When we think of Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, 70 years after his death, we’re most likely to remember him as the reassuring presence that helped anchor England during World War II with radio addresses and stony-faced diplomacy. This stands in stark contrast to his brother King Edward VIII, who was known as a “greatest catch” long before he ascended to the throne, and a family disgrace after he abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson. But a recently unearthed letter is a reminder that they were actually very close for a time—and George VI, known as Prince Albert or Bertie before he took the crown, also had a rebellious period of his own.
In the century-old letter, which is going up for auction on February 10, Edward describes a day trip to his mistress, Freda Dudley Ward. Edward and Albert head to Lankhills house, a gothic manor near Winchester, to visit its inhabitants, Sheila, Lady Loughborough, and her husband, Francis St. Clair-Erskine, Lord Loughborough. Albert had been carrying on a relationship with Sheila, and her husband, who was commonly called Loughie, seemingly had no idea.
“After tea I managed to lure Loughie away on the pretext of wanting to play a few more holes of golf on the local course, so as to give Sheilie a chance of being alone with Bertie; they said they were tired and we left them but imagine my horror darling when on arriving at the links we found they were closed on Sundays!!” Edward wrote. “However, I kept my head and took Loughie for a walk instead!”
