Another Failure in Communication between the King and Baldwin

Tuesday 24^th November 1936

Behind the scenes

Once again the King and Baldwin found themselves caught in a basic failure in communication that was part mere accident, and part a register of the gulf between them. Baldwin was not even sure that the idea of a morganatic marriage that Harmsworth had brought to him, was what the King wanted or even that he had authorized Harmsworth to ask the question. Baldwin thought, anyway, that his negative comments to Harmsworth would have been enough to put an end to the idea. On his side the King began to fume at the lack of an answer from Baldwin. As well as assuming that Baldwin would have recognized that the proposal came from him, he expected that it would be possible to decide on such a complex constitutional issue almost immediately.