Tag Archives: The Crown

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor (Volume Six, Episode Three) Part One

Long before Harry and Meghan, a much more serious crisis and scandal enveloped the British monarchy and the House of Windsor, the abdication of Edward VIII

King George V and his royal family, the future Edward VIII is at left

The future Edward VIII, known within his immediate family by the nickname of David, was born on June 23, 1894.  His father, George V, did not become the king until 1910, then anointing David, his eldest son, with the title of Prince of Wales, next in the line of royal succession. David was educated as a cadet at the Royal Naval College, went on to Oxford and also joined the Royal Navy.  When war broke out in 1914 he was assigned to a safe but extremely tedious post at Allied headquarters in France.  Although on paper Great Britain emerged victorious from the Great War, the cost in both casualties and expense was enormous. Across Europe, many royal dynasties were either rendered obsolete or even completely destroyed including the ruling houses of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Imperial Russia, the latter most disturbing as the Romanovs were literally exterminated by the Bolsheviks. 

Wallis, aged ten

Actually born Bessie Wallis Warfield, on June 19, 1896, Wallis’ parents came from prominent Maryland families.  Unfortunately, Wallis’ father died of tuberculosis only months after her birth and her mother Alice’s family had disowned her as a result of the marriage, probably because her daughter was conceived out of wedlock.  The infant and her mother then were supported by her deceased husband’s wealthy brother and her mother’s sister Bessie, until 1908 when Wallis’ mother remarried.  Her uncle paid for a prep school education and Wallis was socially prominent and attractive enough to be designated as a Baltimore debutante, although the outbreak of World War I suspended such frivolity.  Not wild about some of the suitors hanging around Wallis in Maryland, her mother decided it might be a good idea to send her to Pensacola, Florida, where her cousin, Corinne was married to an officer who was the commander of the Naval Air Station in Pensacola.  Also feeling that Wallis was competitively trying to get married, her mother also figured that dropping her daughter into a brand new environment might slow Wallis down.

The Prince of Wales, 1919

As early as the age of sixteen, discussion concerning an appropriate mate for the Prince of Wales began.  An obvious candidate, the daughter of Kaiser Wilhelm, eighteen year old Viktoria Luise, rejected him as too young.  He received some additional leeway when George V issued a 1917 proclamation allowing royalty to marry a non-royal subject, the first time even the potential for a commoner to achieve such status became possible.  This edict, at the height of World War I, also originated the term , “the House of Windsor,” changing the dynasty name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, an attempt to obfuscate the British monarchy’s German connection and to encourage future relationships outside of the German nobility.  

Edward VIII’s last public appearance as king, with his mother Queen Mary

Things came to a head in mid-November when Baldwin also informed Edward that if he insisted on the marriage, the government would resign.  Edward responded by threatening to abdicate if he was not allowed to marry Wallis Simpson.  On November 16, at a private dinner he informed his mother Queen Mary of his intention, a revelation that shocked her, no one in the Windsor family really believing that Edward would seriously consider such a drastic course of action, over a common, American divorcee. 

Wallis Warfield Simpson, Herman Rogers chateau, days before the abdication

But, after thinking it over, Wallis decided to head for France, believing that if she appeared to be involved in any final decisions, she would be blamed for any fallout.  Two days later, she arrived at the chateau, above the city of Cannes in southern France, the world press nipping at her heels.  Any attempts to speak directly to the king were difficult, connections poor to the extent that the conversations consisted of Wallis yelling:  Do Not abdicate. Do nothing reckless.  Listen to your friends!

Edward with Churchill

Only a few miles out of Fort Belvedere, Brownlow attempted to persuade Wallis to head for his manor house in Lincolnshire, explaining that she might better influence the king if she could maintain some reasonable proximity.  In actuality, this was a desperate attempt to keep Wallis Simpson involved, officials like Churchill understanding how persuasive she could be.  

The Duke and Duchess with Hitler at the Berghof, Obersalzberg

The Duke and Duchess were greeted on October 11 in Berlin and escorted by ministers like Robert Ley and Joachim Von Ribbentrop.  That evening they dined with both Albert Speer and Joseph Goebbels.  Everywhere, the couple went they were treated with extreme deference, including Wallis Simpson who was continually addressed as your Royal Highness, a title she did not officially deserve as well as the subsequent curtsies.  Other meetings followed with Herman Goering and even Hitler himself, photos from this historic event splashed on front pages all over the world.  Several times the couple engaged in the Nazi salute, behavior they would come to regret.  To any members still part of her inner circle Wallis maintained that they were merely tourists and the Duke insisted that the visit was not official.  Throughout the visit, British consular officials were instructed that they were not to meet or assist the couple in any official capacity.

The Duke And Duchess of Windsor (Volume Six, Episode Two) Part Two

Long before Harry and Meghan, a much more serious crisis and scandal enveloped the British monarchy and the House of Windsor, the abdication of Edward VIII

The Prince of Wales and Wallis Simpson, Switerzerland, 1935

By mid-1934, even British high society insiders were aghast at what, “the little man,” as David was scornfully known as behind his back, had actually taken up with.  When the Royal family deliberately deleted the Simpsons from the Royal guest list for the wedding of David’s brother, George, in November of 1934, the Prince of Wales personally interceded to get them reinvited.  Probably thinking that a good offense is the best defense, Wallis showed up in expensive jewelry and a tiara that certainly her husband could not afford and could have only been gifted by David.  Outraged, King George V then personally barred the couple from any subsequent, official Royal events but the relationship blatantly continued, with Wallis receiving cash and gifts, usually gems that today would be on the order of tens of millions of dollars.  

Edward VIII’s letter of abdication, 1936

Finally, Edward called her back and personally told her that the abdication was inevitable.  Wallis Simpson’s unromantic and blunt response, recorded by French secret police, was predictable.  “You goddamned fool!”  Inexplicably, Edward decided to give up his throne, allegedly over Wallis Simpson, without even involving her in the decision or even formally asking her to marry him during this time period or even subsequently.  On December 11, he proceeded with his famous speech, explaining his decision to abdicate, allegedly over his relationship with Wallis Simpson.  Even his subsequent departure from Britain was haphazard, Edward now officially the Duke of Windsor, winding up at an Austrian mansion owned by a Rothschild, a personal favor to Lord Brownlow.  Because Wallis Simpson was still technically married, the Duke and Wallis would have to remain separated until the Simpson divorce was final.

Chateau de la Croe, Cap D’Antibes

With no diplomatic or professional responsibilities, the Windsors than turned to figuring out exactly where they wanted to live, eventually settling upon the the Chateau de la Croe, a large mansion sized estate on the Cap D’Antibes.  Initially, this was where Wallis had wanted to get married, in May of 1938, they leased the property.  Shortly thereafter they began the process of ingratiating themselves with whatever local members of French and American members of high society would accept their dinner invitations, the Duchess spending most of her time planning these dinner events.  For a year and a half, life revolved around furnishing their new home and their socializing, events that always began with a formal introduction by servants of Wallis Simpson as Her Royal Highness.  If the Duke and Duchess were living the lives of the idle rich this was essentially on someone else’s dime.

The Duke and Duchess, 1963

As the sixties dawned, shunned by the British aristocracy, no longer of much interest to anyone in the US other than facilitators of best dressed lists, on the eve of a generation more interested in personalities like the Beatles, the Windsors began to fade from public relevance.  Other than the occasional White House invitation, they became politically invisible.

The Duke of Windsor, playing golf.

As the sixties ticked by the Windsors devolved from world famous celebrity status to an existence seemingly out of a Dickens novel.  Despite their immense wealth, they openly paid their servants twenty per cent less than the going rate stating that it was a privilege to work for them.  This despite homes crammed with every possibly amenity for both the Duke and Duchess and their guests, toilet tissue literally unrolled and folded into squares. 

The Duke and Duchess at the Nixon White House

By then the Duke’s health was deteriorating rapidly.  One eye was mostly closed due to complications from cataracts, circulatory issues were now pronounced after a lifetime of heavy smoking which also eventually caused throat cancer, arthritis forcing him to limp along with a cane and preventing him from golf or even working in the garden.  By May of 1972, the end was clearly approaching, signaled by the first and only visit to the Duke’s Paris home by Queen Elizabeth II, her husband Prince Phillip and accompanied by Prince Charles.  It lasted a perfunctory thirty minutes.  To one of the last of the many American socialites who spent time with the Windsors in their last years he reflected, “The duchess gave me everything that I lacked from my family.  She gave me comfort and love and kindness.”

The Duke of Windsor’s Grave, Frogmore Royal Burial Ground

The Duke of Windsor’s body was flown to Great Britain and dignified with the usual ceremonies, including lying publicly in state at St. George’s Chapel, on the grounds of Windsor Castle the traditional burial place for British Kings and Queens since Henry VIII.  The Duchess of Windsor was flown to these ceremonies separately where she interacted with the rest of the Royal family who treated her with chilly dignity.  Although as a former King of England the Duke of Windsor was entitled to burial at St. George’s, he was instead interred by previous agreement at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore Estate.  This cemetery was established to handle the overflow from the Royal Vault at St. George’s as space there became restricted for actual monarchs and those in direct succession.  Frogmore Estate is owned by the British Royal family and is only open to the public six days out of the year.  In addition, the royal burial ground which contains the Duke of Windsor’s gravestone is restricted from public access by a high iron fence, for the former Edward VIII a kind of British Royal Siberia. 

The Duchess of Windsor’s grave, Frogmore Royal Burial Ground

The Duchess of Windsor’s modest April 29, 1986 funeral ceremony at St. George’s Chapel was well attended by members of the royal family.  However, her coffin had no flag or standard and its plaque omitted the HRH title before her name inscribed as Wallis, Duchess of Windsor-1896-1986.  The hearse containing her coffin proceeded along private roads to exclude any public acknowledgement.  Only fifteen individuals were present at her graveside ceremony, including the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, but the Queen Mother on the advice of Queen Elizabeth did not attend.  The Duchess of Windsor was buried side by side with her husband at Frogmore, the only commoner in the cemetery, her headstone also omitted the HRH title, the Duke and Duchess of Windsors’ social, political and geographic exile now eternally complete.