November 14, 1936
King Edward VIII has been out-maneuvered by court officials. His interlude with an American commoner has come to an end, and many in London believe that the king was breaking the news tonight to his American friend, according to the Chicago Daily Tribune.
He has also agreed to a "marriage of convenience, a concession to the Victorian temper of modern England. Edward has apparently told his courtiers to "name the girl and he will marry her after a reasonable time after his coronation in May.
The original report for this is Geoffrey Dawson, the editor of The Times, and considered one of the "ten best-informed men in Great Britain." But he does not know who the "graybeards" at court have selected. The princess in question is "as much a mystery to Dawson" as to the King.
The selection may be made from six eligible young royal women: Princesses Irene, Katherine, and Eugenie of Greece, Princess Friederike-Luise of Hanover, Princess Eudoxia of Bulgaria, and the "poverty-stricken" Grand Duchess Kira of Russia.
Princesses Irene, 32, and Katherine, 23, are sisters of King George II of the Hellenes. Princess Eugenie is King George's first cousin, as is the Duchess of Kent, who was born Princess Marina of Greece. Princess Eudoxia, 38, is the sister of King Boris III of Bulgaria. Princess Friederike-Luise is 19, and a granddaughter of former Kaiser Wilhelm II, Grand Duchess Kira, who is 27, is a second cousin of the King as her mother, the late Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh was King George V's first cousin. She is also the first cousin of the Duchess of Kent.
All three Greek Princesses and Grand Duchess Kira were bridesmaids at Princess Marina's wedding to the Duke of Kent in November 1934.
King Edward VIII has been out-maneuvered by court officials. His interlude with an American commoner has come to an end, and many in London believe that the king was breaking the news tonight to his American friend, according to the Chicago Daily Tribune.
He has also agreed to a "marriage of convenience, a concession to the Victorian temper of modern England. Edward has apparently told his courtiers to "name the girl and he will marry her after a reasonable time after his coronation in May.
The original report for this is Geoffrey Dawson, the editor of The Times, and considered one of the "ten best-informed men in Great Britain." But he does not know who the "graybeards" at court have selected. The princess in question is "as much a mystery to Dawson" as to the King.
The selection may be made from six eligible young royal women: Princesses Irene, Katherine, and Eugenie of Greece, Princess Friederike-Luise of Hanover, Princess Eudoxia of Bulgaria, and the "poverty-stricken" Grand Duchess Kira of Russia.
Princesses Irene, 32, and Katherine, 23, are sisters of King George II of the Hellenes. Princess Eugenie is King George's first cousin, as is the Duchess of Kent, who was born Princess Marina of Greece. Princess Eudoxia, 38, is the sister of King Boris III of Bulgaria. Princess Friederike-Luise is 19, and a granddaughter of former Kaiser Wilhelm II, Grand Duchess Kira, who is 27, is a second cousin of the King as her mother, the late Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh was King George V's first cousin. She is also the first cousin of the Duchess of Kent.
All three Greek Princesses and Grand Duchess Kira were bridesmaids at Princess Marina's wedding to the Duke of Kent in November 1934.
Tonight the king left in a hurry for his country home, Fort. Belvedere. Mrs. Simpson also left London en route to the same destination.
The Times, "conservative and aloof to the point of smugness," has not published anything about the king's relationship. Nor has Dawson "made any formal pronouncement," apart from confiding in a few close friends. But those who know his sources of information, accept his "statement as official."
According to Dawson, the King "is going to finish with Mrs. Simpson finally and gracefully. He arrived at this decision with great reluctance and was influenced largely by two factors:
"The American press, which has devoted so much space to his friendship for Mrs. Simpson.
"2,. the Archbishop of Canterbury.
"Both these agencies, curiously enough, impressed upon the king the same thing - the harm he would be doing to the prestige of the throne by marrying a divorce."
Instead, after a reasonable time after the Coronation, the king will announce his engagement to a royal princess. It will be a "marriage of convenience," not of love. This will be understood by the king and his chosen bride.
Queen Mary is said to be pleased by Edward's renunciation of Mrs. Simpson.
Other well-informed sources say that this is yet another rumor of which there are bound to be many. Another such rumor making the rounds in London is that Grand Duchess Xenia of Russia, sister of the late Emperor Nicholas II, is moving from her home at Frogmore House on the Windsor estate to Hampton Court Palace so Mrs. Simpson can move into Frogmore,
The Times, "conservative and aloof to the point of smugness," has not published anything about the king's relationship. Nor has Dawson "made any formal pronouncement," apart from confiding in a few close friends. But those who know his sources of information, accept his "statement as official."
According to Dawson, the King "is going to finish with Mrs. Simpson finally and gracefully. He arrived at this decision with great reluctance and was influenced largely by two factors:
"The American press, which has devoted so much space to his friendship for Mrs. Simpson.
"2,. the Archbishop of Canterbury.
"Both these agencies, curiously enough, impressed upon the king the same thing - the harm he would be doing to the prestige of the throne by marrying a divorce."
Instead, after a reasonable time after the Coronation, the king will announce his engagement to a royal princess. It will be a "marriage of convenience," not of love. This will be understood by the king and his chosen bride.
Queen Mary is said to be pleased by Edward's renunciation of Mrs. Simpson.
Other well-informed sources say that this is yet another rumor of which there are bound to be many. Another such rumor making the rounds in London is that Grand Duchess Xenia of Russia, sister of the late Emperor Nicholas II, is moving from her home at Frogmore House on the Windsor estate to Hampton Court Palace so Mrs. Simpson can move into Frogmore,
Was this just "wishful thinking" or propaganda by the English press?
ReplyDeleteConsidering it came from Dawson, propaganda, wishful thinking -- and not ready for what would soon happen
ReplyDelete