WI: Documents Recovered that show Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson conspired against UK & Allies

What happened if, documents, that were rumoured to have shown that Edward the VIII and Wallis Simpson had met with the Nazi government and had conspired against the UK sometime after WWII (by lets say 1948, before the Royal Family supposedly got a hold of them). Apparently the plan was, if the Nazi's won, that Edward would be put back on the throne with Wallis Simpson, however that is merely conjecture.

Anyway what is the immediate fallout from this and the long term implications (not only for the Royal Family but for the UK, UK-American relations even, or at least the idea of Americans marrying into the royal famil, if they're affected at all and of course, the couple in question, what happens to Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson?
 
In 1948, the press might be content to sweep it all under the carpet and not report anything. After all, they refused to report on the abdication crisis.

I don't see it having any significant impact on Anglo-American relations. This was a time when US support was the only thing preventing the UK from economic collapse. Even if the UK decides that the US should be blamed for the actions of one citizen acting entirely independently from their government, any actions against them would be a massive own goal which would serve little real purpose.

Likewise, there is no real reason for the idea of an American marrying into the royal family to be discredited by this. Maybe it would be avoided for the next few decades, but by the modern day no one would seriously have any problem with it.
 
IMHO the only way the documents would matter is if they were made public when the two participants were still alive. If Edward and Wallis are shown to have been actively conspiring/making deals with the Nazis, there is really no way for them not to be tried and punished in some fashion. The closer this is to WWII, the more anger there would be. After all others who even hinted at conspiring with the Nazis were at a minimum in lockup during the war, and postwar real collaborators were hung (adios Lord Haw Haw). How this would go legally I have no clue, but Edward & Wallis' postwar life of luxury would not be in the cards.

As far as affecting US-UK relations I can't see this doing much of anything. If Wallis as well as Edward is exiled to some remote British island, very few in the US would be upset that a Nazi sympathizer ended up that way, and I can't believe the British would expect all Americans to suffer for the actions of one.
 
In 1948, the press might be content to sweep it all under the carpet and not report anything. After all, they refused to report on the abdication crisis.

I don't see it having any significant impact on Anglo-American relations. This was a time when US support was the only thing preventing the UK from economic collapse. Even if the UK decides that the US should be blamed for the actions of one citizen acting entirely independently from their government, any actions against them would be a massive own goal which would serve little real purpose.

Likewise, there is no real reason for the idea of an American marrying into the royal family to be discredited by this. Maybe it would be avoided for the next few decades, but by the modern day no one would seriously have any problem with it.

well what happens if the journalists cannot help themselves (or something newspaper decides that it is worth it to run a huge story on it), i mean people would probably love that kind of gossip.
 

Nick P

Donor
well what happens if the journalists cannot help themselves (or something newspaper decides that it is worth it to run a huge story on it), i mean people would probably love that kind of gossip.

A British journalist of the right leaning pro-Establishment type might do their best to bury it. That is what happened to the Abdication story in the 1930s. But I think attitudes will have changed after the war and the temptation to print will be too high. Patriotism only goes so far. Once the US press get hold of it no-holds will be barred.
"Why the Duke was exiled!" would be the headlines. It could be worked to make King George VI and Churchill look like they'd pushed him far out of the way based on suspicion. These new revelations will show they were right.

I can't see him remaining in Paris when this breaks. The French would not want such a high profile Nazi sympathiser in Paris. Certainly they would stop his tax exemption and demand the full rent on his Paris property at a minimum.
Where he goes from here is hard to say. Sheep farmer in the Outback? Private country estate in Canada or the USA?
The couple lived at Fort Belvedere in the grounds of Windsor Castle when he abdicated. This could be a suitably private place of 'house arrest' should he want to move back to the UK.
 
A British journalist of the right leaning pro-Establishment type might do their best to bury it. That is what happened to the Abdication story in the 1930s. But I think attitudes will have changed after the war and the temptation to print will be too high. Patriotism only goes so far. Once the US press get hold of it no-holds will be barred.
"Why the Duke was exiled!" would be the headlines. It could be worked to make King George VI and Churchill look like they'd pushed him far out of the way based on suspicion. These new revelations will show they were right.

I can't see him remaining in Paris when this breaks. The French would not want such a high profile Nazi sympathiser in Paris. Certainly they would stop his tax exemption and demand the full rent on his Paris property at a minimum.
Where he goes from here is hard to say. Sheep farmer in the Outback? Private country estate in Canada or the USA?
The couple lived at Fort Belvedere in the grounds of Windsor Castle when he abdicated. This could be a suitably private place of 'house arrest' should he want to move back to the UK.

What happens if the US Press gets a hold of it then?
 
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