17. King Edward VIII abdicated for love, and used his new-found freedom to tour Nazi Germany and express his admiration for its leaders.
Famously, King Edward VIII stepped down from the British throne for love, choosing to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson rather than reign. At the time, the move was hugely controversial. These days, however, it’s Edward’s political views rather than his love life that are the source of most historical intrigue. Sure, he was a playboy prince. But was he really a Nazi sympathizer, or was he simply a Great War veteran desperate to maintain peace between his country and Germany, even if it meant being polite to a bloody dictator?
Following his abdication in 1936, the-then Duke of Windsor and his new wife were invited to visit Germany. There, they met Hitler himself. While the Duchess attempted to flirt with the Fuhrer, the Duke tried to keep things cordial. Indeed, he left Germany believing Hitler could be reasoned with and even more convinced that his regime could serve as a necessary bulwark against the rising threat of communism. When war did break out, the Duke’s suspected Nazi sympathies meant he was sent to the Caribbean, where he could do no harm. After the war, however, the royal admitted he had been naïve and foolish in his admiration for Hitler.