WI: Asquith's letters to Venetia Stanley published in 1915?

[Gentillylace]

Venetia Stanley was a walking security risk because British Prime Minister H. H. Asquith wrote letters to her full of sweet nothings and state secrets and then sent them to her in the regular mail. Fortunately for Asquith, Venetia was discreet, and the letters were not published until 1982, long after both Asquith and Venetia were dead. But what if her lady's maid (who in 1915 was a Swiss woman named Freda Winter, according to Venetia Stanley's biographer Stefan Buczacki) discovered Asquith's letters and gave them to the anti-Asquith newspaper publisher Lord Northcliffe? Or what if, after a quarrel with Asquith, Venetia herself went to Northcliffe with Asquith's letters? I think that if either of these things had happened, Venetia Stanley would become a scarlet woman. But what else do you think would happen? I have my guesses (since I am writing a novel based on this scenario), but I would like to know what you all think.

Thank you very much!

 

[Torten]

I suspect the letters would have never been published during the war, on the grounds that they contained state secrets. Either Northcliffe would have filed them away til after the war, or the full force of the British establishment would have come down to prevent their publication.

 

[Gentillylace]

Yes, the parts of the letters with state secrets would not be published — that makes sense — but what about the portions of the letters that expressed Asquith's love for Venetia? I suspect there would be a wartime sex scandal...

 

[Gentillylace]

Also, by communicating state secrets to Venetia, Asquith was violating the Official Secrets Act 1911 and risking a misdemeanor charge of two years' imprisonment:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/1-2/28/section/2/enacted

 

[Alex Richards]

I'd assume Venetia wouldn't go to the press herself because the scandal would directly implicate her.

But on the other hand I can imagine someone getting hold of them and threatening publication, things spiralling into blackmail, Asquith being quietly forced to resign or the like.