Empire: World History · 2026-05-26 · 8 min · 1,416 words

The Scandal That Shaped Partition: Heartbreak & Secret Deals

Listen to the original audio · Transcribed with NVIDIA Parakeet · Timestamps stay in sync with the live audio

Our Empire Club miniseries reaches its dramatic finale this week in episode four of the scandal that shaped partition. The first Prime Minister of India and the wife of the last Viceroy have fallen in love as the horrors of partition play out around them to get a flavour of that episode. Here's a clip from our discussion of Nehru's love letters to Edwina Mountbatten. Just one little extract of the letters, you know, so when when she leaves after a trip to Shimla where Nehru is at, I hated seeing you drive away this morning.

You've left me with a strange sense of peace and happiness. Perhaps I brought you the same. Life is a dreary business, and when a bright patch comes, it rather takes one's breath away. I mean, my God, if someone wrote that to you. That is a letter, a very intimate letter.

Intimate and in loving. I mean it's a loving letter. It is, and quite exposing as well. I mean, quite extraordinary. So they were writing these letters to each other.

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