Explosive declassified intelligence documents have torn apart the glamorous legacy of fashion icon Coco Chanel, exposing her as a dedicated Nazi agent and spy during World War II.
The Secret Life of Agent Westminster
French military intelligence files, kept secret for decades, reveal that Chanel was formally recruited by German military intelligence—the Abwehr—in 1940. She was assigned the codename 'Westminster' and agent number F-7124, a direct reference to her former lover, the Duke of Westminster.
Mission: Infiltrate British High Society
Chanel's primary mission, codenamed Operation Modellhut (Model Hat), was to leverage her elite connections to infiltrate British high society. German intelligence believed her fame and social standing provided perfect cover for espionage activities aimed at undermining the Allied war effort.
A Shocking Peace Proposal
In 1943, Chanel was tasked with delivering a stunning proposition to Winston Churchill himself. The mission involved traveling to Madrid with her lover, Nazi officer Baron Hans Günther von Dincklage, to propose a separate peace between Germany and Britain—effectively leaving Russia to fight alone.
Collaboration and Anti-Semitism
The documents confirm Chanel's deep involvement with the Nazi regime:
- She lived at the Ritz Hotel in Paris alongside high-ranking German officers
- Attempted to use Nazi racial laws to seize control of her perfume business from Jewish partners
- Maintained close relationships with top Abwehr officials throughout the occupation
The Aftermath and Whitewashing
Despite being arrested after Paris's liberation, Chanel avoided trial through what historians believe was Churchill's personal intervention. She successfully rehabilitated her image and returned to fashion, with her Nazi past carefully obscured until now.
These revelations fundamentally reshape our understanding of one of fashion's most iconic figures, revealing a woman willing to betray her country and collaborate with fascism to serve her own interests.
