Nazi salute outrage of Edward VIII
Ex-king pictured at German factory
EDWARD VIII gives a Nazi salute on a visit to a car factory during a controversial trip to Germany in 1937.
The Duke of Windsor, who faced accusations of being a sympathiser, is pictured touring a Mercedes-Benz facility in Stuttgart alongside party officials.
Huge crowds turned out to see the former king, who walked through a guard of Nazi henchmen giving Hitler salutes.
A packed ceremony was also held inside the factory, where swastika and MercedesBenz banners were draped side by side.
The Duke was accompanied to Germany by his new wife Wallis Simpson, who he had given up the throne to marry.
He was shown around by Robert Ley, a member of Hitler’s inner circle and the man in charge of the unofficial royal visit, which took place just two years before the start of the Second World War.
In other photos, Edward is standing alongside Wilhelm Kissel, boss of DaimlerBenz and an SS intelligence officer.
During the trip, the Duke had a private meeting with Hitler at his retreat in Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, and gave a public speech declaring the Nazi economic model to be “a miracle”.
The Duke’s dalliances with the Nazis were a prominent storyline in the Netflix series The Crown, with Edward portrayed as a traitor who so loathed his country, he encouraged Germany to bomb Britain.
The photo album has been put up for sale by a private collector with auctioneers Duke’s, of Dorchester, Dorset.
It is tipped to sell for £2,000. Julian Smith, of Duke’s, said: “It is a unique piece of history, completed at a time when the Nazi war machine was preparing for European conquest and the systematic slaughter of millions of people.
“It is an amazing album.”