From: Jeremy Peter Howells, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Don't forget the national attitude on the return of
Chamberlain from Berlin 'with peace in our time' was one
of national rejoicing. The horrors and losses of 1914-1918
were still very much in everyones mind (remember those in
their late teens and early twenties when they fought in
1917-18 were still only in their mid-forties) and the
interwar years were scattered with stories of mass
destruction of cities by arial bomber fleets, indicriminate
use of poison gas against civilians, etc. Most thought
that the first weeks of war would see hundreds of
thousands of dead.
Don't forget that in 1938 Churchill was in the political
wilderness, one of the most despised men in the
Conservative Party. The appeasers ruled and any thought
of war with Germany (as Churchill always advocated and
believed was inevitable) made you a pariah.
It is interesting to note that although Chamberlain
declared 'peace in our time' the Army, RAF and Royal
Navy embarked on massive building and improvement
programmes. Much of that work came to fruition in
1940-42, the warship building programme instigated in
1938 provided many of the modern escorts and anti-submarine
vessels that helped to win the Battle of the Atlantic in
1943-44. I wonder how many of those 'in the know' in
1938-39 believed that war was coming - sooner rather
than later.
The King and Queen's attitude should be seen against
that background. Their views were not at all unusual.
As to her views on the Duke of Windsor and Wallace
Simpson, the Royal Family of that era (and up to the
present day) were schooled in the Victorian ethic of
duty. The Duke of Windsor put love before duty and
therefore a 'failure' in the eyes of his family, where
personal sacrifice for the good of the state was
expected.
The Charles and Diana comments are understandable but
should be viewed in the same light. Diana was the
wrong choice for the wrong reasons she was never stong
enough to stand up to the role she was expected to
play. A lovely young lady no doubt but not for the
'life in a goldfish bowl' role that would result.
Its easy to look back with the benefit of hindsight
and wonder how such views and happenings occurred.
Regards
Jerry
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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