<P> On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 , the Duke and Duchess were brought back to Britain by Louis Mountbatten on board HMS Kelly , and Edward , although an honorary field marshal , was made a major - general attached to the British Military Mission in France . In February 1940 , the German ambassador in The Hague , Count Julius von Zech - Burkersroda , claimed that the Duke had leaked the Allied war plans for the defence of Belgium , which the Duke later denied . When Germany invaded the north of France in May 1940 , the Windsors fled south , first to Biarritz , then in June to Spain . In July the pair moved to Portugal , where they lived at first in the home of Ricardo Espírito Santo , a Portuguese banker with both British and German contacts . Under the code name Operation Willi , Nazi agents , principally Walter Schellenberg , plotted unsuccessfully to persuade the Duke to leave Portugal and return to Spain , kidnapping him if necessary . Lord Caldecote wrote a warning to Winston Churchill : `` ( the Duke ) is well - known to be pro-Nazi and he may become a centre of intrigue . '' Churchill threatened the Duke with a court - martial if he did not return to British soil . </P>
<P> On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 , the Duke and Duchess were brought back to Britain by Louis Mountbatten on board HMS Kelly , and Edward , although an honorary field marshal , was made a major - general attached to the British Military Mission in France . In February 1940 , the German ambassador in The Hague , Count Julius von Zech - Burkersroda , claimed that the Duke had leaked the Allied war plans for the defence of Belgium , which the Duke later denied . When Germany invaded the north of France in May 1940 , the Windsors fled south , first to Biarritz , then in June to Spain . In July the pair moved to Portugal , where they lived at first in the home of Ricardo Espírito Santo , a Portuguese banker with both British and German contacts . Under the code name Operation Willi , Nazi agents , principally Walter Schellenberg , plotted unsuccessfully to persuade the Duke to leave Portugal and return to Spain , kidnapping him if necessary . Lord Caldecote wrote a warning to Winston Churchill : `` ( the Duke ) is well - known to be pro-Nazi and he may become a centre of intrigue . '' Churchill threatened the Duke with a court - martial if he did not return to British soil . </P>
when did duke of windsor return to england
when did duke of windsor return to england
September 1939
September 1939