Spying on the Royals
TV Show · Documentary · History

Declassified documents bring to light the secret story of the stunning events of 1936, detailing the most controversial espionage operation in British history, targeting King Edward VIII and his American lover Wallis Simpson, both considered major security threats. Edward and Wallis were bugged, wire-tapped, and followed--on the orders of the British prime minister and the American president.

2017 · 46m
Starring Samuel West
Director Paul Elston, Chris Durlacher

Episodes

  • Part 1
    December 1936: King Edward VIII telephoned his brother Bertie to tell him that he could no longer be King if it meant losing the woman he loved, Wallis Simpson. His every word was being scrutinized by intelligence officers. This royal romance can now be seen through a unique new perspective: the eyes of those who spied on Edward VIII, and Wallis Simpson, creating a secret dossier unlike any other.
    46 min
  • Part 2
    Newly declassified secret files reveal how King George VI himself paid for espionage on his own brother, the former Edward VIII, based on intelligence that Edward was attempting to usurp George VI. And fears of Wallis and Edward’s scheming was so great, that Wallis and Edward were tailed, bugged, and their phone tapped in an operation carried out on the orders of the American president himself.
    46 min

Related

Cast & Crew

  • Samuel West
    Narrator
  • P‌E
    Paul Elston
    Director
  • C‌D
    Chris Durlacher
    Director
  • S‌B
    Simon Berthon
    Producer
  • P‌E
    Paul Elston
    Producer
  • P‌E
    Paul Elston
    Writer

About

Spying on the Royals

Documentary

Declassified documents bring to light the secret story of the stunning events of 1936, detailing the most controversial espionage operation in British history, targeting King Edward VIII and his American lover Wallis Simpson, both considered major security threats. Edward and Wallis were bugged, wire-tapped, and followed--on the orders of the British prime minister and the American president.

Information

Studio
PBS
Released
2017
Rated
PG
© 2017 Brave New Media

Languages

Original Audio
English, English (Australia)
Audio

English (United States) (AAC)

Subtitles

English (United States) (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions refer to subtitles in available languages with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門 (廣東話–繁體)
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)