17 Carnations: The Windsors, The Nazis and The Cover-Up by Andrew Morton

Author:Andrew Morton [Morton, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Michael O'Mara
Published: 2015-03-08T22:00:00+00:00

With the sombre mood suitably set by Churchill’s letter, it was left to Britain’s “confidential emissary” to inform the duke and duchess about the imminent dangers they faced and the German plot to kidnap them. When the duke asked incredulously, “But how can we be of any use to them?” Monckton explained that in the event of a German invasion of Britain, Hitler planned to put the duke back on the throne in the hope of dividing the people and weakening their resolve to resist.

Not to be outdone, the duke informed Monckton about the British plot to assassinate him and his wife either in Portugal or in the Bahamas. On this fateful Sunday, he was so spooked by the turn of events that he refused to divulge the source of this intelligence. It was only after Monckton agreed to telegraph London for a Scotland Yard detective to accompany the ducal couple on their voyage to the Bahamas that he finally agreed to sail.

Once their British bodyguard was arranged, the duke sent a one-line note to Churchill confirming the departure date of August 1. It didn’t take long for the Germans to learn of the duke’s decision, Schellenberg writing in his diary the pithy phrase: “Willi will nicht” [Willi doesn’t want it]. Hitler, according to Schellenberg’s memoirs, would have none of it, ordering an immediate abduction of the ducal couple. Given the beefed-up security surrounding them, that proved impractical.

The duke did meet with the second Spanish emissary, Don Angel, as promised two days later. His response was disappointing, at least for the Germans and Spanish. The gist of his remarks was that the time was not ripe for him to be involved in negotiations that were contrary to the orders of his government and would only antagonize his opponents and undercut his influence and prestige. He added that he could take action from the Bahamas if need be.

Ducal doubts remained. Just the day before his departure, “a very troubled” duke secretly visited Spanish ambassador Don Nicolás for a final discussion. The diplomat urged the duke not to leave Europe, saying that Britain should have some “force in reserve with which to confront the unknown things of tomorrow. The moment may come when England will feel the need to have you once more at her head, and therefore you should not be too far away.”

It was a subtle argument, at once flattering and sensible. He made a similar case to President Salazar, his argument reflecting the duke’s international standing:

It has always been my impression that the Duke, despite his temperament, might be a trump for peace; I still feel he might have a role to play today, provided he is not too far away. The trumps for peace are not so numerous that they may be disregarded or allowed to be destroyed.

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