New two part Documentary Series by DoubleBand Films to air on Channel 4
Date Posted: December 5, 2024
New two part Channel 4 Documentary Series by DoubleBand Films airs this Saturday 7th December at 9.15pm on Channel 4
“Edward vs George: The Windsors at War”
A compelling new documentary series from DoubleBand Films explores one of the most dramatic family feuds in British royal history: the turbulent relationship between Edward VIII and his younger brother, George VI. Using personal testimony, rare archival footage, and privileged access to key locations, the series offers an intimate look at the brothers’ lives, wives, and the decisions that continue to shape the British monarchy today. The series was made with funding from Northern Ireland Screen.
Step inside Villa Windsor, the lavish Paris residence of Edward and Wallis, for a rare and intimate glimpse into their life in exile. For the first time on British television, 103-year-old journalist and filmmaker Georg Stefan Troller recounts his explosive 1966 interview with the Duke of Windsor. Never-before-seen archives, including Helen Hardinge’s personal diaries and Walter Monckton’s unpublished memoirs, offer further firsthand accounts of the bitter feud between Edward VIII and George VI.
Alexander Larman, author of The Windsors at War, delves into a private collection of never-before-seen photographs of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s wedding in France in 1937. The photographs reveal Edward’s close association with their wedding host Charles Bedaux, a French-American businessman and known Nazi sympathizer.
A source of ongoing conflict between the brothers was the HRH title denied to Wallis. Richard René Silvin, a friend of the Duchess, reveals that staff at Villa Windsor referred to Wallis as ‘Her Royal Highness’. An unsent 1949 letter from George VI reveals a heated argument in Buckingham Palace and rebukes Edward’s claim to George that his “life was not worth living.”
The Duke of Windsor continues to defy royal tradition with the release of his explosive memoir, A King’s Story, in 1951. Newly uncovered footage shows Edward promoting his memoir on US television in a rarely seen interview.
From the death of George VI in 1952 and the estranged Edward’s solitary return for the funeral, to the young Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation—an event witnessed by all but her uncle, who watched in silence from France—the story of fractured family bonds unfolds. A pivotal moment comes in 1970 when Prince Charles secretly visits the aging Duke in Paris, signalling a rare reconciliation. Edward’s death in 1972 brings a final, poignant return to the royal fold, as he is laid to rest alongside his family in the Windsor burial grounds, closing a chapter of separation and regret.
Shaminder Nahal, Head of Specialist Factual at Channel 4, says: “With unprecedented access to private letters, photographs and rare archives, Edward vs George: The Windsors at War sheds new light on one of history’s most intense royal relationships. Edward VIII, Wallis Simpson and George VI are some of the most fascinating figures in recent history and you won’t be able to take your eyes off some of the archive in this very special series. With brilliant access to people who knew them, and interviewed them, and were in the room with them, these films capture the loyalty, betrayal, and lasting impact of George and Edward’s clashes, offering a fresh perspective on the monarchy’s inner struggles.”
Dermot Lavery, Executive Producer at DoubleBand Films, says: “The story of the troubled relationship between Edward VIII and George VI is endlessly fascinating. I think, perhaps for the first time, this documentary series cuts to the truth of what tied the destinies of these two brothers – till the day they died. It’s a story we recognise all too well today.”
For further information or press inquiries, please contact:
Mary Johnston_ 028-9024 3331_ [email protected]
