Operation Willi

But it was already clear by then that he wanted to marry the American Wallis Simpson, and, since the Church of England proscribed the marriage because she was divorced, he stunned the world by abdicating his throne less than a year later in favour of his brother Albert, the Duke of York, who became George VI.

The ex-king and Mrs. Simpson were married in France and, as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, toured Nazi Germany in October, 1937 as personal guests of Adolf Hitler, fanning speculations that they were sympathetic to Nazism.

[3][4] When World War II broke out in September, 1939, the Duke became liaison officer with the British military mission to the French Army High Command.

The next day, July 12, von Stohrer saw Ramón Serrano Súñer, Spanish Minister of the Interior, who promised to get his brother-in-law Generalissimo Francisco Franco in on the plot and carry out the following plan: the Spanish government would send a friend of the Duke, Miguel Primo de Rivera, leader of the Falange and son of Miguel Primo de Rivera, a former dictator, as an emissary.

Schellenberg, who was awarded the Iron Cross for his role in the Venlo Incident the year before, flew from Berlin to Madrid, conferred with von Stohrer, then went on to Portugal to begin work.

Another scare tactic, the firing of shots resulting in the harmless breaking of the windows, scheduled for July 30, was not carried out due to possible psychological effects on the Duchess.

On that same day, Schellenberg reported that Sir Walter Monckton, an old friend of the Duke, had arrived, evidently charged by the British government to speed the Windsors toward the Bahamas as soon as possible.

Even while the Spanish ambassador to Lisbon was prevailed upon to make a last-minute appeal to the Windsors, the automobile carrying the ducal baggage was "sabotaged", according to Schellenberg, so the luggage arrived at the port late.

Many historians have suggested that Hitler was prepared to reinstate the Duke of Windsor as king in the hope of establishing a fascist Britain, had Edward agreed to do so after reaching Spain.

[9][10] A telegram from Joachim von Ribbentrop indicated that the Duke of Windsor would be offered the throne of the United Kingdom (as a puppet king)[11] if the Operation succeeded and Edward reached Spain.

"[13]The Duke was appointed to the Bahamas post in 1940 as a means of removing him from Europe,[13] as his ties with the Nazis "made him a liability", according to royal historian Carolyn Harris.