This film follows many of the facts of the scandal. Harry Oakes did oppose casino gambling development, and currency smuggling was likely happening. The Bahamas was a notorious tax haven. Some of this smuggling may have even involved the Nazi party; the FBI suspected a close friend of the Duke with being a Nazi agent. In fact, Winston Churchill, being aware of Edward's pro-Nazi sentiments, sent him away in 1940 to be the governor of the Bahamas.
The Duke of Windsor was quoted saying de Marigny was "an unscrupulous adventurer [with] an evil reputation for immoral conduct with young girls." His marriage to Nancy Oakes was de Marigny's third; he was married twice to wealthy women who broke off those relationships soon after marriage. But his next and final marriage lasted 46 years and produced three sons. He married Nancy the day after her 18th birthday and there was an approximate 14-year difference in their ages; he was approximately 32 years old at the time.
The Duke of Windsor brought in two Miami detectives he knew who took over the investigation completely from local police. Alfred's wife organized his defense and stood by him throughout, believing him innocent. Her private investigator and their British lawyer found serious flaws in the prosecution's case. Alfred de Marigny was acquitted after fingerprint evidence was proven fabricated just as depicted in the film.
No further legal proceedings have taken place on the murder, the cause of death and the details surrounding it have never been entirely determined, and the case has been the subject of several books and four films. Following deMarigny's deportation from Jamaica, he and his wife settled in Cuba before separating in 1949.
