Don't let's be beastly to the Germans

An explosive article in yesterday's VG here in Norway reports on author Tor Bomann-Larsen's about-to-be-released book, Æresord (Word of Honor), in which he writes that Norway's beloved King Olav (who reigned from 1957 to 1991), while he was crown prince in the 1930s, encouraged England to cozy up to Hitler in the interest of European peace. In 1935, he wrote to his friend and cousin, the Prince of Wales, urging him to negotiate with the Germans, saying that “the only thing that could help to straighten things out a bit would be a close relationship between England and Germany.” In 1939 he wrote to George VI, begging him to talk to Hitler. As VG notes, by this time Hitler had instituted the Nurenburg Laws and Krystallnacht had taken place. (The article also points out that Olav's father, King Haakon, totally disagreed with Olav and refused to have anything to do with the Germans.)