King Edward VIII on NZ

King Edward VIII visited NZ in 1920, 16 years before he became King. The Alexander Turnbull Library has purchased a bunch of his old letters, and they reveal what he really thought of NZ:

The governor-general was “revolting”, the local women “hideous”, official functions “ghastly” and the returned soldiers and their next of kin “sordid and pathetic”

Now I’m not going to be too offended by his views on the Earl of Liverpool, or on official functions. Considering the awful woman he married, his views of NZ women reflect more on him than them.

But what really does offend me is his view on the NZ soldiers who risked their life and limbs to fight in a war which really had nothing to do with us, but everything to do with our relationship with Britain. An absolutely appalling attitude.

If he had not abdicated, he would have been King of New Zealand for 36+ years.

His attitudes on Australian Aboriginals was even worse:

They are the most revolting form of living creatures I’ve ever seen!! They are the lowest known form of human beings & are the nearest thing to monkeys

Charming also. And we won’t even start to discuss his pro-Nazi views.

UPDATE: The SST editorial is strongly worded on this issue

Charles might well see the abolition of the monarchy down under as a blessed release. He wouldn’t have to come here and be bored by naive questions from schoolkids. He, too, is chained by his birth to a distant land of which he knows little. Why should he have to go through the surreal rituals of a royal visit? It won’t be his fault that he’s the King of New Zealand.

Let’s cut the rusty chain now, and liberate him as well as ourselves.