Straight From the Prince's Pen- Honest Opinions from the Prince of Wales

Plus a photo gallery bonus!

Hi All! Just as with my previous post in this series, I want to share a bit of History with all of my subscribers before the paywall goes up…Since many of the family members of Edward VIII come off as extremely stiff, (particularly due to posed photos and slow photography) I wanted to first share some photos of him and his family where they look a bit more natural…I hope you enjoy!

From Left to Right: A Smiling George V, A Laughing George V and Queen Mary, A Smiling Queen Mary, Prince Edward Holding baby brother Prince George, a Laughing Prince Edward, Queen Mary Meeting Susanne Lenglen (French tennis player)

After seeing these smiling photos, I hope the Royals of the past feel a bit more human to you… So now, lets humanize them even more and learn about the honest opinions of Edward VIII!

Straight From the Prince's Pen- Honest Opinions from the Prince of Wales

Even today in an age of near constant communication and media, there is one thing that we know very little about when it comes to the Royal Family and that is their own personal opinions. While we do see what they are passionate about and care about through their causes, it a rare occasion when we hear the completely upfront opinion of any of the major royals. The fact that they are supposed to remain fairly a-political is what helps keep some of their mystery alive even in today’s world. Rewind 100 years, and people would have known almost nothing about what a member of the Royal Family thought about any given subject. What I love so much about reading letters is that they are filled with opinions and they bring the author to life in a way that photographs cannot. While Prince Edward was a creature of the 20th century, and we have many interviews to hear what he thought about certain life events, those were almost all done when he was much older and was looking back. These letters let us understand his honest opinion and how he felt right as the events of his famous Canadian Tour were happening…. So, lets get right in!

His Dad was really not worth working for

“But I am fed up with him generally and & still feel what I said about him to you last night, that he really isn’t worth working for, thought it’s a foul thing to say & you know I’d never say it to anyone else!!”

It is no secret that the Prince of Wales and his father certainly had their share of differences. Based on excerpts of letters from our last post (highlight) as well as the famous line of George V before he died (That Edward VIII would ruin himself within a year and the crown would pass to Prince Albert and his daughter Princess Elizabeth.) it would appear that Prince Albert was the more malleable of George V’s two oldest sons. Prince Edward had his own ideas about interacting with the public, and how he should be able to live his life, that seemed perhaps a bit to progressive for his Victorian Era parents. While these parts of the Prince are what is credited with making him extremely popular, for perhaps the first time, we hear a direct quote about what the Prince really thought of his father as a boss…that “he really isn’t worth working for.” And to be totally honest, it calls into question weather of not George V was a good boss….but, did he even want to be a boss? That is another role of the monarch that is thrust upon them because of their birth. Not everyone is a born manager and working with family is hard as it is!

Those Rotten French Canadians!