Atlantic Crossing

The relationship that FDR had with Martha, obviously, it's a very complex one, and it moved through different phases. I think initially meeting her, it was one of compassion. When Crown Princess Martha had to flee Norway, the president invited her to come to America, and they were invited into Roosevelt's inner circle of family and friends. Thank you for everything you've done for my family. This is a woman in a difficult situation with children, trying to keep her country intact. You have a lot more going for you than I think you realize, Martha. I think he enjoyed her company. He knew that she had these leadership qualities that just had never had a chance to flourish. And he found, in that, a kindred spirit. It's hard to imagine what it's like to have that amount of power that the president has, or that a royal person has, and the kind of loneliness you can suffer from when you sit there with all your power but you can never trust who really likes you. I imagine that they could meet on that level, on a more philosophical level. I think early on, he saw someone who had a similar belief that the war that was happening in Europe was a war that involved the world. Very early in the war, British intelligence reported that the American president was infatuated with the Norwegian crown princess. And there were many rumors about their relationship. No one knows what happened behind closed doors between Martha and FDR. So we have to fantasize, but we know that, for instance, his grandson wrote such, she was a big love of his. Apart from the advisors that Roosevelt had, Martha was the person that he spent the most time with during the war. So they must've been close. (dramatic orchestral music)