Duke and Duchess of Windsor's 1937 tour of Germany
Duke and Duchess of Windsor's 1937 tour of Germany . The Duke and Duchess of Windsor's 1937 tour of Germany was opposed by the British government, which feared that Nazi Germany would use the visit for propaganda. After Edward had abdicated the British throne in December 1936, his brother George VI became king. Given the title Duke of Windsor, Edward married Wallis Simpson in June 1937. He appeared to have been sympathetic to Germany in this period and announced his intention to travel there privately to tour factories. He promised the British government that he would keep a low profile, and the tour went ahead between 12 and 23 October. The Duke and Duchess visited factories, many of which were producing materiel for the war effort, and the Duke inspected German troops (pictured). The Windsors dined with prominent Nazis including Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Göring, Joachim von Ribbentrop, and Albert Speer; they also had tea with Adolf Hitler at his house at Berchtesgaden.