2110-8-2-12

Private

Buckingham Palace, S.W.1. 16 November 1936

My dear Lord Tweedsmuir,

I am most grateful for your, if you will allow me to say so, most admirable letter of October 27th. I hope you did not mind my showing it to the Prime Minister who, with other members of the Government, are, greatly concerned at the course that this particular affair has taken since the divorce proceedings. The silence of the Britis Press has got to be broken some time or other - and the longer it waits the worse the explosion will be - and the consequent disillusionment, which is always a dangerous thing.

However things are moving. From what I hear,

by the time you get this the Press may be in full swing and the government may have intervened. The harm that is being done - in spite of the little that the people knows - is tremendous. The subversive elements are being given a splendid opportunity, and this state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue.

It is all very tragic - and at the moment it is difficult to see the way out. The repercussions, too, are incalculable. A year ago would one have thought such degradatio of the British Throne possible?

Again, I am most grateful for your helpful letter, which is just what I wanted.

Yrs sincerely

Alexander Hardinge