Recap / The Crown S 2 E 6 Vergangenheit

• Artistic License – History: The ending is played as if the Duke is banished from Britain forever and remains forever estranged from his family from that point on. In fact, he returned to Britain frequently and saw his extended family again even after the release of the Marburg Papers.
• Beneath the Mask: When his niece refuses his request and has him kicked out of the country, Edward's charming facade slips and he ends up revealing what he thinks of her, causing Elizabeth to respond with "The Reason You Suck" Speech.
• Destroy the Evidence: Unless there's a Spanner in the Works...
  • In the final stage of the war the Nazi did a Fiery Cover-Up of the compromising documents, but a German officer kept the most important documents and buried them so he could bargain for his freedom after he fell into the hands of the Allies.
  • Churchill and the late King have the Marburg file buried, but unfortunately a copy was sent to the United States first because they had originally seized the documents.
• Enemy Mine: After the obligatory "I can't believe I'm saying this..." Philip tells the Queen to consult Tommy Lascelles before deciding whether to forgive Edward. He even gets drunk with Lascelles in a mutual celebration after Edward is kicked out.
• Evil Prince: Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, orchestrated a plot with the Nazis that would give the Germans free reign in Europe in exchange for reinstating him as King, usurping his brother.
• Forgiveness: Billy Graham's speeches have made Queen Elizabeth ponder her Christian duty to forgive others. She finds herself confronted with a man whose actions she can't forgive, and wonders if that makes her unchristian. Reverand Graham can only advise her to continue to pray for those who actions aren't Easily Forgiven.
• Historical Villain Upgrade:
  • Edward was far from the only upper-class person in Britain in the 1930s interested in Hitler and the Nazis, who easily exploited this simply by treating Wallis well. He was a decent (even while complaining) governor of the Bahamas during the war, the only time he had something to do, and however hard people have tried, the historical verdict still remains that the Duke of Windsor was weak, frightened, and self-interested — but not a treacherous Nazi collaborator hoping for a defeated Britain.
  • Wallis Simpson is shown not just sympathizing with the Nazis and being indiscreet with official secrets, but outright handing documents from the King's red box to the German ambassador.
• Hypocrite:
  • The Queen Mother snipes at her daughter for letting Edward into the country, when she was the one who insisted that the government cover up his treachery, making Elizabeth unaware of why she should keep him out.
  • When Elizabeth calls Edward out over favoring appeasement with Germany, Edward makes a passionate speech about how he was motivated by the desire to avoid the slaughter of the First World War. Elizabeth is sympathetic...until she's later told that Duke of Windsor advised the German government that the resolve of the British public was weakening under German bombardment, effectively telling them to continue slaughtering his fellow countrymen until they sued for peace. When the Duke complains about the "inhumanity" with which his family have treated him, Elizabeth is furious.
• Jerkass Realization: Edward is left visibly shaken when, after being confronted with the true depths he went to with regards to his fondness for the Nazis, Elizabeth coldly asks how he can possibly forgive himself.
• Not So Above It All: When Elizabeth objects to her husband turning up drunk in her bedchamber, having celebrated her kicking Edward out of the country, he retorts that his fellow drinking partners, the Queen Mother and Tommy Lascelles, are drunker than he is right now.
• Open Mouth, Insert Foot: Edward delivers a bitter retort when Elizabeth refuses his request for royal engagements, and implicitly refuses to allow him to rehabilitate his public image, and denounces the "inhumanity" of her and her family towards him and his wife. It quickly becomes apparent that this was a very bad choice of words on his part, coming as it does on the heels of Elizabeth learning precisely how chummy with the Nazis he and Wallis got, and she proceeds to give it back to him with both barrels, making it abundantly clear that forgiveness is not forthcoming and if he knows what's good for him he'll not be showing his face in her presence any time soon. The look on his face makes it clear he knows just how deeply he's trodden in it this time, and he quickly scurries away.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Edward would like to be one of these after growing bored with the 24-Hour Party People at Villa Windsor. Though it's played with, since he quails a bit at the thought of anything which might actually require him to do some proper work; he'd like something fairly glamourous and showy, but which doesn't require him to actually do much. In essence, he'd like to be a Royal Who Actually Does Something (As Long As It's Very Easy And Makes Him Look Good).
• Sexy Discretion Shot: Elizabeth switches off the bedside lamp just before her drunken husband proceeds to have his wicked way with her.
• Sexy Priest: Elizabeth is positively glowing in Billy Graham's presence.
• Stealth Insult: While writing to Wallis and noting her absence in his bed, Edward says that for once everything is going well (in reference to the plan to get him back into public life).
• Stepford Smiler: Edward is Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life and his marriage to Wallis is starting to fray.
• Stiff Upper Lip: The Queen Mother notes with disapproval the sight of women weeping during Billy Graham's speech in London.
• This Is Unforgivable!
  Elizabeth: There is no possibility of my forgiving you. The question is, how on Earth can you forgive yourself?
• Unreliable Narrator: Edward's description in his letter to Wallis of his arrival in England and being greeted by crowds of admirers is contrasted with the reality, where it's just a few reporters and some people going about their business who greet him in passing.