Edward VIII The Lion King (2013)

Edward VIII is a maligned figure in recent British history, widely seen as the playboy prince who refused to conform to establishment rules, and remembered as the King who threw away the throne and turned his back on his country, all for the love of a twice-divorced American woman. But newly released home movies shot in 1928 and 1930 by Edward himself tell an extraordinary story and show him in a new light. The films reveal the untold story of his safaris in East Africa with the real life cast of Out of Africa, and his role in changing the future of African wildlife. In the early part of the 20th century, safari meant hunting. When he arrived in the bush, Edward was shocked by the scale of the uncontrolled slaughter he encountered: elephants, rhinos, lions and leopards were being killed in their thousands. He put down his gun, picked up a movie camera instead and led the first celebrity conservation campaign to protect African wildlife. His legacy is the creation of the iconic Serengeti National Park – the jewel in the conservation crown, and the start of a royal tradition of supporting wildlife causes.