HITLER'S FAVOURITE ROYAL

Cinemavixion Review

Fiona Cotter Craig's 2007 documentary, "Hitler's Favourite Royal," meticulously unravels the complex and tragic trajectory of Prince Charles Edward, Queen Victoria's grandson. Initially positioned as a contender for the wealthy German Dukedom of Saxe Coburg and Gotha, the young prince's destiny took a dramatic turn, transforming him from a British royal into a German Duke, Herzog Carl Eduard. This shift irrevocably altered his life, forcing him to fight against his birth country in World War I and later leading to the stripping of his British titles and the ignominious label of 'Traitor Peer.' The film compellingly charts his disillusionment and subsequent embrace of Adolf Hitler's National Socialist Workers' Party, highlighting his role as President of the Anglo German Fellowship and the German Red Cross. Narrated by the acclaimed Tilda Swinton, the documentary, bolstered by exclusive interviews with the Duke's direct descendants, delves into his unwitting complicity in the darkest aspects of the Nazi regime, including the T4 Euthanasia Programme. The narrative starkly contrasts his fate with that of his sister, Princess Alice, who remained a beloved figure in the British Royal Family. "Hitler's Favourite Royal" is a poignant examination of a life dictated by circumstance and fateful decisions, ultimately leading to poverty and obscurity.