He laughed at English children’s rickets

IN SEPTEMBER 1936, the British former prime minister David Lloyd George came for a visit to the Berghof, recalled Hitler’s housekeeper, Herbert Dohring.

At that time, Hitler truly wanted to cultivate deep links with Great Britain. He cared little for stuffy English lords, but he was keen to befriend the people.

In fact, he regarded England as a model for quite a few things. Often, he’d say: ‘Such a small country, with only 40 million inhabitants, yet it rules over an entire world empire.’

As far as he was concerned, the British Empire was a shining example to us all.

On the other hand, he’d also be sharply critical of the British because of the prevalence of rickets — or what he called the ‘English disease’. And he often made fun of the children’s bowed legs.

For a while, Hitler had had high hopes for Edward VIII. As we know, the king was particularly fond of Germany and, had he remained on the throne, much might have turned out totally differently.

At lunchtime on December 10, 1936 — I remember the date because it was my wedding anniversary — there was an important phone call from the German Embassy in London.

It was Hitler’s newly appointed ambassador to the Court of St James’s, Joachim von Ribbentrop, calling to tell him that Edward VIII was going to abdicate.

During that lunch, which lasted for two hours, Hitler must have been called to the phone at least ten times [to discuss the repercussions]. And after each call, he returned to the table looking more downcast.

Even so, unlike his political and military advisers, Hitler believed for a long time that England would reverse its policies towards Germany.