throne and all "the royal riches with the exception of his personal fortune."
The public cannot be expected to "express an opinion" about the king's romance, if they are kept in the dark.
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