Channel 5 has greenlit a new documentary from Yeti about the years that Edward and Wallis Simpson spent in the Bahamas during the Second World War, following his abdication as King in 1936. 

Edward & Wallis: The Bahamas Scandal W/T (1×90’) explores the period from 1940, the year that Winston Churchill, with the agreement of the Royal Family, sent the pair to the Bahamas to take up governorship of the island.

However, the real reason behind their ‘exile’ was to keep their Nazi sympathies quiet.

Featuring newly uncovered British government files and FBI records, the film reveals what took place during the five years that the couple spent in the Caribbean, including secret affairs, blackmail plots, allegations of money laundering and involvement in an unsolved murder.

The film is produced and directed by Rachel Jardine and the executive producer for Yeti is Siân Price.

Price, creative director at Yeti, says, “This documentary is jaw-dropping! Edward and Wallis never cease in their ability to shock and surprise. This is a beautifully crafted documentary, with top-notch journalism and an extraordinary story at its heart. We’re excited to share this latest outrageous royal chapter in the lives of Edward and Wallis with the Channel 5 audience.”

Kate Ansell, commissioning editor Channel 5, added, “Yeti have produced a really fascinating, revelatory film, packed with fresh insights.  Edward and Wallis have long intrigued the British public.  Just when you think you’ve heard it all, some of the stories uncovered in this documentary make their lives feel more fiction than fact!”

Image credit: Alamy.