The Peoples King (71 page)

Western Mail & South Wales News
59

Westmoreland 65 Wheatley, Dennis 162, 190 White Lodge, Richmond Park,

Surrey 279 White's club, St James's, London 261

Wigram, Lord (Clive) 69, 70, 98, 1x5, 122-3,
^I
77> 178, 236, 263, 275 Wilkinson, Ellen 20, 64, 66 Williams, Francis 138 Williamson, Hugh Ross 249-50 Wilson, Sir Horace 69, 73-4, 76, 93, 215, 216, 218, 251, 252, 278

Windsor, Duchess of
see
Simpson,

(Bessie) Wallis Windsor, Duke of
see
Edward VIII, King

Windsor Castle, Berkshire 5, 175,

237, 238 Windsor Great Park 219, 253 Wittering Aerodrome 141

Wolmer, Viscount 106 women, and the franchise 103, 235 Wood, Sir Kingsley 5, 14, 59 Woolf, Virginia 40, 136, 137, 169,

172, 188, 238-9, 242 Woollcott, Alexander 50-51, in World War I
see
Great War World War II 196, 278, 279 Wynyard Park, County Durham 4, 166, 189

York, Duchess of
see
Elizabeth, Princess, Duchess of York York, Duke of
see
Albert, Prince York, William, Archbishop of 256 York House, London 14, 41, 96 Yorkshire 28

Yorkshire Post
134, 135, 147 Young, G. M. 195 Ypres 54 Yugoslavia 20

Yugoslavia, King of (Peter II) 43

Zetland, Lord 113, 169, 205-6 Ziegler, Philip 50, 53, 196

I am grateful to Her Majesty the Queen for access to the papers in the

Royal Archives and for permission to use them. I should like to thank

I saw the Moderator. . . and Secretary... of the Federal Council of Evangelical Free Churches and gave them as much information as I thought it was possible to give. I discussed with them the reactions of public opinion. They believed the mass of the people would support the Government, but acknowledged that
a large proportion, especially of the young to whom the King was a popular hero,
and who knew little of the real circumstances, felt a strong sympathy with him.

I was, of course, not present at the private discussions between the Prime Minis­ter and the King which were always held at Fort Belvedere during this period, but what was said was always discussed afterwards by the King with the three of us, and I found it, and I know at least one of my colleagues also found it, extremely difficult to decide on what line Mr Baldwin was proceeding."

I am afraid that, when I came back last week, I did not realise the depth of personal feeling against myself in certain circles: perhaps you should have told me more frankly, or maybe I should have understood your hint in the 'formula of resignation' shown to me . . . My resignation from His Majesty's household was both obvious and desirable, but it is perhaps the method of bringing it about, in such a premature and unhappy manner, that has hurt and humiliated me more than I have ever known before.
⁴¹

1.  Miss Burke was not interviewed because she was still employed by Mrs Simpson - 'Servants still in the employ of any person owe a duty to their employer, and it is not the practice of the King's Proctor, and it would indeed be improper for him, to endeavour to get information from such servants.' Nor were servants of the royal household interviewed, 'for obvious reasons'. 'Notes of the evidence given at the hearing of the petition', for the King's Proctor, PRO, TS 22/1/2

3. 'Note of interview with Mr Simpson', by the King's Proctor, 24 February 1937, PRO, TS 22/1/2

4. Walter Monckton to Horace Wilson, 2 February 1937, PRO, PREM 1/460

5. 'Notes of the evidence given at the hearing of the petition', for the King's Proctor, PRO, TS 22/1/2

6. For example, Canning to Sir Philip Game, 19 December 1936, PRO, MEPO 10/35

7. D. Storrier to the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, 8 March 1937, PRO, MEPO 10/35