[lashinka2002]

The love story of the century began as a favor between two friends. In January of 1934, Lady Thelma Furness, mistress of the Prince of Wales - and future Edward VIII - was traveling to New York on a most serious matter. Her sister, Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt was trying to retain custody of her ten year-old daughter, Little Gloria, from her rich and powerful sister in-law Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. Before taking her leave, Thelma lunched at the Ritz with her new friend, Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American-born divorcée married to a prosperous, but dull, shipping magnate. Thelma asked her friend, "Look after the little man. See that he does not get into any mischief." Such a request was akin to asking a lion to tend the sheep and its course changed history. Thelma returned ten months later to find that the Prince cut her off from the court and fell in love with Simpson. On December 11, 1936, only ten months after becoming King Edward VIII, he abdicated, forsaking crown and kingdom for the woman he loved.

Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, born in 1894 was raised to continue his family's thousand year-old business - that is, maintaining the throne of the newly renamed House of Windsor. In large part to anti-German sentiment during World War I, the name was changed from Coburg-Saxe-Gotha. Raised to be king, Edward was a modern gentleman stuck in an ancient profession. While his forebears kept the mystery of royalty behind baize doors, David as he was affectionately known, was seen in public. Whether it was touring the coalmines of Manchester or the nightclubs of the West End, the Prince of Wales was the golden haired royal that epitomized the new era and would carry the dwindling Empire forward. His parents, King George V and Queen Mary disapproved of this way of living and hoped their eldest son would hurry up and marry instead of being seen out, out, out. The press, while respectful, monitored his romances with an array of women, including Freda Dudley Ward and the aforementioned Lady Furness. But one day a storm named Wallis blew into the town.

Bessie Wallis Montague Warfield was not terribly attractive but made up for that in being clever. Born in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania to the respectable, but impoverished Warfield family of Baltimore in 1896, Wallis' father died when she was a toddler and her mother took in borders. Living in reduced circumstances, the child was still a bit spoiled where it was alleged her first words were not "Ma Ma" but "Me, Me." The young Wallis had a craving for high society early on, supposedly naming her dollies Mrs. Astor and Mrs. Vanderbilt. Fortunately, there was her wealthy Uncle Sol to ensure that she had a proper upbringing. Wallis' clothing and education were provided for by Sol but a fight about her coming out party, which didn't happen and her early imperiousness distanced him and Wallis was cut out of his estate altogether when he later died.

Craving a better way of life, she set her sights on the dashing aviator Lt. Earl Winfield and married him 1916. Almost immediately the marriage was a disaster. He claimed to be from a rich Lake Forest, Illinois family but Wallis was decidedly disappointed when she learned he was from a lesser suburb of Chicago. Plus it was discovered that he was an alcoholic. A string of unfortunate discoveries like these caused Wallis to divorce her dashing Lieutenant.

After divorce number one, Wallis and a friend traveled to Peking where she supposedly learned many secrets of the boudoir, including one trick involving ping-pong balls that particularly delighted the Prince of Wales later on. Upon her return to the United States, Wallis met and married American-born Englishman Ernest Simpson. A wealthy businessman with an entrée into British society, Wallis had found her calling. She enjoyed the moneyed titles and the drawing room gossip. It was at one of those smart-set parties that the Simpson's were introduced to the future king. Very quickly, Ernest, Wallis, and Edward became a trio. Much to the distress of the royal family, rumors were afloat that accommodations for Mrs. Simpson but not her husband had been made at Fort Belvedere, the prince's country getaway. The King often fought with Edward about this most dubious alliance.

Ignoring the obvious, Prince Edward was having a grand affair with a married woman. Untouchable and loved by millions he could do as he pleased and did. Meanwhile, his father, King George V was sinking towards his end. On January 20, 1936 the Kings' devoted footman hastened the King's death with an injection of morphine and cocaine so that the news would make the morning headlines rather than the less impressive afternoon news.

Although he was enormously popular with the working public, the Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin and Edwards courtiers were floored by this casual attitude toward his new responsibilities, shirking important duties to spend more time with vulgar American. Although the royal family was royally pissed off about "that woman", Edward insisted on marrying her. Finally, the powers behind the throne issued a warning that if Edward VIII married the American divorcee without their consent, he would be forced to abdicate the throne. And he did.