King's Commitment to Morganatic Scheme Stops Short at Committing Himself on Paper

Wednesday 25^th November 1936

Behind the Scenes

The King removed any doubts in Baldwin’s mind as to his desire to make a morganatic marriage with Mrs. Simpson when they finally met to discuss the matter. Baldwin did agree to examine the proposal, but made it plain that he did not consider Harmsworth’s newspapers in anyway representative of public opinion or hold out much prospect that idea would succeed. He also asked the King for a brief written summary of the arrangement that he had in mind. This would pin the King down on both the clarity of his thinking and his commitment to the idea, and there is no sign that Baldwin was at all surprised when the King failed to produce one.