A King's Story: The Memoirs of H.R.H. the Duke of Windsor K.G.

by Edward VIII Windsor

"Given my character, my roving curiosity and independence, my life appeared to form a disconnected pattern--duty without decision, service without responsibility, pomp without power. Meanwhile, something had happened that, although I did not realise it at the time, was destined to change the whole course of my life. I met Wallis Warfield Simpson." Written in 1951, in his own hand, this is the story of a man raised to be king, a man who abdicated the throne to marry an American divorce. Theirs was to become the most famous love affair of this century. In this poignant, elegantly written memoir, the Duke recalls his austere upbringing, his days at Oxford, the Great War, his profound love for Wallis Simpson and the growing crisis over the affair, and the appalling dilemma that confronted him in the final months leading up to his abdication.

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

440 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Determination of Edward VIII, king of Great Britain and Ireland, in 1936 precipitated a constitutional crisis; he abdicated, married Wallis Warfield Simpson, an divorced American, in 1937, and, later known as Duke of Windsor, spent much of the rest of his life in France. Stanley Baldwin as British prime minister facilitated the abdication of Edward VIII in 1936.

Edward, the eldest son of George V and Queen Mary. Nine weeks after his father succeeded, people created him Prince of Wales on his sixteenth birthday in 1910. As a young man, he served in the armed forces during World War I and undertook several overseas tours on behalf of his father.

George, father of Edward, died in early 1936. From 20 January 1936, Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David ruled the united Dominions of the empire and India until 11 December 1936. He showed impatience with court protocol, and his apparent disregard for established conventions caused concern among politicians. Only months into his reign, he proposed despite a first husband and a second. The prime ministers and the Dominions opposed, arguing that the persons never accept a woman with two ex-husbands as queen consort. Additionally, status of Edward as the titular head of the Church of England conflicted and at at the time opposed still former spouses. If Edward went ahead, then Stanley Baldwin, prime minister, led the government, which promised to resigned and thus to force a general election and so to ruin his status as a politically neutral monarch. Edward chose not to end his relationship. Albert, younger brother, succeeded and chose the regnal name George VI. Edward reigned for a short 326 days of the monarchs in history.

People afterward created him. After second finality, he took consort on 3 June 1937. In that year, the couple toured Germany. During World War II, people at first stationed him with the military mission. After private accusations that he held Nazi sympathies, they assigned him to the Bahamas as the governor of the islands. After the war, people never gave him another official appointment for the remainder in retirement.

Reviews

[Catherine Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Warning: review contains slightly rude or very rude words depending on your inclination] William Boyd's Any Human Heart would put anyone off the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. In it, they are portrayed as narcissistic, greedy, manipulative and bonkers. Before reading Boyd, I'd gained the general impression that Mrs Simpson was a grasping bitch who had the Duke by the balls, forcing him to choose between the throne and sexual relations with her skinny self (she apparently coined the phrase 'One can never be too rich or too thin' Ugh) - and that the Duke was a bit whiny and wimpy. I'm not sure I've entirely revised that opinion, but in his memoirs, abdicating Edward (the Duke, first name actually David) comes across rather well for most of it. His stories of his childhood are entertaining and reveal a nice, genuinely self-deprecating humour. His affection for his parents and his siblings is palpable (though no mention of epileptic John who died young). You can sympathise with his frustration at being unable to fully indulge his love for dangerous sports (steeple-chasing, flying), or to fight in World War I - too much risk for a future King. You can almost ignore his patronisingly Imperialistic attitude (it grates, but it was a long, long time ago now). For most of the book, Edward comes across as a man of action, who liked to party, and who may well have been deeply unhappy being confined to the crushingly dull and safe routine of being King. Mrs Simpson, as you can imagine, is portrayed as a woman of integrity and spirit, but in truth, he barely describes her at all. From his recounting of the 1936 abdication, you can tell it is still very raw, even 14 years afterwards (the book was written in 1952). On the whole I found the book fascinating, as a glimpse into a time and a life that we commoners will never experience. I hope that he didn't become the man William Boyd describes, because I liked the man in his memoirs. I will seek out more books about him now, and see what others have to say.

[Bernard Madsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fine book.... like getting allowed a peek behind the palace gates... excellent.

[Rupert Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating. Obviously I knew the outlines of Edward VIII's story before, but hearing it all first hand was a real eye-opener. Having read this, I have very little time for the man at all. He clearly glosses over a lot of things, avoids awkward subjects and ducks the issue while trying to make out that he is entirely blameless of unfolding events, while everyone else has hidden agendas and suspect motives. He also comes across as something of a fool. Like I say, a real eye-opener of a book. It reveals much more about the man than he probably intended. Britain was, I think, well rid of him as king.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting account of his childhood, his years as the Prince of Wales, and the Abdication. The best part is his discussion of his four major trips throughout the British Empire during the 1920's. His story of the Abdication is one-sided to say the least and shows no concern for his brother having to suddenly ascend the throne.

[Becky Loader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well.
Whew.
Definitely written by a member of Britain's royalty and definitely a male who has been privileged and arrogant his entire life.
Interesting to see David's viewpoint, but he does not include any of his visits to Berlin with Wallis.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting period piece by an unreliable narrator. Of course it's interesting to read a matter-of-fact accounting of his royal upbringing and life. But the self-serving way in which the Duke relates the story of his abdication makes it hard to judge how much of the his memoir is a guileless explanation of how he led his life and how much was calculated to restore his reputation.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful look at Victorian England and the royalty behind the scenes. The Duke of Windsor tells his story of the 'woman I love'. I highly recommend.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

the story of love......betrayal by siblings.....sacrificed for the kingdom......David Windsor or as he signed himself on death David Saxe Coburg Gotha.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The memoirs begin, as any proper memoir should, with his earliest childhood, in HRH's case, both on and at the knee of his great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. Born in 1894, the Duke's childhood and adolescence were lived entirely in the pre-World War I era and his descriptions of that time are full of nostalgic longing. Early in the pages of the books, Prince Edward - later King Edward VIII and then the Duke of Windsor, but whose family always called him David - shows himself as a sympathetic prince. In reading of his longings for "normalcy" and proving himself against other boys of his generation, one cannot but remark that the same sentiments have been expressed by Britain's current crop of young princes. Strong-willed and independent, David succeeds in earning a commission in France during World War I where the sights and sounds of battle will mark him as they did so many of his generation.

Perhaps the most interesting passages of the book describe his post-war visits to the U.S., the affinity he begins to feel with a people whom he feels resemble him somewhat in temperament, and the awe with which he views the conveniences of modern life. He takes pains to note that the untold luxury which has surrounded him since birth still does not include such amenities as centralized heating, which he finds regularly in America.

As he ages, the reader cannot help but notice the myriad ways in which he seems to be a rather reluctant King-in-waiting. It is hard to tell whether this is the result of hindsight - "well, I never wanted to be King anyway," - or if the sentiments are true. They do seem to be borne out by journal entries and correspondence, though, so I will generally give him the benefit of the doubt.

Once David becomes King Edward VIII, the memoirs are zapped of some of their earlier energy. He describes the Abdication crisis in painstaking detail, understandable at a personal level, but a bit of a bore for the average reader. The last chapters are mired in an almost hourly account of who the King met, what he thought, what he said, what they said, and how it was reported in the papers to such a degree that I could not help but feel a degree of relief upon finishing the book.

[Michiel Korte · Rating 2 out of 5]

For one of the most intriguing royal personages of the twentieth century, Edward VIII sure makes it seem as though he has nothing to say. As an author, he appears determined to convince his readers that he is ordinary to the point of boring. We would rather have "David's Story" than "A King's Story".

For a tell-all memoir (which was quite controversial upon publication), this book is quite lacking. The author mentions his youngest brother, Prince John, only once in a line-up and then never tells about his illness and the effect we know his tragic death had on the family. His other siblings also barely appear in childhood stories and their characters are left obscure. King George and Queen Mary do appear, both seem quite admirable in the author's eyes, which contradicts the popular claim that there was no love between Edward VIII and his parents.

Speaking of love, NO mention is made of it. Marguerite Alibert, Rosemary Leveson-Gower, Freda Dudley Ward and Thelma Furness are not ever mentioned despite being his girlfriends for years at a time. And Wallis Simpson is mentioned, but VERY sparingly. There is no romantic tale about what attracted him to her, no quotes are given, no moments are shared. It's described very matter-of-factly: "Around this time I had fallen in love with Mrs Simpson...the government objected...she got divorced...I abdicated and we got married."

Instead of his personal life, Edward VIII spends 250 out of 300 pages talking about his one-year reign. And here as well, he seems determined to appear uninteresting. He refutes claims that he was a progressive, modern, groundbreaking royal. Instead, he emphasises how much he wanted to repeat the reign of his father, George V.

[Saxon Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the Duke of Windsor's memoirs in order to do research for an essay published in my book "The Modern Salonnière." I was curious to see if he mentioned Denys Finch-Hatton was his guide during his safaris in Africa and that Denys had turned him on to the hobby of filming big game. He did not. Here is what he said: “The new year of 1930 found my father’s health so restored that I was able to plan another trip to East Africa. This time I was lured back not to shoot big game with a rifle but with a motion-picture camera, my new hobby…I had decided that for me a living record on film of my expeditions would be a more satisfying, and certainly less cumbersome, souvenir.” Not once was Denys mentioned. To learn about his impact on the wildlife of the Serengeti, I've excerpted my essay from the book here: https://bit.ly/2VGsdjH

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Press creates; the Press destroys. All my life I had been the passive clay which it had enthusiastically worked into the hackneyed image of a Prince Charming. Now it had whirled around, and was bent upon demolishing the natural man who had been there all the time." (p. 358) What the author describes his life before the Abdication echoes the present day. However, to my surprise is that, 50 years before Google, the author did a search on the newspapers' opinions for and against him before the Abdication, he found it was approximately 21,000,000. 8,500,00 supported the Government and 12,500,000 (60 percent) were for the author. (p.373) The author's endeavor to assess this huge amount of results impresses me with awe.

[Volare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the stories of the Duke of Windsor's early life most compelling, he threw open a curtain into Royal life that we seldom see. I also found his travels as Prince of Wales very interesting. I was disappointed in his re-telling of the Abdication crisis. I felt he left a LOT out of the story to his own advantage. I was eager to read more about his relationship with Mrs. Simpson and I was curious as to why his family never pressured him to marry, especially since he was Heir to the Throne.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

An astonishing book. Was it ghostwritten? Maybe. I've heard that it was, but not sure who the ghostwriter might've been. Regardless, this was an amazing journey through the life of a man whose head is *entirely* stuck up his ass, yet also somehow makes the convincing case that royal life is a giant crock of shit. I'd say good for him for getting out but jesus he burned all his bridges doing so, and for what? Love? Maybe. Also he was definitely a dick about all of it.

(Thank you to David for inspiring my first Goodreads review to include curse words. This book really is excellent.)

[Roger Butters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating self-portrait of a flawed and complex man who in some ways (e.g. his view of the working classes, concern about wildlife conservation) was ahead of his time. The first half of the book is far franker than the second, dealing with the King's relationship with Mrs Simpson. In fact he makes no mention of any of his love affairs, but of course a gentleman never mentioned such things in those days. In marked contrast to the notorious 'Spare,' the book contains no criticism of any member of the royal family (and in my view the fault was not all on the Windsors' side), and is entirely free from any trace of resentment or self-pity.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. His memoir, certainly, but really a story of love. He is famous for his abdication. He did so much more.

This book also serves as my read for the 900s of the Dewey Challenge, whereby I will endeavor to read this year at least one book in each category of Dewey (000s, 100s, 200s, etc). This book being 920 EDW.

And for 2020's book budget, I spent $16.45 for a 2020 total of $16.45. So far.

[Maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant and easy read from his own point of view. I found it an insight into his life as a Prince, and an insight into just how controlling the constitutional monarchy system. Also an interesting portrayal of the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and his contemporary politicians.

A lot of Prince Harry’s frustrations are echoed, if not more eloquently, here.

[Luis Belisario · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the series "The crown" he is mistreated, almost like a jester. Here you can see the real person and his version of what happened to him.

[Rho · Rating 3 out of 5]

A first hand account. Of course it a biased view but interesting considering all the facts and documents that have been studied since he wrote his memoir.

[Coleen Dailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read, however, the last few chapters about the abdication seemed very self-serving. I guess that is to be expected.

[Flora Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOT REALLY A REVIEW, BUT RATHER MY NOTES FOR FUTURE REFERENCE OF THE BOOK
"By an ancient custom each parliamentary session is inaugurated by the readingig the House of Lords, by the Monarch... of the'Most Gracious Speech from the Throne', in which he reviews the state of the realm and outlines the legislative program that his Government proposes to enact in the forthcoming session. Like many of the cherished Royal rituals, the ceremony celebrates an authority long extinct... No other event on the Monarch's calendar, however, is more calculated to remind him of the figurehead nature of his role. The Most Gracious Speech itself a composition to which he may not contribute a single word... Thus, the King of England in the act of opening Parliament occupies a position quite the opposite of that of the President of the United States when he delivers his annual State of the Union message to a joint session of Congress. There President is judged by what he says; the King by how he says it... my father used to say that he knew of few worse ordeals than being obliged to deliver somebody else's speech while balancing on his head at the same tone a 2.5 pound gold crown. " (exf. pgs. 324-325)

[Sten Nordin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Den stod oläst i min hylla i många år, men för den som är intresserade av historia och personhistoria är hertigen av Windsors memoarbok givande läsning. Memoarer får man alltid läsa med kritiskt öga, men dessa känns ändå vara i det mesta en äkta berättelse. Den mot slutet skildrade kampen - närmast en envig - mellan monarken och premiärministern ( Baldwin) om äktenskapet med Wallis Simpson är bara den mycket läsvärd.