The Duchess

Royal Outsiders #2

by Wendy Holden

The Duchess, the second novel in Wendy Holden's trilogy about royal outsiders, fictionalises the unknown London life of Wallis Simpson.

Arriving in 1928, Wallis was a divorced, penniless, middle-aged foreigner with average looks and no connections. Yet, just eight years later, a king renounced his throne for her. How did a woman from nowhere capture the heart of the world's most glamorous bachelor? Wendy Holden tells the amazing story.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, British Literature, Royalty, Book Club

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 19, 2021

About the author

Wendy Holden grew up in Yorkshire, and studied English at Girton College, Cambridge. She worked in magazines for many years before joining Tatler's in 1997 as deputy editor, and later moved to the Mail on Sunday’s You magazine, which she left in 2000 to concentrate on writing. She regularly writes features for newspapers and magazines on a range of social, topical and lifestyle subjects and is also a television and radio contributor.

She has now published ten novels, Gallery Girl, Beautiful People, Bad Heir Day, Pastures Nouveaux, Fame Fatale, Azur Like It, The Wives of Bath, The School for Husbands, Filthy Rich, Farm Fatale, Gossip Hound, Simply Divine, all top 10 bestsellers.

Holden is married, and lives in England with her family.

Reviews

[Joan Happel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new historical fiction work about Wallis Simpson, the woman who changed the course of British history. Whether you view her as famous or infamous, this is a great addition to her story. For those who don’t know, Wallis was a twice divorced American, who began a relationship with the then Prince of Wales which eventually led to his abdication from the throne, forever altering the succession to the English crown.
Written in a dual timeline, the story opens in 1972 with Wallis accompanying Edward VIII body back to England for his funeral; then the story flashes back to 1928 with the recently married Wallis Simpson moving to London with her second husband Ernest. Life in London is not how the socially ambitious Wallis imagined it. Dealing with financial troubles, an uncooperative cook and a lack of any sort of social life, she finds a way to re-invent herself. Edward, known as David to his family and friends, meets Wallis at a house party and the two quickly find common ground. The relationship accelerates when David’s current love interest, Thelma Furness, is called back to America to help her sister in her custody battle. Before leaving, Thelma asks Wallis to keep the easily distracted David company so he doesn’t fall into the arms of another woman. During Thelma’s absence, Wallis and David fall in love which eventually leads to David abdication from the throne to marry the woman he loves.

Unlike some other novels dealing with this captivating story, The Duchess takes a more sympathetic approach to Wallis and even poses the possibility the Edward VIII never wanted to be king and saw his relationship with Wallis as a way out. Written with a descriptive and colorful narrative, readers will enjoy the richly detailed accounts of period clothing, jewelry, country homes and the lives of the privileged class in 1930’s Great Britain. This is a dramatic and richly detailed book about one of the most iconic romances of the 20th century. Those who enjoy biographical fiction and books relating to British royalty, will find a great deal to savor in this new novel of The Duchess of Windsor.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

[Kasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Copy of this book provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review**

I don't know who cursed me and why but lately I have problems finding books that are not unnecessarily lengthy. Sadly, this one is not an exception.

We are following the story of Wallis Simpson starting from the moment when she married her second husband till the moment King Edward VIII abdicated just to be able to marry her. It's impossible to botch such an amazing story, right? At least that's what I thought when I entered the giveaway of this book. What I found inside though was an extremely slow pace story where Prince of Whales does not appear till around page 200. For the first half of the book Wallis is simply moping around London, complaining about her husband, reading gossipy magazines, having problems with the lady that is cooking for her, being terribly bored and desperately trying to find a way into the higher society. But not any kind of higher society, oh no. She is scoffing at the company of the older ladies, because she wants to rub elbows only with young and influential people. Luxury, power and extravagance of wealth are impressing Willis immensely so when the prince shows up she is immediately drawn to him or maybe she is just drawn to all the glamorous things that he represents. Which brings us to the fact that Willis character is executed somewhat poorly. Author was trying to make her likable but instead of making Willis act friendly, she decided to surround her with female characters that are hideous, stupid and money-thirsty so Wallis can gain in comparison with almost anybody else. Unfortunately this backfired pretty badly because it made Wallis look even more petty and entitled. I did not like her even a bit.

To sum it up: if you are looking for a romance - this is not a book for you as the romance is not the focus of this book.
If you are looking for drama - this might be a book for you but only if you like your drama to be squished in the last 50 pages.
If you are looking for a fast read - this is not a book for you as there are over 400 pages with countless characters and scenes that bring nothing to the overall story.
If you are a great fan of British crown - this might be a book for you. I got lost a bit in all those titles and who inherits after whom and why.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an interesting book. The subject was Wallis Simpson and of course the Royal family and the love she had the Prince of Wales. This dealt with her early life and her first two marriages leading up to when she met Prince Edward and how they fell in love. It went on after his abdication up to his death and then her death years later. I enjoyed this book so much and I want to read her other book The Governess which is about the two princess and their governess Marion Crawford. Highly recommend this book.

[Tessa Arlen]

This is the second book on Holden's trilogy about royal outsiders. And this one is far more interesting than the first one: The Royal Governess. I found the author's decision to make the character of Wallis Simpson naïve, well-meaning and kindlier than the scheming woman she is usually portrayed as, a great idea. BUT was her character in this book perhaps a bit too vanilla? Wallis had a reputation for being extraordinarily amusing which didn't quite come across --and I found her obsession with her wardrobe, and a yearning to belong to England's dull, snobbish and utterly vile top drawer of society a bit repetitive. The complexity of the P of W's character was fascinating, but there was not a whisper in the entire book about Wallis and David's big flirtation with Nazis: and in particular their controversial meeting with Hitler in 1937. All in all it was a love story about two rather selfish, immature people who had very little loyalty to anyone or anything other than themselves.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mrs Simpson
Wallis Simpson
We all grew up knowing, even if we weren’t 100% sure why, her name….and maybe from older generations a muttering and tut when she was mentioned with a milder ‘but she did it for love’
This book, told as if she is telling the story herself, via chapters from the day of Edwards funeral and then the rest as historical memories leading up to that point
It gives ( as the author says in her acknowledgements ) a very different view of the lady herself, I didn’t quite take to her as I previously had in films and documentaries etc, she comes across as more than determined to get what she wants, in social standing,all manner of wants and I guess love ( although even that is questionable towards the end ) and a person will quite happily dispose of people who are loyal to her ( inc her husband ) well at least until she has a taste of what she craves….often finding the taste is not as pleasant as she imagined
It is a fascinating insight into this oft cited character and superbly written as I had expected by this author with the gift of words
It took me quite a few days to read it but that was ok, it was absorbing in its detail and one of those books that made you think about it even when not reading it regarding just who Mrs Simpson really was and were The Royals actually correct about her motives, more than history makes us believe
Thought provoking, rich in detail and very enjoyable

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Duchess by Wendy Holden is an excellent historical fiction novel that gives us a glimpse of the infamous, and often misunderstood, life of Ms. Wallace Simpson. I loved it!

This book mainly focusses on Wallace’s life and the events surrounding her existence after she relocates to London in 1928. I find her fascinating. Like a train wreck, you don’t want to read about her, but yet with the right book (as in this one) you just can’t help yourself.

I know quite a bit about the Royal family, as well as the events surrounding Wallace, her relationship with the soon to be King Edward Prince of Wales/then King Edward VIII, and his abdication. The book puts us into the mind of Wallace, which as much as I despise her, I have to give her props for asserting herself in a time and place that usually had pushed so many constraints upon women. At times, I could easily envision her doing and saying these exact things.

This book alternates between a few different timelines to give us an in depth look at this complicated and infamous historical figure. Well written.

I loved it! Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

Thank you NG and Welbeck Publishing UK for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
5/5 stars

[Emma Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay, I liked this one.
I'm a self confessed history geek, but always found Wallis particularly enigmatic.
Love the dual timeframe here of how they met v his funeral all those years later. Would have liked maybe a bit on her childhood/first marriage.
This definitely nods to history/fact in all the right places but like the artistic licence used in between for the other bits, and bridging the gaps,
Wallis is a remarkable character and very colourful. This feels really authentic.

[Sina & Ilona Glimmerfee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wallis und Edward sind eines der berühmtesten Liebespaare der Welt. Der beliebte britische Sportprinz, der für die geschiedene Amerikanerin den Thron aufgab und ihre Geschichte so unsterblich machte.

Die Geschichte beginnt mit der Beisetzung Edward VIII. und springt dann immer wieder zu den Anfängen ihrer Liebesgeschichte, die mit seiner Abdankung endet. Ich bin schon lange von diesem Paar fasziniert und habe viele Dokus und auch eine Biografie über sie gelesen. Ich mochte es sehr, dass Wallis nicht dämonisiert wurde und auch ihr Hintergrund berücksichtigt wurde. Ob sich die Geschichte wirklich so abgespielt hat, wissen vermutlich nur Edward und Wallis. Wobei doch einige Fragen bei mir offen bleiben. War Wallis wirklich bei der Astrologin, zeigte sich Prinz Charles ihr gegenüber wirklich freundlich, wie viel künstlerische Freiheit hat sich die Autorin genommen... ? Ich glaube nicht, dass Edward kein Interesse am Thron hatte und Wallis ein Grund war, diesen nicht zu besteigen, dies würde gegen die Akten des FBI und die Tagebücher seines Privatsekretärs sprechen (Spiegel 18.11.2011). Ich denke auch nicht, dass Wallis so abstinent gelebt hat, bis sie auf Edward traf, so sehr die Vorstellung in das romantische Bild passen würde.

Die in der Danksagung angedeutete Anspielung auf Meghan Merkle und Prinz Harry, kann ich leider nicht erkennen, da Geschiedene bei Hof durchaus heiraten dürfen (Charles und Camilla) und es eher absolut unwahrscheinlich erscheint, das Harry jemals den Thron besteigen wird.

Ich habe das Buch sehr gerne gelesen, historisch korrekt oder auch nicht, und wollte es auch nur ungern aus der Hand legen.

Das Buch wurde mir als kostenfreies Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt. Ich bin dadurch aber nicht in meiner Meinung eingeschränkt und darf das Buch auch behalten.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.

A compelling historical fiction account of Wallis Simpson Windsor. The story alternates between two time periods: it starts in June 1972 as Wallis is returning to England for the first time since the abdication, for the Duke of Windsor’s funeral. The other time period tells of her early life, her marriage to Ernest Simpson and her relationship with the Prince of Wales, also known as David, until his abdication.

Bessiewallis Warfield had a very difficult childhood, growing up in poverty with her mother after her father died. She tried to escape this life at age 19 by marrying Earl Winfield Spencer Junior, who was allegedly physically and sexually abusive to her. She divorced him and later married Ernest Simpson. They lived in London, and she was desperate to join the aristocratic set, although that lifestyle was way beyond her means. She eventually meets Thelma Furness, the Prince of Wales’ mistress and through her gain entry into the lifestyle that she craved. She and Ernest started mingling with the upper crust and Wallis catches the eye of the Prince of Wales. He eventually dumps Thelma for Wallis, becoming totally besotted by her, and when he becomes King after the death of his father, he abdicates the throne because he wants and/or needs to marry her. Although she loves him too, she is desperate that he must remain King and wants out of the relationship. But there is no stopping David. He arranges for her husband to divorce her and manipulates her to remain with him.

This is a compulsive read. I could not put it down. It has some flaws though. I don’t believe all the circumstances of her marriage to Ernest, and David, the Prince of Wales, comes across as spoiled, entitled, and manipulative, (which he probably was). The story ends with her death, but does not get into her life with David after they marry and are exiled to France by King George VI, which would’ve been also fascinating. The sections about her return to England for his funeral are fascinating and heartbreaking, and it is evident that the Windsors never forgave her for her relationship with David, although it should be noted that she fought hard to get him to not abdicate, even threatening to leave him in return to America.

I find it interesting that one of the Readers Guide questions is “Could an American ever successfully join the British royal family?” Maybe Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, should answer this question.

A definite recommend.

[Julia Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at one of the most controversial women in the twentieth century. I loved how Holden dug into Wallis’ history and imagined a new characterization for the duchess that takes a step back from the stories we all know.

[Silver Thistle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few biographical books about Edward and Mrs Simpson lately so it was nice to read one of fiction about them for a change. Most of what was mentioned was not new to me but it was fun to see the facts woven into a work of fiction even if most of the controversial things were omitted in order to allow the author some scope to cast them in a favourable light. If you've watched The Crown you'll know how it goes (and if you haven't...run like the wind and go watch it now!).

She has been quite genrous to both of them here, especially Wallis, and if you don't know the first thing about either of them it probably reads as quite a touching story. However, this is not my first rodeo and although it's based on fact it's definitely a work of fiction and my opinion of them both hasn't altered despite the sugar coating. It's an interesting story though and well written.

[Janet Wertman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sigh. It was a fascinating commentary on the English class system (LOVED Coco Chanel's advice!!). it was also an amazing redemption of the woman who was hated, vilified, blamed for everything....but I still didn't like her - and now I don't really like him either....

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the most famous love stories, a king seduced by a woman he is not allowed to marry so he abdicates, but it is written from a new angle. From the perspective of Wallis.

Written along two timelines starting with the funeral in 1972 of Edward, or David as he is known by his family and friends, the king who abdicated so he could marry the love of his life Wallis Simpson, an American nobody who is also a double divorcee. The second timeline starts in 1928 with Wallis marrying her second husband the reliable and loving Ernest who thinks the world of her.

When they move to London, Wallis is obsessed with climbing the social ladder. She manages to insinuate herself into parties the rich and famous attend, meeting Cecil Beaton who opens up doors for her to carry on with her aim. She wangles an invitation for herself and Ernest to the Prince’s home for the weekend and this is the beginning of the road to their romance.

Wallis for me was a completely unlikeable character in this portrayal. She ignores her poor husband and carries on like a young single woman, partying and lunching at the Ritz. He doesn’t want to go to the Prince of Wales’ home but he is dragged along. I also did not like the prince in this portrayal who comes across as needy, whiny and self obsessed. He clings on to Wallis for dear life although does he have an ulterior motive in romancing and wanting to marry her? He has never wanted to be King so could this provide the way out?

Wallis gets everything she has ever wanted but then feels trapped in a life now controlled by the prince

I am looking forward to the authors next book which will be about Diana.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a NetGalley review copy.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The Royal Governess so I had to immediately buy this book. I loved it too. This one is about Wallis Simpson causing the abdication of King Edward VIII. If you read Woman Before Wallis I think you will like this one. I did not know anything about Wallis Simpson before she caught the eye of the Prince of Wales so I found this very interesting. I enjoyed the mention of David's brother John as he was erased from several Royal records. A great historical fiction book about John is The Royal Nanny by Karen Harper. The author's next book, coming out in August, is about Princess Diana and I already have the ARC.

-"But that's the thing about history, Wallis. It's not what you did that counts. It's what people think you did."

-"So there's a class system even in heaven?" Heaven had obviously been designed by the British.

"...if anything more perfectly encapsulates the condition of royalty than dressing up and pretending to be something we're not, I can't think what it is."

-Reminding her that for all the heartache of ostracism and exile, David had never ceased to feel that his happiness was worth a throne.

-Love is warmth, affection, patience, tenderness, decency.

[Lynn Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story about Wallis Simpson, it was quite enlightening reading about parts of her life I never knew about before.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Duchess by Wendy Holden was the first book I read by this author. I normally love historical fiction that takes place in Britain in the 1920’s to 1930’s, but I was disappointed with this one.

I was only briefly familiar with Wallis Simpson and her relationship with King Edward VIII and how it led to his abdication. The story has a dual timeline. One covers the time period that Ms. Simpson married Ernest, her second husband, and leads up when she meets the Prince of Wales and begins a relationship with him. The other time period covers the Duke of Windsor’s funeral in 1972.

I found that I couldn’t sympathize with Ms. Simpson’s character, since I found her to be so shallow. After her marriage, her goal seemed to break into high society at any cost. As she works her way up the ladder, she meets the Prince and becomes close friends with him, which leads to possibly love. I tired of the circular nature of the relationship where she couldn’t decide whether they loved each other or merely depended on one another.

I also couldn’t sympathize with the Prince, since he seemed to bully Ms. Simpson into the marriage, whether she wanted it or not. He also seemed shallow and whiny.

I’m sure many readers who are interested in the royal family will appreciate this book, but it wasn’t for me. I will still give this three stars because the writing was good, and I would like to read more by this author.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Kate Eminhizer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author Wendy Holden introduces the reader to a new viewpoint on the relationship between Wallis Simpson and the Prince of Wales. In the beginning Wallis is striving to have more, to be included in the elusive world of the rich and royal. By the end of the book she wants to embrace her simple life and shun the attention she had so desperately wanted. Holden gives both Wallis and David, the Prince of Wales the behavioral traits of adolescents. This is exemplified in how they each cannot understand how their choices impact others. While Wallis deserves sympathy for the difficulties she suffered in her first marriage, she totally disregarded her second husband in her attempts to elevate her social status. I applaud Holden for being brave enough to attempt to illuminate Wallis in a different light however this book just wasn't for me.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an overall enjoyable read, and probably more so if you knew nothing about Wallis Simpson and David, Prince of Wales. I guess my main "complaint" is that it was so one sided that I found it hard to believe. I have read several books about Wallis Simpson and I get that that author wanted to provide a different Wallis, but it was really too one sided to me. It just barely mentioned her liaisons with Nazis and didn't mention the meetings she and David had with Hitler.

I get that there are two sides to every story and that other takes on Wallis are very denigrating and she was probably more complicated, but this is a bit too much the other way for me.

[Diane Chilton · Rating 2 out of 5]

the first part of the book whilst slow was reasonably interesting then about 60% of the way in it descended to mawkish sentimentality and a completely unconvincing portrayal of both Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson. Also please stop referring to the Union flag as the Union Jack at no point in the narrative were the flags on ships.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Described as 'meticulously researched' - maybe it was, but the author seemed happy to ignore that research when it suited her, moving historical events such as the Anschluss and Sudetenland crisis to before the Abdication, instead of more than a year after, and blaming the dropping of Freda Dudley Ward on the advent of Thelma, rather than that of Wallis, as was actually the case.

[Rocelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Verschrikkelijke overromantisering van een liefdesverhaal tussen twee compleet onuitstaanbare hoofdpersonen. Ook al is het historische fictie, dan nog was een beetje meer realiteitszin gepast geweest in dit verhaal waar de auteur ‘zoveel onderzoek’ naar heeft gedaan. Of is de auteur voor het gemak bijvoorbeeld de flirt van het koppel met Nazi-Duitsland vergeten? De volgende keer koop ik wel gewoon een Bouquetreeks-boek.

[Ellen Bossink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in an English bookshop in Paris as I am very interested in the English Royal History.
This book didn’t disappoint. The story of Edward and the love of is life Mrs Simpson from the day they met until the day they die. Interesting and very well written.

[Tsonka Tsankova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much British.. или с други думи - голяма скука!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! I've always been fascinated by Wallis Simpson and this novel gives us a different interpretation of her personality and that of the Prince of Wales. I do enjoy the author's portrayal of the royal family - especially the Queen Mother - they are all so awful! As for the buildings they live in.... I enjoyed this even more than The Governess and was very sorry to finish it. I may do a review of the two books on For Winter Nights.

[Crystal Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hateful characters with very little to redeem it.

[ATM · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Duchess by Wendy Holden is a fascinating and gripping read about Wallis Simpson. We’ve all grown up hearing about the notorious Mrs Simpson, twice-divorced, elegant, witty and the woman who inspired a king abdicate his throne out of love for her. In this book, we follow Wallis Simpson at two crucial moments of her life: at the funeral for her beloved David and when she first met the prince who would change her life.

This is my first Wendy Holden book and I was impressed by how she captured Wallis’s voice and kept it consistent, even though we meet Wallis in the 1930s and again in the 1970s when her exiled husband has finally returned to England for burial. Although Mrs Simpson had been held up as a ‘scarlet woman’ who tempted Britain’s king away from the throne, Holden takes a new stance, portraying her as an innocent, slightly naive woman who was out of her depth in aristocratic society. Holden draws some interesting parallels between Wallis and the most recent American duchess, Megan Markle but doesn’t explore whether there’s a similar connection between Prince Harry and Wallis’s David…

I found the 1930s part of the story particularly compelling but was less enamoured by the 1970s narrative; Holden’s take on the British royal family was probably novel when she wrote it but it felt like it was covering similar ground to the recent Netflix series, The Crown. The 1930s element of the story, however, was strong and engrossing. It was fascinating to read Holden’s take on how Wallis worked her way up through the tight ranks of pre-war British society to become first acquaintance then mistress to a king.

Whether you’re a fan of historical fiction or the world’s most renowned love story, The Duchess offers a new take on a famous story. I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and family as their summer read!

[Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had hopes this would be a good book. The Royal Governess was decent, but this one was boring. For over half its just Wallis whining about how awful and boring her life is. It picks up a bit once she meets the prince but not much. It's too bad. I have read more sympathetic accounts of the life of the Duchess of Windsor and like everyone she had both good points and bad. I wish the book had looked more into their marriage from the friendly relations with the Nazis leading up to the war to the alleged affairs Wallis had. I find it hard to totally sympathize with the woman who looked delighted to meet Hitler and his cronies, but then again it wasn't until the late 30's that people began to see what was really going on in Germany and it's easy to judge the past knowing what went on. Wallis and others didn't have the benefit of knowing the future any more than we do now. I'll try the last book on Diana when it comes out and hope for the best, but given that the author seems to have a bias against the royal family I don't have much hope for that one either.

[Alison Petchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tiresome. The premise is good - Wallis’ perspective on how events unfold. But Holden portrays her in the first half as a woman who plotted and planned her connections with the establishment - then in the second half as a wilting, fainting, fragile naïveté . I don’t buy it. Too much time wasted on melodramatic dialogue and not enough unstitching what we as really going on behind the scenes

[Silke · Rating 3 out of 5]

De Hertogin is het tweede deel van Wendy Holdens trilogie Windsor outsiders over sterke vrouwen die het traditionele Britse koningshuis op zijn grondvesten deed daveren. De vrouwen kleuren niet binnen de zeer strakke Windsor-lijnen, en hun wereld van etiquette en protocollen. Het tweede deel gaat over Wallis Simpson en een derde zal over prinses Diana gaan. Maar de auteur zou nog een vierde kunnen schrijven over Meghan Markle, haar verhaal is gelijkaardig aan dat van Wallis Simpson.

Na hun huwelijksreis naar Parijs arriveren Wallis en Ernest in Londen. Het gaat niet zo goed met het bedrijf van Ernest maar ze willen er toch het beste van maken. Wallis heeft te kampen met demonen uit haar verleden, een eerder slecht gelopen huwelijk waar geweld schering en inslag was. Maar de lieve Ernest is galant en geduldig. Wallis kan moeilijk aarden in het preutse Londen en verveelt zich al snel. Als Republikeinse begrijpt ze maar niets van de Britten en hun liefde voor hun koningshuis.

Via connecties worden Wallis en Ernest uitgenodigd op een feestje door Thelma Furness, de minnares van Edward, de Prins van Wales en de toekomstige Britse koning. De prins wordt al snel gecharmeerd door de Amerikaanse Wallis, met haar eerlijke en open inzichten. Ze worden goede vrienden en later, wanneer Thelma van het toneel verdwijnt, geliefden. Wallis komt terecht in een luxueus leventje vol glitter en privileges. Wanneer koning George V overlijdt moet Edward hem opvolgen, maar hij is hopeloos verliefd op Wallis. En één van de grootste schandalen van het Britse koningshuis ontstaat.

Wanneer je de korte inhoud leest zou je denken dat De Hertogin voornamelijk zal gaan over de affaire tussen Walis en prins Edward, maar de auteur zal vooral de relatie tussen Ernest en Wallis in de schijnwerpers zetten. Slechts de vijftig laatste pagina’s gaan over de liefdesverhouding tussen de prins en Wallis en de vele schandalen die er rond hangen. Holden is hierdoor geslaagd in het opzet om een andere kant van Simpson te tonen dan het beeld dat we allemaal kennen uit de vele geschiedenisboeken. Doch, als ik de korte inhoud las en na het lezen van De gouvernante had ik meer verwacht. Het verhaal begint wanneer Wallis in Londen arriveert met Ernest en eindigt wanneer ze Groot-Brittannië met Edward verlaat. Laat ik nu net nieuwsgierig zijn naar hoe het verder met hen verliep, hoe was hun leven in Frankrijk na het schandaal? Hoe verliep alles wanneer ze eindelijk buiten de schijnwerpers waren? Hiernaast boeide de relatie tussen Ernest en Wallis mij niet zo, ik had graag meer nadruk gehad op hoe Wallis de prins leerde kennen en hoe het allemaal begon. De auteur heeft een niet zo interessante tijdslijn gebruikt. Door het verhaal iets later te laten beginnen, bijvoorbeeld bij het feest waarbij Wallis door Thelma Furness was uitgenodigd, of bij het ontstaan van de vriendschap tussen beide dames, had ze het bijgevolg ook iets verder kunnen laten doorlopen tot na de eerste maanden van ballingschap in Frankrijk. Dit had het geheel veel boeiender kunnen maken.

De auteur gebruikt twee verschillende tijdslijnen: 1935-1936, en 1972 het overlijden van Edward. In het eerste deel van het boek, waarbij Wallis en Ernest zich settelen in de Britse hoofdstad, kabbelt het verhaal door op een rustig tempo. Bovendien hadden de personages niet zo veel diepgang als in het eerste deel van deze trilogie. Zo miste ik de vlindertjes in de buik bij Wallis, wanneer ze verliefd werd. Ik had een boek vol romantiek verwacht, waarbij de personages in de zevende hemel waren en de liefde als vuurwerk rond zou knallen. Maar het wordt allemaal vlakjes omschreven. Ook bij deze auteur vind ik het verrassend en bijzonder dat het eerste deel in een andere stijl geschreven lijkt in vergelijking met het tweede deel.

Er komen heel wat historische personages voor in het boek. Af en toe moest ik even opzoeken om te weten wie wie is. Een lijst met de personages en wie ze zijn had hier zeker een meerwaarde geweest voor de niet-Britse lezers.

De hertogin is al bij al een plezierig tussendoor boek, als je er niet met bepaalde verwachtingen aan begint. Het onderwerp is ook bijzonder goed gekozen, want ze leert ons toch wel verder te kijken naar beroemdheden dan dat de roddelblaadjes ons willen voorschotelen. 3 sterren.

[Rhoda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy of this book to review!

This book is the second book in a series about royal outsiders and is about Mrs Wallis Simpson, who arrived in London in 1928 as a married, quite poor middle-aged American with no connections. Eight years later, the king renounced his throne for her. This book explores the life of Wallis Simpson from her arrival in London up until the time that the king abdicates. It provides an alternative view from what has generally been presumed up until now.

As someone who doesn’t really take much interest in the British royal family, I was still quite aware of the name Wallis Simpson and how the king infamously gave up the throne for her - a twice divorced woman. I was also aware that history did not view her favourably, so it was quite fascinating to read this author’s take on the subject.

Although Wallis is portrayed early in the book as being a real social climber and extremely desperate to move above her lowly station, I do feel that the second half of the book shows her in a much more sympathetic light. I’m not entirely sure I found it plausible after the single-minded scheming to be noticed by anyone she considered noteworthy, but who knows? 🤷🏻‍♀️

In any case, I found it an engrossing read and although towards the end I did find it a little repetitive, it was most definitely a story that kept me interested and rather amazed! The twist towards the end was certainly a different take on the story and an intriguing possibility. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.