Traitor King

The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor

By: Andrew Lownie

Narrated by: Andrew Lownie

FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ENTITLED, 'THE MOST DEVASTATING ROYAL BIOGRAPHY EVER WRITTEN', DAILY MAIL
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

A Daily Mail Royal Book of the Year, 2021

'Darkly compelling...hundreds of eye-popping details...Gripping ... damning portrait of the Windsors' Daily Mail 'Book of the Week'

'Briskly written and compulsively readable...' - A.N. Wilson, TLS

'Meticulously researched' - Spectator

'Entertaining... convincing... timely. Urgent reading for royals' - Evening Standard


December 1936. The King of England, Edward VIII, has given up his Crown, foregoing his duty for the love of Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée. Their courtship has been dogged by controversy and scandal, but with Edward's abdication, they can live happily ever after. But do they?

In Traitor King, bestselling historian Andrew Lownie draws on hitherto unexplored archives to uncover the dramatic world of the Windsors post-abdication. Lownie reveals a couple obsessed with their status, financially exploiting their position and manipulating the media. Filled with treachery and betrayal, this is a story of an exiled Royal and the Nazi attempts to recruit him to their cause. And of why the Royal family never forgave the Duke for choosing love over duty.©2021 Andrew Lownie (P)2021 Bonnier Books UK

Critic reviews

"Darkly compelling...hundreds of eye-popping details.... Gripping...damning portrait of the Windsors." (Daily Mail, Book of the Week)

"Briskly written and compulsively readable...." (A.N. Wilson, TLS)

"Meticulously researched." (Spectator)

"Entertaining...convincing...timely. Urgent reading for royals." (Evening Standard)

"There is no room for two kings in England."

The story of the king who have up his crown for love is well known: how less than a year after his accession to the throne, in 1936, Edward VIII abdicated in favour of his younger brother George so that he could marry twice divorced Mrs.Simpson. But was it really such a fairy tale romance? And what really happened after the marriage, a virtual life long exile for the 'happy couple', as war with Germany consumed the world? It is this post marital period which is covered in detail, utilising both British and German official documentation as well as recollected anecdotes of contemporaries, building a picture of both the ex king and his wife, emotional, political, financial and social.

It is not an attractive picture but one of self obsession, with personal unkindnesses and ruthlessness towards friends and servants who had given so much to the Windsors. And their hope and expectation that Simpson would still one day be queen. The author, Andrew Lownie who also narrates, lays out all of the facts and allows the reader to decide their characters and the nature of their treachery. It is truly fascinating story, which rivals any fictional work.

There is a final summary chapter (25: Traitor King) which summarises, and lists a number of sources but the work as an historical biography would have been enhance by a full bibliography for further reading. But overall, this is an excellent, well researched and enjoyable account of a fascinating, if frivolous, sad and greedy couple in a tumultuous time.

My thanks to Audible UK's Premium Plus, which allows members to read this book for free

A bit of a surprise

I knew that Edward and Wallis were Nazi sympathisers. But, I had no idea that they were actually traitors and my goodness they really were. The research into this book is great and the conclusions drawn were obvious to anyone. I came to the conclusion that these two people were a couple of dullards and ne'er do wells who were anti-Semites and callous people who had no idea of what was going on around them. A damning portrait indeed.

The author narrated this book and usually that is a mistake. But with this one the author did a reasonable albeit not great job.

Worth a listen if you are interested in this period of history.