Oswald Mosley, leader of the British Union of Fascists, secretly married Diana Mitford in Berlin in October 1936 in a ceremony attended by high-profile Nazi figures, including Adolf Hitler. The wedding took place at the private residence of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister, and was deliberately kept out of the public eye, with only a small group of guests present.

The couple’s union was notable not only for its secretive nature but also for the involvement of key members of the Nazi leadership. Hitler himself served as the guest of honour at the event, underscoring the close ties between Mosley’s British fascist movement and the German Nazi party at that time. The marriage further illustrated the ideological and personal connections that existed between British fascists and the regime in Germany during the 1930s.

Diana Mitford belonged to the prominent Mitford family, several of whose members held controversial political views, and her marriage to Mosley cemented her position within the British fascist movement. The decision to hold the ceremony in Berlin rather than London also reflected the couple’s alignment with Nazi Germany.

This event highlights the intersection of British fascism and Nazi sympathies prior to World War II, as well as the extent to which these ties influenced the social and political activities of figures such as Mosley and Mitford. The secrecy surrounding the wedding and the involvement of Hitler and Goebbels demonstrate the significance attributed to this union by those involved.