Monday, December 8, 2008

Another visit from Baldwin

December 8, 1936

Prince Minister Stanley Baldwin arrived at Ft Belvedere today at 5 pm and stayed until ten. He was accompanied by Walter Monckton, Attorney General of the Duchy of Cornwall. Two of the King's brothers, the Dukes of York and Kent, were also at the dinner.
No one knows yet if this occasion was a farewell between the king and his First Minister or a "feast of reconciliation." But the long meeting between the two men and the copious amount of food and wine was interpreted by Whitehall and members of Parliament "as a sign that there is to be no abdication."
There is also the encouraging sign from Cannes, France, where Mrs. Simpson is staying, as her lawyer has arrived to arrange for the sale of her Cumberland Terrace home. Mrs. Simpson, it is said, "has no intention of returning to London for a considerable time."
Members of Parliament have been exchanging notes about what they are hearing from their constituents. Those representing the northern industrial areas report that no support for a marriage between the king and Mrs. Simpson.

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