After midnight escorts windsor

About sharing image captionThe Duke of Windsor left Windsor Castle for Portsmouth after his abdication speech Seventy five years ago, Portsmouth's newspapers told how the city witnessed the departure into exile of the former king, Edward VIII. Early next morning, he slipped quietly out of a sleeping Portsmouth on a navy destroyer.

In his final radio speech, Edward VIII said: "You must believe me when I tell you that I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love. While the nation and empire listened to the broadcast, activities were gathering apace to facilitate his departure - known only to a handful of officials.

Sealed orders A tarpaulin-covered truck had entered the king's home at Fort Belevdere Hall in Windsor Great Park by a back entrance, loaded up his most treasured possessions and drove away with a police escort On the south coast, the Royal Navy's destroyer HMS Wolfhound was ordered to leave Portland in Dorset for Portsmouth. It pulled alongside fellow destroyer HMS Fury shortly after midnight.

Sealed orders had been issued but rank and file sailors knew nothing of their secret mission and the importance of their passenger. His four-car convoy sped through the night towards the south coast. escrts

The archives of Portsmouth's Evening News newspaper of the day reveal the details of how the former king slipped silently away from Britain. One eye-witness, George Hale, 36, told the paper how he was aftsr for directions to the navy base by one of the drivers.

The paper describes him as "the last civilian in England to be spoken to by the ex-king Edward VIII" as a voice in the back of the car thanked him. The cars swept up to Unicorn Gate, the entrance to the navy base, with blinds drawn and headlights blazing shortly after midnight.

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The paper records: "The ex-King was sad and pensive. Indeed he looked deeply moved. He scarcely spoke a word as he went up the gangway of the destroyer. The former king stood on port side, looked out to the beach where Lord Nelson left for the Battle of Trafalgar.

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The lights of the ships in the harbour barely illuminated the gloom. The Evening News said he stood with "strained face", transfixed on the gradually-fading lights of Portsmouth.

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