Wallis Simpson was 'exiled' when HRH was refused says expert

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Meghan and Harry’s decision to step down from the Royal Family drew clear parallels to the Abdication crisis of 1936. In choosing to marry Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee like Meghan, Edward VIII relinquished the throne to spend the rest of his days with the woman he loved. Like Meghan and Harry, the couple went on to spend the majority of their time overseas ‒ albeit in Paris rather than California.

As William and Kate have been left with a more taxing royal workload with Meghan and Harry out of the picture, so it was that Edward’s brother ‒ King George VI ‒ was left to pick up the pieces in the Thirties.  

Today, the Queen finds herself at the heart of a global media frenzy as US broadcaster CBS looks set to air the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s interview with Oprah.

But when George VI, the Queen’s father, was on the throne, Buckingham Palace was accused of banning all interviews with the royal rebel of the day: Edward VIII.

Edward, stylised as the Duke of Windsor after the abdication, made the astonishing claim after World War 2.

In September 1945, Edward returned to the UK for the first time in five years as he had been seen as a troublemaker by Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s war cabinet due to the Duke’s well-publicised Nazi sympathies.

Edward, speaking to a group of 30 journalists in his ship cabin en route to Britain, said: “I heard something about a ban on interviewing me.

“I disclaim any knowledge of that. I am very glad to see you all.”

Speculating over his long-term future with Wallis in Paris, he claimed he wanted a job.

And when asked if he would prefer to work in the UK, he replied: “Yes, indeed. Yes, certainly.”

Over the next few years, Vogue reports, claims were rife that Edward could make a UK comeback.

A high-profile meeting with Mr Churchill in 1953 only served to fuel the flames.

After this, the Duke claimed: “When I left Britain 16 years ago I said I was always available, and I am still available.”

Edward is even said to have refused several job offers in the private sector, as making money in commerce was a conflict of interest to the Royal Family.

Instead, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor stayed in France.

Edward wrote books and passed the time gardening while Wallis wrote articles and designed patterns.

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The Duchess, in particular, maintained a strong bitterness to this state of affairs as she wrote in a newspaper column: “For 24 years my husband has been punished, like a small boy who gets a spanking every day of his life for a small transgression.”

Edward died on May 28, 1972, in Paris. Wallis passed away 14 years later ‒ on April 24, 1986.

The Windsors were both laid to rest at the Royal Burial Ground on the Frogmore Estate.

Therein lies another peculiar link to the Sussexes, in that Meghan and Harry’s UK home is the nearby Frogmore Cottage.

Ahead of their interview with Oprah this evening, Palace aides are understood to have been given a link to watch it as it airs in the US.

They will then give the Queen a breakfast briefing tomorrow over comments made by the couple.

A source told The Sunday Times: “You will see next week Her Majesty has quite a few things going on.

“I don’t think anyone should expect Her Majesty to stay up and watch the interview. She won’t.”

Watch the full Harry and Meghan interview with Oprah on ITV on Monday at 9pm or on the ITV Hub.

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