The Duchess Of Windsor

by Greg King

"A woman's life can really be a succession of lives, each revolving around some emotionally compelling situation or challenge, and each marked off by some intense experience."

It was the love story of the century--the king and the commoner. In December 1936, King Edward VII abdicated the throne to marry "the woman I love," Wallis Warfield Simpson, a twice-divorced American who quickly became one of the twentieth century's most famous personalities, a figure of intrigue and mystery, both admired and reviled.

"Never explain, never complain."

Wrongly blamed for the abdication crisis, Wallis suffered hostility from the Royal Family and much of the world. Yet interest in her story has remained constant, resulting in a small library of biographies that convey a thinly veiled animosity toward their subject. The truth, however, is infinitely more fascinating than the shallow, pathetic portrait that has often been painted.

"For a gallant spirit, there can never be defeat."

Using previously untapped sources, acclaimed biographer Greg King presents a complete and, for the first time, sympathetic portrait of the Duchess that sifts the decades of rumor and accusation to reveal the woman behind the legend. From her birth in Pennsylvania during the Gilded Age to her death in Paris in 1986, King takes the reader through a world of privilege, palaces, high society, and love with the accompaniment of hatreds, feuds, conspiracies, and lies. The cast of characters is vast: politicians and presidents, dictators and socialites. Twenty-four pages of photographs reveal the life of the Duchess in all its incomparable glamour and romance.

Greg King's biographies "The Last Empress, The Man Who Killed Rasputin, " and "The Mad King" have been universally acclaimed and internationally published. He lives in Everett, Washington.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Royalty, British Literature

951 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1999

About the author

Greg King (born 1964) is an American author, best known for his biographies of prominent historical figures.

He is the author of eleven internationally published works of royal and social history, specializing in late Imperial Russia and Edwardian-era royalty, including The Fate of the Romanovs, The Court of the Last Tsar, and the UK bestseller The Duchess of Windsor. A frequent onscreen expert and commentator for historical documentaries, his work has appeared in Majesty Magazine, Royalty Magazine, Royalty Digest, and Atlantis Magazine.

Source: wikipedia.com & us.macmillan.com

Reviews

[Madonna Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greg King is open in his desire to write a sympathetic treatment of the life of Wallis Simpson, the American socialite for whom King Edward VIII abdicated the British crown. King argues the standard portrayal of Simpson is that of an immoral "adventuress" who pursued the King and was responsible for his decision to give up the throne. This narrative belongs firmly within the moral codes that existed in Britain during the 1930's. With the divorced Prince of Wales due to rein after Queen Elizabeth II, the legal and theological arguments that kept Simpson off the throne ( as a twice divorced woman) seem flimsy in the light of subsequent events. Simpson was judged according to a hypocritical moral standard. The Parliament had no objections to her being the Kings mistress. It was his attempt to make an honest woman out of her that caused all the trouble. King explores these issues brilliantly and successfully re-creates the moral tone of Britain in the 1930's. It is impossible to understand the abdication crisis without this historical context.

The Duchess was obviously a complex, intelligent and talented woman. However, in attempting to "correct the record" King often goes to ludicrous lengths to exonerate Simpson from every criticism. In one passage he describes the dismay felt by a houseguest watching the former King on his hands and knees looking for a misplaced piece of Wallis' jewelry while the lady herself is warmly tucked up in bed. King is anxious to assure us that although it may look as though the ex-King is firmly under the thumb, Simpson didn't ask him to look for the missing broach- he wanted to do it. The author is not fooling anyone. The Duchess was exactly the type of woman to encourage this combination of fear and devotion in those closest to her. Why negate this interesting aspect of her character with risible excuses?

The Duchess's use of racial epithets and racist behavior is excused as a part of her American heritage. Besides, Greg King argues, other members of the Royal Family are known to be racist and thus far Prince Charles is the only member of the Royal family to hire a black staff member. This may well be true (or not) but it's irrelevant to our understanding of the Duchess. These constant attempts by King to sanitize The couple's less attractive personality attributes are unnecessary and distracting. Attempts to explain away the Duke and Duchesses support for the Nazi Party that culminated in their notorious tour of Germany in 1937 with a blithe statement that the Duke "Was probably not aware of Hitlers racial policies" stretches credulity. The Duke stated publicly that "racial policy" in Germany was a "domestic issue" and other nations did not have the right to interfere. He certainly was aware of Nuremberg Laws. of 1935. They were enacted while he was still the Monarch and being kept abreast of foreign developments. I find it difficult to believe King did not come across this evidence in his research, as many other historians have done, including myself.

The Duchess is continually portrayed as a victim of the Palace's slander machine -misquoted, misunderstood and grossly maligned. The fact remains, however, that the Duke and Duchess spent their lives after the war living as socialites and enjoying themselves. The Duchess is generally remembered for her lavish homes and domination of the world's Best Dressed Lists- a standard of sartorial excellence she maintained for decades. After reading this book, I felt that both the Duke and Duchess had failed to live up to their potential as individuals and as a couple.

Despite some of my criticisms of King's approach to this topic, I recommend this book. King has a lively, gossipy style that makes the pages race by.

No one is ever as bad or as good as they seem - especially "that woman", Wallis Simpson.

[Kevin Graves · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was generally one of the most sympathetic to Wallis Simpson, but the brutality of the Royal family to them both was just really way more than necessary. George V was terrified of Edward showing him up, so he was banished.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some people call this a sympathetic telling of the story of the Duchess of Windsor, I call it a whitewash. More attention is paid to the furnishings at her various domiciles than any of the more interesting and at the very least “shady” episodes of her life.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There has been a surge of interest in the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, since the discovery of love letters to her ex husband and the new film about her which Madonna has directed. This book was published in 1999 the author did not want Princess Diana to be treated in the same way as the Duchess and i think she probably would have been if not for the public support and the fact she was the mother of the heir. This book was based on facts and discounted all the silly rumours which have sprung up around the couple, it was researched well and told the story of the Duchess's life, marriages and up to her death. I did not realise how bad they were treated by the Royal family all their lives, the queen mother was instrumental in this bad treatment and you are left feeling what an awful, unforgiving narrow minded family they are. Prince charles comes across as a great hypocrite he followed the family dictates to ignore his great uncle and treat him like an outcast , yet a few years later he himself was having an affair with a married woman and is still accepted by his family and able to carry on and do his duty. Even at the Dukes funeral, by this time they had been married for 35 years a lot longer then most of the Queens children ! she was treated as an outcast and shown no mercy. I finished this book with a sense of great sadness, they both lived a lonely life and desperately wanted to return to England but were never forgiven. The Duchess died broke and alone her possesions sold to pay for her care, and she was looked after by overbearing paid companions. She did love the Duke contrary to all the rumours but did admit life was hard with him as he did tend to want a lot of her attention but this was the life he was used to and they spent hardly any tine apart in their 35 year marriage. The only thing with this book was at the end of the day she did have an affair with another man even though by all accounts her husband was a decent man, she did not expect it to end in marriage for her it was just a laugh and entertainment so she was not entirely blameless but they certainly were made to pay the price by the British establishment.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was inspired to read this after watching the King's Speech (finally). I had not read any biographies of the Windsors, so I was coming with a clean slate, thinking that the Duke could not have been as shallow as portrayed in the movie. I do think it painted a fairly balanced and sympathetic picture of the Duke and Duchess, and I am glad I learned more about the Windsor family. King's writing is thorough, maybe a bit too thorough. I sometimes had to skim through pages of overwrought descriptions of decor, clothing, placesettings, etc. I realize that in some ways, these objects were part of the royal life. But just because he found some tidbit listing all the contents of the luggage they took on a trip doesn't mean they had to be detailed in the book. I was hoping for some photos included in the book, as my only real visual reference comes from the aforementioned King's Speech and the footage of the aged Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II from real life.

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first, the book was an engaging read, even if the author's attempts to explain away less than desirable character traits were humorous. I came to the conclusion that Edward was kind of a freak...a nice one...but a freak nonetheless. Their cavorting with Nazis was rather sad and amusing and again, we see the author trying to put that all in a positive light. After all, Wallace wasn't Unity Mitford, was she? Heh. Wallace was a shameless social climber and while I sure she had sympathetic, even likeable traits, the author's snow white treatment of her made him lack credibility. After a while, I couldn't take any more, especially the endless, superfluous details of things of no consequence. It started to read like a ship log. No thanks .

[Rho · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author's premise is that Wallis was a misunderstood woman. I realize this book was researched and written before more historical data had been released from the royal archives but even back in 2002 it was evident that she was a social climber and self absorbed human being. I struggled getting through this book but in the author's defense it was factual and there was quite a bit of information about stresses on Wallis before and during the abdication process. Was she a Nazi collaborator? Question not addressed. She lived in a rareified world. Should we really feel sorry for her? She made her choices and could not back out - I think she did not really want to marry him unless she could have been queen. Lots of unanswered questions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Melinda Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Duchess of Windsor is a sympathetic glimpse into the life of one of Britain’s most hated women of the 20th Century. The narrative is drafted in such a way as to provide factual information and first hand accounts of the early years, weddings and the fateful meeting between the future King and the twice married Wallis.

In modern literature, and certainly in pieces of the time, there is a habit of creating a bit of a villain of “that woman”, and so a more temperate view, with an emphasis on her charitable works provides more of a balance. It’s safe to say that her deeds fall in between these two disparate views of her personality.

[Sara Lease · Rating 3 out of 5]

It showed a positive side to Wallis but the attacks on the Royal Family detracted from that. It made the RF look terrible. There was no need to continually bring the mistreatment up. I wanted to read about their lives after the abdication not about the Queen Mother's terrible outfits. The parts that focused on decorating were really interesting. Wallis obviously had style and showed it off. This book could have been shorter and less wordy if the author focused on the topic and not trying to damage the Royal Family.

[Kymmy Catness · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked reading opins and remembrances of her friends and contemporaries. This was a sympathetic POV. Def gave me a rounded image of the woman who captivated everyone. Many of the reasons for the Duchess's and the Duke's poor reputations were caused by his own mother and his sister-in-law (known as the "beloved" queen mother, sheesh!) -- such vindictive people... And that prime minister too. I am still fascinated with her...

Written with a few too many cliches for my liking.

[Helaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the most sympathetic and positive book I have read regarding the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. It gives a more balanced view of the relationship of the Duke with his brother turned king and portrays the royal family as vengeful and unbending towards the duchess. If you want to know anything about the era of the Duke and Duchess or their society friends or various aspects of the royal family, check out the 15 page bibliography at the end of the book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book - gave a positive outlook about Wallis! I had no idea she was as involved in various charities as she was. Very enlightening and such a grand love story. I do have to say the continued comparisons to Princess Diana was a bit much

[Charliz Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very different side to the woman from what is usually portrayed. An enjoyable informative read.

[Cece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much gentler, more even-handed treatment than she usually receives.

[Roberta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Much as I love reading about Wallis Simpson, I found parts of this book really tedious. The beginning and end were good, but the middle DRAGGED. The detail about David's abdication was slow.

[Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography of Wallis Simpson, later the Duchess of Windsor, started strongly and midway devolved into nit-picking old laws and fine print. The author began the bio with much of the information that’s readily available about Wallis. To be fair, that information may not have been well known at the time of this book’s first publication in 1999.

There are some early instances of the author refuting claims previously made about the Duchess, very minor stuff. Then, once Wallis meets HRH King Edward, the pace slows to a snail’s crawl and we are painstakingly given what must be every piece of information about this infamous couple. Chapters upon chapters dedicated to their courting, desire to marry, relationship issues, roadblocks to marriage, etc. The abdication is examined in great detail and Wallis is painted in a sympathetic light. Then the post-abdication circus and microscopic examination of the reasons the Duchess was denied the HRH honorific. The author truly presents every argument made and proceeds to provide evidence against those arguments. At this point in the book, I began to question my endurance. Would I be able to finish this book? (I have a fairly strict dnf policy that only allows me to dnf books that have unexpected animal violence.)

Just in case you’re a history nerd with a very specific niche, the author was kind enough to include the entirety of the civil AND religious wedding ceremony. Perhaps something was lost transitioning it to paper. Maybe you had to be there...

Additionally, there are extremely detailed descriptions of outfits, homes, the decorations for those homes, and anyone who also attended every event that the Duke and Duchess were at. At best, the long descriptions are quite tedious. Also, I admit to skipping over the long lists of names included as “also in attendance.”

I managed to finish this book, but it was a struggle. Everything I had previously read about Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor, was mostly negative. This book began as a refreshing change from the negativity but devolved into, essentially, a love letter from the author to the Duchess. Every instance of questionable behavior was quickly explained away and every negative thing said about the Wallis was refuted. It’s difficult to call this biography balanced or fair.

Three stars for the amount of research and detail provided. I’m glad I only paid $1.99 for this electronic version of the book.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only reason I gave this two stars instead of one star is because it is evident that a great amount of research went into this book, and it it is certainly not a dry read (although it is only intermittently entertaining).

But as others have noted, the author seems to be more of a Simpson apologist than an objective historian, and just as bad is his inserting his personal viewpoints based on his own opinion of what constitutes moral behavior into this book. At least two times he used the term "narrow-minded" to describe those middle-class and mostly rural people who believe that it is almost always wrong for people to engage in extramarital affairs. The author also compared the experiences that Diana, the former Princess of Wales, to that of Mrs. Simpson and Edward VIII with the British royal family, and paints Edward's family as the evil ones in the saga and Edward and Mrs. Simpson as "Romeo and Juliet", a term he also used more than once to describe them, even though they were certainly not teenagers. And, finally, Greg King seems very skeptical of accounts of Wallis's "bad behavior" if it is not corroborated by other evidence, but he treats Simpson's personal memories as indisputable truth -- an obvious double standard.

Despite the author's efforts to convince me otherwise, I remain steadfast in my opinion that Wallis was an immoral narcissist and that David (Edward VIII) was a weak man who would have made a terrible king (so looking at it in that way, maybe the Brits actually owe Simpson their gratitude).


P.S. The author's later books are much better than this one. I especially like Resurrection of the Romanovs.

[Sherry Bledsoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It changed my views!

I don't know why I always viewed her as a villain. It is quite evident that the villain is in actuality the "Palace" - and the enemy she made that day at The Fort" was pretty cruel hurtful and certainly in poor taste by Wallis against her future sister-in-law. A silly parlor prank that frankly destroyed any possibility of a normal relationship between Wallis and who we now know as the late Queen Mother. She held that grudge and King George was a pretty weak man and he allowed his wife's hatred of Wallis to destroy his relationship with his brother for life. The love that Prince of Wales had for Wallis Simpson bordered on almost on an unhealthy obsession. I think the reason that "David" continuously battled for Wallis to be recognized by a title and a place in the Royal Family is because he knew that by marrying him she would vilified for his abdication - which she was. Marrying him set her up for life in a role she was powerless to rectify. Their love story is fairy tale like only in definition of how unbelievable it became. They both gave up things of great importance to them - just to do something that every human had the right to do - marry someone they loved. Regardless of all they lost - their marriage worked for them and this book gave me a totally new perspective on the person -Wallis Simpson. Its probably as close to the facts that anyone will actually get as almost all parties involved are now deceased.

[Kathy Manns055 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice to read a book about Wallis Warfield Simpson that is balanced and more sympathetic than many. Interesting take on the vindictiveness of the Royal Family, especially the Queen Mother Elizabeth and her mother-in-law, Queen Mary. Actually, as far as the Royals go, the whole darned bunch of them are cold and emotionally dysfunctional - we saw that in the way they had to be coached to publicly grieve for Princess Diana, when they would have preferred to pretend she had never existed.

And we are seeing it all played out again with Harry and Megan. The author added a brief addendum at the end of the book about the Sussexes, comparing them to Edward VIII and Wallis. In the same way that the Windsors were pilloried, exiled from England, and isolated by the Royal Family and the organizations that do their bidding, so too are the Sussexes also on the receiving end of negative publicity. There seems to be such unreasonable hatred toward the pair and much fawning over the very stiff William and Kate. The Royal Family are quite adept at painting a rosy picture of themselves while using their public relations people and influence to blacken the reputations of others.

No matter how you view the Royals, this is a good, thought-provoking read.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard about the Duchess from documentaries and media articles and in most cases, she was painted in an unflattering light. I was very curious about the Duchess and wondered if there was another side to her story. This book is the other side. The author is sympathetic to the Duchess and doesn’t make any attempt to hide the fact either. I really enjoyed his version of events because it shows a contrary argument to the negative image of the Duchess. The book is well-written and well-researched. He also makes excellent arguments. The book also shows the social values of the time and values of the aristocracy. Even though the author doesn’t discuss it, I can’t help but feel the Duchess was also a victim of sexism. For those who support the monarchy, be warned, they are not portrayed very kindly. It’s sad to see a family completely ostracize another family over something so silly as a marriage to an American divorcee (although there is a bit more behind that story). I really wanted a happy ending for the Duchess when her beloved Duke died, but her old age and end-of-life was such a tragedy. I enjoyed this book so much that I now want to read other books by the author.

[Kathy kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author succeeded in his objective to portray Wallis and David favorably. It was done at cost to the Royal family, who shamelessly refused to recognize David and the woman he loved after his abdication. This slight took many forms and continued after their deaths. Other books that I have read are more sympathetic toward George and his wife and Queen Mother. Wallis was controversial and unforgettable. Theirs was a romance of the Century. It is too bad that pettiness ruled. I think the Royal attitudes continue to this day. They are a dysfunctional family. The research for this book was exhausting. I think the book would have been better served if the decor and who attended which party was downplayed. Even the acknowledgements were tedious. The book was good, loved reading about the romance. Just think it would have been better if the tedious detail was minimized. Loved some of the Wallis quotes. A good read

[mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was well written , detailed and I was taken by it. I researched after reading this with other versions and felt that the biographer captured these two with an ease that others didn't , He described Wallis Simpson from her upbringing , her abusive first marriage and her love for Ernest Simpson. She was a force and also did seem to love Edward , it may have been romanticism at first but really turned to a honest caring and detailed love for each other as they were both exiled from the Royal family after he gave up his kingship. I did see the underpinnings that exist in the Royal family as they held a hateful revenge to have acknowledged his love for an divorcee . Wallis lived a rather empty life that she filled with expensive jewelry and couture wardrobe to fill up an empty space while the Duke tried to care for gardens and take care of her . Very sad and lonely existence .loved this book

[Margie Dorn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like history, I like biography, and this was on a very good sale, so I hoped I would enjoy it. I've never been a huge fan of monarchy, though, and this story certainly did not assist a more positive view. Aside from the historical issues, this book drove me crazy with its incessant listings of what they wore, what they ate, where they lived, and what they owned, in jewels most especially. And the inflated prices that all of these things sold for at auction after they died was horrifying. I'm sorry for what this couple suffered at the whim of their royal family. Other than that, the book could have been royally condensed.

[Susan]

I am currently reading this book, and I am wondering if it's actually a satire or a structure that allows the author to reveal new detrimental facts, but not seem to be attacking her. It digs into Wallis' life and reveals things I've never read about her. And I've read a lot about the Duke and Duchess of Winsor.

The author dismisses these rumors and revelations or gives facts that seem to try to justify them, but at about a third of the way through the book, I am viewing Wallis more harshly than before, due to the new facts brought to the surface by this author. His excuses and justifications for her are full of holes.

If you've read this book, what do you think?

[Deb Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bringing Harry & Meghan in as the last chapter hurt

I was enjoying the book and going along with the premise that the Windsors maybe weren’t as bad as had been portrayed, but the last chapter attempting to paint similarities between Meghan and Wallis lost me and undermined the credibility of the rest of the book. This is especially true seeing how things have played out with the Sussexes over the past couple of years. Mostly an enjoyable read, but I would skip the last chapter.

[Dana Tuss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I went in not knowing a lot about her or the abdication or that era. IT was entirely readable and I appreciated the author's pointed description of setting out to be sympathetic to the couple and made it a point to refute rumors that have long been repeated. I'm not sure I think Wallis or David are entirely likeable people, but their story is fascinating. If it really was all for love, it is extremely admirable.

[Lindy High]

A fresh and refreshing look at King Edward VII and his American mistress who eventually became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. This book debunks many of the generally accepted myths about the couple: that she was a schemer whose life was a testament to the idle rich, and that he was a somewhat dim Nazi sympathizer. In this new biography, the author presents a hard-working couple continuously stymied by the British royals.

[Dorothea M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Read

This book confirmed many of the opinions I've held about the situation in which the Duke and Duchess of Windsor found themselves. Their story has long been fascinating to me. It's refreshing that Mrs. Simpson is finally getting a second, more balanced examination to contrast with the image the propaganda machines painted of her.

[Mary Hilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enlightening on the monarchy

Seeing the way the royal family operates behind the scenes was eye-opening. While I felt there was too much detail given to Wallis’s skills in decorating or clothing, I could skim that and still learn of their relationship and the double standards of the times

[Peggie Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an older book but since it is all history that really doesn't matter. I found the book an informative read and generally quite interesting. The only parts I found less than interesting were chapters with long descriptions of rooms or extended lists of who was in attendance at various dinners. Seemed to be a lot of name dropping by the author.