Encouraged by Edwina Mountbatten, he came to England in 1927 to perform in a Rodgers and Hart musical, and soon became the darling of society and the population in general. Hutch was a favourite singer of the then Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII). Hutch was a major star in Britain during the 1920s and 1930s, and was, for a time, the highest paid star in the country. He was regularly heard on air with the BBC. One of his biggest hits was his version of "These Foolish Things". In spite of his popularity, Hutch could not escape racial prejudice.