Wallis in Love: The untold true passion of the Duchess of Windsor

by Andrew Morton

'The best account so far of the most notorious woman... Andrew Morton presents a convincing picture of Wallis Simpson's rip-roaring sexual and social adventures and her curious marriage to the Duke of Windsor... His new research adds to our knowledge of her whole career.' Sarah Bradford, historical biographer

'Remarkable. Supersedes and surpasses all previous Wallis biographies... Andrew Morton's crowning achievement.' – Christopher Wilson, author of Dancing with the Devil: The Windsors and Jimmy Donahue

'[a] groundbreaking biography of Wallis Simpson... Morton has finally given her the biography she deserves.' – The Lady
____________________________________________

Sunday Times bestselling author Andrew Morton reveals new information and sources that totally transform our perception of Wallis Simpson.

Wallis in Love brings a fascinating new perspective on the 20th century's most controversial royal scandal. Andrew Morton's impeccable research and unerring skill for riveting storytelling combine to present a strong case for a startling reveal: that the woman who rocked the world with her uncompromising passion for the Prince of Wales may have fooled everyone by keeping the true object of her passion hidden away...

From her relatively lowly beginnings in America, to her rise through the social ranks and her determination to one day beat men at their own game and the ultimate conquest of the Prince of Wales, Morton paints a vivid and multi-faceted picture of a woman, who may have won the jewel in the British crown but very possibly at the expense of her true happiness.

Wallis in Love reveals the men Wallis truly loved, the men who broke her heart – and the hearts she broke in turn. In this vivid and fresh portrait of the Duchess of Windsor, Morton draws on interviews, secret letters, diaries and never before seen or heard primary sources.

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

400 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 2018

About the author

Andrew David Morton (born 1953) is one of the world's best-known biographers and a leading authority on modern celebrity. His groundbreaking biography Diana: Her True Story was a #1 New York Times bestseller, as was Monica's Story, an authorized biography of Monica Lewinsky, and Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography. The winner of numerous awards, including Author of the Year, his other New York Times bestsellers include unauthorized biographies of Madonna and Angelina Jolie, as well as William & Catherine: Their Story. A former British Fleet Street tabloid journalist,he studied history at the University of Sussex. He lives in London.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/andrew...

Reviews

[Katie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been wanting to learn more about Wallis Simpson for awhile now. I didn't know much about her other than she was twice divorced when she married the former king and both of them may have been Nazi sympathizers. I was hoping by reading this book I would learn more about their Nazi connections and just what it was about this woman that made a king give up everything for her.

She really was a piece of work, that's for sure. I pretty much came to the conclusion that you can't really trust anything she said because there were so many claims she made that have been proven false. Given I didn't know much about her before reading, I just assumed her relationship with the former king was a great romance but it actually in my opinion was pretty sad and pathetic. In a way you could say they both got what they deserved in the end.

I wish the book could have gone into more detail about their Nazi connections. I was hoping there would be a little more info but most of it was stuff that has been shown in tv shows like The Crown. Regardless, I think it is fair to say that their country was better off with the king giving up his title. World War 2 might have played out differently had he not abdicated.

I did end up learning quite a lot about her including her childhood, marriages, friendships, etc. . Given I knew very little about her prior to reading, I'm not sure if this book contains brand new information or just stuff that a royal fan would already know. Regardless, it does provide a good overview of her life and was full of interesting info.

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This advance reader copy was provided by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley.

Years ago when I still thought that Wallis Simpson and David Windsor were a match made in heaven and soulmates, it was such a romantic vision. It was very disheartening over time to learn that although the former king worshiped the ground Wallis walked on, the twice-divorced American Mrs. Simpson was just looking to become HRH queen at his side. Her whole existence revolved around elevating her social position. In the process, she sacrificed true love. It's not the rags to riches or fairytale story with a beautiful ending.

I already knew this, but chose this book to read solely on the basis of Andrew Morton authoring it. He's famous for writing the explosive tell-all "Diana: Her True Story" that set the English Monarchy on its head back in the nineties. The writing and research was more than adequate. However, my distaste for both the Duke and Duchess of Windsor was never more deep than after reading this particular biography. Wallis truly had no purpose in life other than the superficial: decorating, entertaining, socializing with the elite...and becoming the elite. The former king had no sense of duty to his country and was lacking in any depth. He abdicated his kingdom for a shallow gold digger who had no love and respect for him. All I can say is, England triumphed in the end when they both exiled to France.

I have read a couple of other books on this subject that I found more satisfying that interested readers might want to partake of:

The Decline and Fall of the House of Windsor : Although this book was published in 1995 and the Wallis Simpson crisis was just one part of the book, it was one of the most interesting parts of the book.

Wallis: A Novel: If you enjoy the way Phillipa Gregory presents her novels in first person narration format, you'll love this. Of course, the author takes much poetic license in presenting the facts as they could have happened, but it's easier and much more pleasurable to digest.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

On June of 1896, Bessie Wallis Warfield was born. In November of that same year, her tubercular father died. Her mother was two months pregnant when they married, which gave her a bad start in the social life in the south. Her mother’s father and step-mother did not offer to take them in. The only family that offered to take care of mother and child was uncle Sol Warfield, who Wallis thought of as a grumpy miser. He allowed them to live with him, and provided enough money to feed them, and eventually paid for Wallis’s education. This stung Wallis; she never had enough to please her. An apocryphal story says that Wallis’s first words were “Me, me!” rather than “Ma, ma!”

Her uncle made sure she entered into society, and she wasted no time in marrying. Her first husband was a Navy pilot who adored her, but he was an alcoholic and would never be rich. The circles he ran in, however, allowed her to meet people with more money; her second husband was a shipping broker who could provide her with the life to which she wanted to become accustomed to. And that allowed her into even higher circles; she met the Prince of Wales. And he became infatuated with her; he showered her with gifts and attention, while her husband thoughtfully stayed in the background- he had a lover, too. Soon, it seemed, she would be able to become queen. The only problem was that, even if she divorced her husband, as a twice divorced woman, and a commoner, she was ineligible to become queen. They could marry if they wished, but she wouldn’t have the title. Or he could abdicate his position. This was unacceptable to her. Meanwhile the king had died and Edward was on the throne that beckoned to Wallis. Against her wishes, Edward abdicated, leaving him free to marry but denying Wallis a royal title. Ever after, she treated Edward shabbily.

But none of the three men she married was the love of her life. That was Herman Rogers, a long time close friend who frequently managed her affairs (financial, that is). On the eve of her marriage to Edward, she went to the happily married Rogers and offered to have his child. He never took her up on her offer.

Wallis was a thoroughly unpleasant person. She took everything she could and did not give back. Her wit was biting and cruel. The man who gave up the throne of England for her was treated as a servant in his own house. It’s a good thing for the world, however, that she did seduce him- he was pro-Nazi and thought Hitler was a fine fellow (so did Wallis- they had dealing with high up Nazis). If it had been him rather than his brother on the throne, WW 2 might have turned out very differently.

I can’t say that I like Wallis one bit more than I did before after reading this deeply researched account of her life. Even her aunt who always took her side didn’t believe that Wallis had ever done anything worthwhile. She was simply famous for being famous. I do, however, understand her better. She grew up in poverty in the middle of people who had more. Her first marriage had her living in shabby circumstances. But rather than work her way to better things, she used men for that.

I found the book very interesting and well written. I have to admit that reading about Wallis was a bit tiring because she was such a dreadful person and an inveterate liar. I give the book five stars, because there is no way any biographer could make her look good. The author managed to hold my interest despite my dislike of the subject.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Andrew Morton interprets the factual record to validate my impression: Wallis was an extraordinary social climber and Edward (David) never wanted to be king. They were convenient for each other and both had to live with the aftermath. Morton does not start with this thesis: it evolves through the presentation of Wallis and how she snared the needy and uncertain prince.

Wallis, by all accounts, was fun loving, and within her moribund society, considered witty. In the days when most women considered marriage a career, at age 17 she was proud to be the first in her cohort group to accomplish the goal. Morton shows how she studied the prince and used people as stepping stones to put herself in a position to make him dependent on her.

What is amazing to me is the social role of royalty. Weak, not very bright and often drunk David/Edward was treated like an alpha male by men and women alike. His courting of married women was a safe niche until Wallis who wanted more than a fling. She was unfazed in inserting herself into the lives of committed couples while cunningly using her husband as a prop.

Morton shows how each of her three husbands were pulled in by Wallis, but Herman Rogers, whom she claims was the love of her life, is a mystery. Why did he put Wallis and her demands above his first wife, Katherine? Why did he, who understood Hitler’s threats and the implications of the Windsor’s infatuation with him still help them as war was breaking out? Why did he marry 2nd wife Lucy whom Morton portrays as similar to Wallis? Upon his death, why did Lucy change her name to Catherine?

The writing is good throughout, but the description of the abdication and the aftermath stands on its own. You can feel Wallis falling apart and her betrothed’s elation. You feel the sadness of the very needy ex-king and his cold and controlling wife as they face the future. They grasp at any sign that they are indeed royal… curtsies, titles and being treated to civic welcomes.

There are a good number of b&w photos. The Index worked for me. The Acknowledgments, which are often formulaic in well researched works, in this book are interesting beyond their thank you’s to those who assisted in the research.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Both of my now passed grandmothers had a very low opinion of Wallis, and they were both very vocal about their distaste for ‘that woman’ - which is fascinating in itself. I wanted to know more about Wallis and thought this biographer would set me straight as to the finer details…. Reading this book about her life, I was in equal parts horrified for her, (does the author really know whether she slept with all these men? Why is he saying she may have been an hemaphrodite when that is grossly untrue and unverified?), and horrified by her pursuit of married men and disregard for their wives. It was an interesting read about a sad life that didn’t go the way she wanted it to and ended in dementia. Wallis definitely wasn’t a girls girl… and I can just hear both of my Nanas shaking their heads and saying ‘We told you about that woman…’

[David Dennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intriguing story of a weak, foolish king, scorned and treated like a lap dog by Wallis Simpson. Much to the social climber’s annoyance he gave up his throne for her. As it turned out, England was better off. His brother George made a fine king, bringing about Elizabeth, who has also done a fine job during her long reign. The ex-king begged to be allowed back into the fold, while at the same time cozying up to Hitler and his Nationalist Socialist Worker’s Party. But he did not succeed. At the end of his life, frail and ill, he died alone with his nurse, according to author, Andrew Morton, whilst the Duchess sat in another room, as she usually did each evening. I found the scenes set in Washington DC, Baltimore MD, Warrenton VA and London, particularly interesting.

[Diane in Australia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars = It was okay.

If you love reading about Wallis Simpson, and her 3rd husband, Edward VIII Duke of Windsor, you'll enjoy this book.

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is nothing in this book that has been "untold", since people have been writing about the Duchess of Windsor for decades. She was (and remains) a woman with a lot of enemies. Wallis was also someone who accomplished nothing at all, or at least nothing that has lasted. You don't get many admirers because you dressed well, set a fantastic table and kept attractive homes. She was important from January-December, 1936, when Edward VIII was King of England. Morton challenges even that, since he is unable to identify Wallis' fatal attraction. He seems to imply that after Thelma Furness divorced her husband, any married woman would have done as a substitute "wife" for the Prince of Wales. Mrs. Ernest Simpson just happened to be leading the pack at that particular moment. There may be something to that, but we will never know. That's about as deep as Morton's analysis gets in Wallis in Love, which incidentally makes no sense as a title. If Morton is correct, Wallis never had the personality to love anyone save . . . Wallis. He tries to indicate that the one true love of her life was a friend named Herman Rogers. If so, she had a peculiar way of handling it. There is literally no evidence of anything other than a close friendship with Herman and his first wife, Morton trots out a "bombshell" that Rogers claimed years later that Wallis had suggested he impregnate her --- at 43 --- just before her wedding so that the Duke would think the baby was his. Because in 1937 a middle-aged woman believed that she would get pregnant the first time out of the gate, so to speak. Of course, Morton believes that neither the Spencer or the Simpson marriage had been consummated, although she had been carrying on like a house afire with Felipe Espil, an Argentinian diplomat she had known in Washington. Morton also introduces us to Courtney Letts, who later married Espil, and whom he presents as a Wallis doppelganger. Or something. What she is doing as she scampers through the Morton book is never made clear.

Nor did she change the monarchy. She changed the monarch, which isn't the same thing. It may well be that future King William and Queen Catherine will change the institution, but it remains pretty much what it was when Edward left the throne. Hidebound and resistant to change.

Nothing to see here, move along. Or don't if you have to read everything you can about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. They are one of my historical guilty pleasures. But even for me, this was a pretty thin book.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an interesting read and is well written and researched. The author points out in clear detail that this was not a woman who was in love with the Duke of Windsor, but had a history of plotting and social climbing to obtain what she wanted. Unfortunately, for her, her relationship with David Windsor did not result in her becoming Queen. In many ways, her life was much less than what she had planned for herself.

I recommend this book to anyone who had an interest in the relationship between the Duke and Duchess of of Windsor focusing on the Duchess.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my fiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook and Twitter pages.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was under the mistaken impression that Wallis Simpson was a misunderstood woman who fell in love with the King of England. My eyes have been opened to the truth.

Wallis was a young girl who felt she deserved the best of everything. Men were her stepping stones to get what she wanted. She was a very selfish person who didn't care who she hurt or who she used to get what she wanted. Her very calculated way of moving up the ladder hurt many people; men who loved her and women who were her friends.
King Edward VIII of England was a man who wanted her to dominate him and he gave up his throne for her. He complained to everyone that he didn't want to be King even before he met her, during his many affairs with married women who babied him. This book portrays him as a weak and pathetic man. He must have been to allow her to walk all over him. He died in the arms of a nurse with Wallis in the room next door. He hadn't even seen her in days. He couldn't give her the title of Queen and she couldn't give him the time of day.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author Andrew Morton faced a herculean task - researching and crafting a biography of a wholly unlikable public figure who often sparks vitriol in the hearts and minds of people, even today. After slogging through this book, it's clear that Morton did little more than his due diligence in researching the Duchess of Windsor's (formerly Wallis Warfield, Winn, Simpson) whirlwind of a life. There wasn't much new information. And, in the process, he did a poor job of humanizing her, but maybe that wasn't his intention.

I would have enjoyed this book more if Andrew Morton had dug a little deeper. Wallis' anxiety is glossed over in parts of the narrative. Why was she anxious? How did this impact her daily life? How did she overcome it or at least learn to live with it? What about her "poor childhood" gave her an inflated sense of self and her place in high society? What correlations are there between Wallis, thrice married, and her mother, Alice, also thrice married and off trailblazing her own path in life, society rules be damned? And what about the Duke and Duchess' connection with the Nazis? That would have been interesting reading! The book seemed to cover nothing more than what was necessary, seemingly opting to cash in on the interest in Wallis due to the popular Netflix show, The Crown, instead of digging in and uncovering new information.

My biggest complaint; however, with this book is that it is poorly written. This book could have been so much more, so full of life, as was the subject if the author had shied away from his reliance on the passive voice. The narrative switches tenses; one minute we're in the past tense and then figures long dead are being spoken of in the present tense. The narrative is choppy, bouncing back and forth in time so much it became difficult to ground myself in where I was within the story. Who was the reigning monarch - George VI or Elizabeth II? Was it before World War II or after?
Sentences are poorly constructed. I often found myself rewriting sentences in my head as I read. For a traditionally published book by a well-known publishing house, I was unimpressed.

[Terrie Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Wallis in Love: The Untold Life of the Duchess of Windsor, the Woman Who Changed the Monarchy" by Andrew Morton was just okay.

I'm sure Andrew Norton's writing was thoroughly researched. However, I have to say I have come across the same information I read within the covers of this book before. I have watched numerous documentaries and read several books about Wallis & Edward and their story before and after the Abdication. And, although I'm not an expert on this couple, just a reader, I was looking for something new. Something different, perhaps even shocking that would add to the "untold story" that was mentioned in the title of this book! That's why I listened to the Audiobook in it's entirety.

Alas, no! Nothing new, only the same information about Wallis' early life, her first two marriages and divorces, her romance with The Prince of Wales / King Edward, the King's Abdication and their marriage that followed. I knew she "stalked loved" Herman Rogers, had a relationship with a gay man, and treated her husband, the Duke of Windsor badly, both verbally and emotionally.

So, with nothing new discovered after reading this book, I must say I am a disappointed reader and feel a little duped. I'll simply leave it at that!

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written and interesting, this book follows Wallis Simpson from her early years through the end of her life. Vilified as the tramp who stole Edward from the throne, this book painted a different picture.

It was the future and short-lived role of King, that Edward clearly did not want. In many ways, Wallis helped rescue him, rather than how she is painted by many authors. He was a play boy who never really studied for the throne. His father in particular thought very little of him.

When her father died, her mother had to scrimp to live. Relying on Wallis' Uncle Sol, it was he who paid for Wallis' boarding school tuition. Young when she was drawn to an air force pilot, she moved to Florida and tried to make a lonely life worth living. This husband was incredibly abusive. Living in an age when women took the blame when there was a divorce, Wallis tried hard to move up through the social classes.

A second divorce occurred so that she could marry the King. She regretted this decision. Supremely unhappy together, Edward didn't want the throne, but life with Wallis was not something to relish.

Three Stars

[Laura Bray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to learn more about her. She certainly doesn't come off well here; grasping and always wanting more, ultimately unhappy. But that has always struck me about her, even with my limited knowledge.

No doubt she fundamentally changed the monarchy. But the author has an interesting position: that she actually *saved* the monarchy by removing an unapologetic Nazi sympathizer from the throne of England in the run up to and during WWII (which would have been a disaster, needless to say). I don't believe he was a Nazi spy (although many think he was); frankly, I don't think he was smart or crafty enough. But not for nothing was he sent far, far away to the Bahamas during WWII, where he had no ability to meddle in world affairs and where he could be kept firmly under thumb.

My only complaint about the narrative: I would have liked to know more about her exclusion from the Duke's funeral in 1972. As disgraced as he was, as a former king, he got somewhat of a "to-do" for a funeral. (They are buried at Frogmore, same estate as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.) She was not permitted to attend. I have seen a stunningly haunting photograph of her, partially hidden behind curtains in a window, looking down at the procession. The Queen Mother *loathed* the woman, and I'm sure she had something (perhaps everything) to do with her exclusion. Wanted to know more about this.

Recommended for British royal history buffs (like me!)

[Bernadette · Rating 3 out of 5]

To satisfy my desire to learn more about Wallis Simpson, I chose this biography by Andrew Morton. What a horrifying story of a self-centered, social climbing, manipulative, gold-digging, cruel woman and the weak, sniveling, nazi-sympathizing man-child former king who gave up everything for her. Hardly the great love story they wanted people to believe.

[Laurel-Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You have no idea how hard it is to live out a great romance." -Wallis Simpson

Before she became known as the woman who enticed a king from his throne and birthright, Bessie Wallis Warfield was a prudish and particular girl from Baltimore. At turns imaginative, ambitious, and spoiled, Wallis's first words as recalled by her family were "me, me." From that young age, she was in want of nothing but stability, status, and social acceptance as she fought to climb the social ladder and take her place in London society. As irony would have it, she would gain the love and devotion of a king, but only at the cost of his throne and her reputation.

In WALLIS IN LOVE, acclaimed biographer Andrew Morton offers a fresh portrait of Wallis Simpson in all her vibrancy and brazenness as she transformed from a hard-nosed gold-digger to charming chatelaine. Using diary entries, letters, and other never-before-seen records, Morton takes us through Wallis's romantic adventures in Washington, China, and her entrance into the strange wonderland that is London society. During her journey, we meet an extraordinary array of characters, many of whom smoothed the way for her dalliance with the king of England, Edward VIII.

WALLIS IN LOVE goes beyond Wallis's infamous persona and reveals a complex, domineering woman striving to determine her own fate and grapple with matters of the heart.

My Thoughts: As a fan of all things royal, I have always been intrigued by the king who gave up his crown for the woman he loved. So much of the tale told in Wallis in Love gives us a peek into the controversial union, focusing primarily on how much of Wallis was all about her own needs, more than those of her husband. Her social climbing ways were fascinating, in that we catch a glimpse of her style, somewhat outrageous at times, and at her need to surround herself with interesting and important people.

But Wallis apparently lacked the main ingredients for true social interaction, and by the end of the story, we could only wonder how the banished king could continue to stick to his wife like glue, especially since there were many scenes we saw of her rude and cruel behavior to him. Throughout we are also shown her feelings for her “one true love,” a friend and confidante who was never actually hers.

The wartime attitudes of the Duke almost destroyed his life further, but then he narrowly escaped the consequences of his actions.

Looking at the two of them near the end of their days, I felt a sadness and even some empathy for their poor choices and how they had to finally live with what those decisions had wrought. Abandoned and discarded, they were truly alone, and not even really “together.” I was happy to finally close this book and turn my back on them. 4 stars.

Read for the Nonfiction Challenge.

[Dana Al-Basha | دانة الباشا]

[Annie Booker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never been a big fan of Andrew Morton's books. His collaboration with Princess Diana struck me more as the collaboration of 2 people each out to use each other than anything like "her true story". However, this is an excellent biography that is both fair and entertaining.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Wallis in Love" explores the life of Wallis Simpson, the woman who changed the course of the British Monarchy. Twice divorced, she charmed Edward VIII who ended up abdicating the throne. It was supposed to be a great love story but in many ways, it seemed only to imprison Wallis and Edward. Fairy tales are not always what they seem!

I love all things related to royalty so when I heard that Andrew Morton was coming out with this book, I jumped at the chance to read it! I knew about Wallis meeting Edward and I knew about the abdication debacle but I didn't realize until I dove into this book how little I knew about Wallis. This book traces all the way back to when she was a little girl and it was fascinating to see the transformation from the girl from Baltimore to one of the most controversial women in history with regard to the British monarchy.

Morton both lays out who Wallis was and who she wasn't. People all across the world were very concerned when Edward abdicated. I was interested especially in the way that politicians worldwide were concerned about what the abdication might do in shaking up the political order of the world even with the monarch being perhaps the spiritual leader of the country but not the political leader.

Morton also squashes some of the rumors that were spread about Wallis at the height of abdication mania. Like many women in the public eye, she had a lot of pretty hurtful rumors spread about her. Some seemed to bother her more than others. I liked seeing what was true and untrue and why certain rumors seemed to shake the public's psyche, while others were put to rest rather quickly.

Overall, this was a good look at Wallis and will interest my fellow royal watchers!

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried and tried to get into this, but just could not. I did look at the photos and skimmed and browsed through a few sections, but the story just never caught my attention.

A couple of interesting tidbits that I picked up: In her younger years, Wallis was known as Bessie. Imagine that name for a Duchess. Also, she and the Duke were not pleased when King George declared that Wallis would not be addressed as HRH. Finally, she did not enjoy living in what I would call a fishbowl, even after Edward had abdicated.

I'm not sure this marriage would have survived if she (and the Duke) had not been living in said fishbowl. Also, I cannot imagine how this relationship would have developed or survived in this day of social media.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and written, interesting and sad. Poor Edward. I don’t feel sorry for Wallis because she seemed like such an awful person, textbook narcissist. Full of the consequences of so many bad decisions.

[Marin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written, insightful life story of a social climber who almost got hold of the highest prize.
She was lucky, getting a lot of help along the way, starting with the rich uncle Sol who funded her education and social life until she first got married and she almost instinctively knew how to play the others in order to climb the social pyramid, never looking back or caring about the damage she did to others.

The looks weren’t her main assets, she was far from being a stunning beauty but she based her success on being a quick learner, witty, funny, using basic techniques of seduction and being a master of networking.

Two examples of her strategies:

“First, she found out about a boy’s interests and then was raptly attentive as he talked about his plans and passions, her mesmerizing blue eyes never wavering as she gazed adoringly at her prey. In short order his interests became her interests, Wallis collecting admirers as acquisitively as, in later life, she would also collect jewellery. If they were another girl’s beau, so much the better, that evening’s conquest confirming her desirability."

"Every day she read newspapers from cover to cover and occasionally even opened a book. Not that she read the whole work. Wallis developed a technique where she read the first couple of pages and the ending and then picked out a relevant quote from somewhere inside the tome. In a social situation she would use the quote as an opening conversational gambit before going on to talk with insight and intelligence about the book of the moment. It left many a dinner-table partner duly impressed. Wallis used this technique for the rest of her life, always to striking effect."

She married twice, travelled around the world in a jet-set lifestyle before the jets were invented, finding friends and lovers along the way and finally arrived in London where, somehow, she implanted herself into the Prince of Wales entourage.
Cunningly, she took the place of Thelma Furness, the latest of a string of married mistresses the heir to the throne dated. He liked the familiarity of routine. Though he was turning forty and still a bachelor, for all his adult life he’d had a woman by his side. And that woman was married.
He liked powerful women, mother like figures and Wallis was the best he ever had. Nothing else in the world mattered for him from the moment he was caught in her net, not even being a king.
His parents were convinced he was not worthy of the job and the establishment was afraid he was a Nazi sympathiser, but this book convinced me that more than anything else, he was the one who decided his own fate.
As passionately as Wallis nursed an ambition to be queen, Edward held a long-standing view that he never wanted to be king. As a result, their future life together was constructed on faulty foundations, the couple doomed to a life of disappointment and reproach.
The result was a life in a permanent exile, with enough money to live a wealthy living but shunted by establishment and people who mattered for them. She hated him but he worshiped her until the end. Sad and hollow lives.

“As the duke’s biographer Philip Ziegler succinctly observed: ‘She was harsh, dominating, often abominably rude. She treated the Prince at the best like a child who needed keeping in order, at the worst with contempt. But he invited it and begged for more.’ As with so many fading marriages, it was the little things about the duke that would send her into a frenzy of irritation. She hated his incessant singing of jingles from adverts he had seen on television and his use of Americanisms such as ‘I guess’ or ‘making a buck’. As Wallis admitted: ‘It made me simply furious.’ ‘The duchess was a complicated person – cold, mean-spirited, a bully and a sadist,’ observed Dr Leinhardt. ‘My parents found the duke not very bright, a wimp, and basically a very sad man."

[Jena Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before there was reality TV, and social media influencers, and before there was television, let alone the NetFlix drama The Crown, there was Wallis Simpson. How did a down on her luck Baltimore gal create the love affair of the century? She became famous for being famous through sheer force of will.

Was she a “socially ambitious viper, who would do anything, walk over anyone, to get what she wanted?” Possibly, but after reading this people-filled saga, I’m not sure even Wallis herself knew what she wanted. She did know what she didn’t want- she didn’t want to be poor, or ordinary.

I only knew the basic story about Wallis, so for me it was fascinating to read about her early life, her marriages and then her meet-cute with the clueless Prince. I especially enjoyed reading about their life in World War II and possible Nazi sympathies. I wish I could have attended one of their dinner parties or soirées.

Andrew Morton is one of the world's best-known biographers and I highly recommend this readable and fast-paced book, crammed with interesting tidbits.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for letting me read this book.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Painful reading/listening. I trust this author implicitly, yet had no idea really what this historic character was made of....

[Judy Frey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book!! Bessie Wallis Warfield is a prudish, rather obsessive girl from Baltimore. As a child she was imaginative, ambitious and extremely spoiled. Most of her life was a search for status and social acceptance. Her father died when she was young, and she frequently clashed with her mother. Wallis was simply never satisfied with her lot. She dreamed of being a princess and admitted she happily allowed her mother to sacrifice her health in order to give Wallis the best. She lived short of poverty due to the largesse of her Uncle Sol. All the while she complained about how little he did for her. Many wealthier friends, over the years, helped her by giving her clothes. Every relationship she had with s friend was used to further her status, increase her social acceptance, allow her to meet newer, wealthier men. She had no qualms over pursuing men who belonged to her friends. In time she married, and divorced, twice. She traveled to Washington, China, France, the United States, and London. She fought constantly to climb the social ladder and take her place in London society. Nearly all who knew her described her as hard, brittle, and enormously egocentric. But eventually she won the attention and affection of Edward VIII who became king and abdicated for her. English royalty did not ever accept her. She was never allowed to be called Her Royal Highness snd she became deeply embittered.
While she always maintained she never slept with her first two husbands (who both found comfort elsewhere), she did have some passionate affairs. By all accounts, Edward was pathetically devoted to her for more than 25 years, while she could barely tolerate him. All in all, this is a fascinating story of two extremely egocentric, almost pathetic, people snd their place in history. Great reading
Many famous names in history are here

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

“She became rude, odious and strange. One had the impression she was either drugged or drunk.”

What a truly vile woman. I’ve always been curious about Wallis Simpson. What was so special about her that made a king abandon his country? Morton doesn’t dig into this too much, other than stating Wallis’ belief that, at their core, “all men really want is for someone to listen to them.” And to her credit, she listened to Edward VIII’s incessant blubbering about his princely duties, and his crushing, privileged life. Then they married, and she turned on him.

The only person Wallis ever championed was herself. The men she married (and the ones she didn’t), according to Morton, were all a means to an end. Whether that was as simple as making sure she got married before all of her friends, or as complex as elevating her status—Wallis was only invested until she received the benefit she was after.

And yet, despite her her many cruelties, it’s frightening to imagine a world in which she didn’t cause Edward to abdicate. Would he have struck a deal with Hitler (someone he said wasn’t “a bad chap”) if he had remained King? What would England look like today? What would Europe look like?

I think the focus of this book was a little too narrow as it left me with more questions than answers; the focus is specifically on her relationships with men throughout her life (and perhaps, her inability to actually love anyone more than herself). I’m definitely interested in reading more about her, and also wonder if the perspective on her relationships would be any different coming from a female biographer.

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[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read quite a few books about Wallis Simpson over the years, starting with "The Woman He Loved" by Ralph G Martin. I find her utterly fascinating, but the more I read about her, the less I like her. Along with thousands of other people, I cannot fathom what it was about her that made a king give up his throne.

This book takes a totally different tack than the others I've read. Andrew Morton dedicates this entire book to defining the relationship between Wallis and Herman Rogers, the only man she ever really loved. He details her various dalliances throughout the years, but Herman is "the man". According to Morton, Wallis could barely tolerate the duke by the end of his life, but she was stuck in a situation that she had ardently desired and had ruthlessly pursued. Everything I've ever read, though, indicates that the duke truly adored her. Go figure.

I found two bits of information that I never knew before:
1. Gertrude Stein was a neighbor of Wallis back in Baltimore and actually based her book "Ida" on the duchess. Ida is famous for being famous. Ha! Wallis was famous for being famous long before any Kardashian was ever a glimmer in her daddy's eye.
2. Upton Sinclair and Wallis Simpson were cousins. He parodied her quest to become HRH in his 1936 play titled "Wally for Queen". He claimed he wanted to provide a little fun for his readers, but the duke and duchess were not amused.

I honestly believe that if Meghan Markle ever gets the title HRH, Wallis and Edward both will rise from their graves, hunt her down, and tear the crown from her head.

[Carol N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like many other young women, when growing up I thought that Wallis Simpson and Edward, Prince of Wales, were a match made in heaven. Theirs was truly a romantic marriage: however, over time I learned that although the former king worshiped the ground she walked on, the twice-divorced Mrs. Simpson was just looking to become his queen. Her whole existence revolved around elevating her social position and becoming the Queen, not loving her prince. What should have been a fairytale story with a beautiful ending was a sad, fickle piece of history that imprisoned both Wallis and Edward. Fairy tales are not always what they seem. . .

The author’s writing and research was adequate. However, as I read further into book’s chapters, my distaste for both the Duke and Duchess of Windsor was never more resonating. Wallis had no purpose in life other than decorating, entertaining, socializing, and becoming the “elite.” The former king had no sense of duty to his country and, lacking depth, he abdicated his kingdom for a gold digger who neither loved nor respected him. Mrs. Simpson wanted a piece of royalty that she never achieved; the Duke didn’t want to be King, he just wanted the status and perks associated with the title. These two are the most unlikable pair in English history. Neither was smart, in fact I believe she often shared the fact that both of them had ever really read book!

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very absorbing well-written and researched documentary on the life of Wallis Simpson (Duchess of Windsor) and the man she truly loved.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting audio-listen. I’m glad to have read it, because I didn’t know tons of detail about Wallis or the abdication. Wallis appears to have been a fascinating/complicated and not-particularly-appealing person, at least as cast in this book. It made me realize that I’m not used to reading kind of negatively-slanted biographies. (But I sensed the author was simply trying to be very fair and accurate; there was no agenda here, I don’t think. He showed both good and bad.) It also made me realize how few biographies I’ve read about women, as compared to the number I’ve read about men.