WI- The Baldwin Govt Openly Disclosed Edward VIII's NAZI Collaboration

Not that I have any real liking for Mrs. Simpson but it seems His Majesty's wanting to marry this divorced woman was the only hairline crack in Edward's priorities,choices and personality that they could openly exploit in ridding the British Empire from someone who wanted all the privileges yet chafed at performing ANY of the duties of a monarch and had appalling judgment re flatterers. I agree with the wag who said the city of Baltimore should erect a statue to Mrs. Simpson for having saved Great Britain from him .Even his own father replied to a courtier who hoped God would send a better companion for the Prince said 'God send the Companion a better Prince then we'd be rid of her! '
However; does anyone think it possible that Parliament, the C of E and 'the people' could have been persuaded to have compelled an Abdication had his MAJOR flaws been publicized at that time rather than the 'Mrs. Simpson hairline crack'?.
 
I'm not sure what great smoking guns existed that the public didn't already know about on the Nazi front. Maybe you have an exaggerated idea of Edward's OTL views.

But to play along a bit: a British government would never do this. Constructing a fictional set of smears that forced an abdication would be considered before this.

If it leaks some other way - which is almost ASB because of the relationship between the crown, press and Establishment at the time - then it's hard to say.
 

Driftless

Donor
In some ways I'm surprised Goebbels didn't trot that connection out following Dunkirk. Something along the lines of "See, the warmongers in charge forced the King to abdicate. Edward would have spared England from this catastrophe"

Reality wouldn't enter into the calculus - sowing doubt and despair would be the goal.
 
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