Scandalous exile of the Windsors revealed in Hungerford

Andrew Lownie will be talking about his Sunday Times bestselling biography Traitor King - The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, at The Croft Hall, Hungerford, on Wednesday (7.30pm).

Beginning his astonishing biography at the moment most turn away, bestselling historian Andrew Lownie reveals the dramatic lives of the Windsors post-abdication. The event will include questions from the audience and a book signing.

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

This is a story of a Royal shut out by his family and forced into exile; of the Nazi attempts to recruit the Duke to their cause, and of why the Duke, as Governor of the Bahamas, tried to shut down the investigation into the murder of a close friend. It is a story of a couple obsessed with their status, financially exploiting their position, and manipulating the media to portray themselves as victims. The Windsors were, in their day, the most glamorous exiles in the world, flitting from sumptuously appointed mansions in the south of France to luxurious residences in Palm Beach.

But they were spoiled, selfish people, obsessed with their image and revelling in adulterous affairs. Drawing upon hitherto unexplored archives, Lownie shows how their glittering, brittle world was riddled with treachery and betrayal, and why the Royal family never forgave the Duke for choosing love over duty.

Organised by Hungerford Bookshop. Tickets £8 (including wine) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/traitor-king-the-scandalous-exile-of-the-duke-duchess-of-windsor-tickets-179388404547