Duke and Duchess of Windsor
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor after their wedding.
Our website, Great Romances, has a piece on the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, who sparked the Abdication Crisis of 1936, in which the Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, refused to allow the King, Edward VIII, to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American woman of shady reputation.
Today, the Windsors would probably be known as the Royal Simpsons, but we’re much crueller than they were then.
I really do not believe it was love on her part I think she wanted status and power and Edward may have loved her a bit but I think he did not want to be King and she was a convient way out I also think they stayed together to avoid the embarassment of a divorce for Edward and Wallis loving the title of Duchess.
By Trudie on August 1st, 2006 at 12:29 am
It’s the usual mess in these affairs isn’t it? Compare his brother George VI (Bertie) who was unfit to be King (bad stutter) but made an excellent marriage and became a splendid wartime King. Sometimes it’s ones with seemingly less talent who do best.
By John on August 1st, 2006 at 8:44 am
Well just because he had a bad stutter did not make him unfit to be King. However, I think he made a better King because he had the morals of his father and Edward had the morals of his Grandfather and namesake. Albert worked hard and Edward just played sometimes the eldest just never grows up.
By Trudie on August 2nd, 2006 at 2:22 am