Customer Reviews

King Edward VIII: A Life

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The only great-grandchild ever born as the direct heir of the reigning British Monarch, Prince Edward of York (known as David) lived under constant pressure and scrutiny from the time he was a little boy. A bright and engaging child, he seemed to never live up to the demands of his father, who despite having had a carefree and relaxed childhood, was a stern and sometimes cruel parent, driving a permanent wedge between him and his eldest son. David feared his father, and preferred spending time with his indulgent grandparents, the Prince and Princess of Wales (later King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra), or his mother, who unlike his father, was affectionate with her son.
David grew up a complex man. He was a humanitarian who cared about the plight of the poor, a good speaker, a loving son, husband, and brother, and was intensely loyal to his friends, but had the ability to hold grudges for a lifetime. He hated school, and was only moderately educated as best. He deeply felt the plight of the poor and the veterans of World War One, always doing his utmost to try and advance their causes. He was also reactionary, hating what he saw as the destruction of the Victorian society he had grown up in. He wanted to do his best for his country, but abdicated the throne as World War Two loomed over Europe and constantly badgered the government over trivial matters during the depths of the war. He married for love, but never understood his family's hatred and confusion after he shirked what had been his duty since the day he was born.
One gets the impression that David was at his height during his years as the Prince of Wales, and fell after the abdication. Without a constant circuit of speeches, meetings, and parties, he didn't know what to do with himself. Though he voluntarily abdicated his Kingship, he seemed to move more towards his flaws and away from the bright, caring man who had captured the hearts of the world and it's heartbreaking to read about how David dissolves into a pathetic figure, clinging to his wife for everything.
The book also seems to lose itself after David becomes Edward VIII, and turns into a depressing mass of wistfulness for the young man who seemed to have such a wonderful future ahead of him and then sacrificed it all for a woman most saw as a shrew. Wallis herself is dealt with fairly, but the devastation of poor David is too much for Ziegler, who tries his best to make the argument that after his abdication, the Duke of Windsor was a helpful aid to the British government, despite much evidence to the contrary. It is tragic to read about how hard the Duke worked in the Bahamas, and think that if he had not removed himself from his post, that talent would have been focused on the entire British Empire. The book would have been better if it had ended at the abdication, sparing the reader and the author the pain of the last 36 years of Edward's life.

The story of Edward VIII, the man born to rule an empire, with matinee idol looks and great personal charm, is a tragic one. And in the best tragic tradition, the seeds of destruction are sown by the individual himself. The person who eventually emerges from behind the glamour, the playboy lifestyle and the grand ceremonial is a truly pathetic creature - willful, insecure and totally self absorbed. A man less suitable for the role he was born to is hard to imagine. Christened Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David (but known as David by the inner circle), the young prince's life proved as complicated as his name. He endured a harsh childhood pretty well (the exploitation of a more vulnerable younger brother was clearly one of his coping mechanisms) and began his public career as Prince of Wales with great flair. But then it all went wrong. The story is a sad, familiar one. It is easy to blame Mrs Simpson, the domineering divorcee from Baltimore, but Ziegler is very fair to her, avoiding the salacious gossip that other writers have been happy to detail. The Prince's life was an artificial one from the start and gave him little with which to build meaningful emotional attachments later. Dutiful by day, but free to follow the most indulgent life style by night, little wonder that things spun out of control. More recent writings suggest there was serious mental instability. Left to ponder what might have been after giving up his throne for "the woman he loved" who in return bullied and humiliated him, madness might have been inevitable for the unhappy Duke of Windsor.

Why one wonders, did the palace mandarins push for an official biography for Edward VIII and why did Zeigler take the contract? He laboured manfully at the task, with extensive research and elegant prose, but halfway through even he tires of his petulant subject. The turbulent thirties make a fascinating backdrop to this royal soap opera from which few emerge with honor. There is lots here to enlighten and inform, but ultimately one is left wondering what the monarchy is for.