"W.E" (2012) - A film produced by Madonna on the abdication of Edward VIII

[AristoCat]

Originally Posted by MARG

And turned Bertie into a total "wet" manipulated by his wife!

I think he was and I am impressed at how accurate the hairstyles are on Dormer. Dormer is going to be a legend and I think Madonna was right to use her.

[Breffney]

Originally Posted by Russophile

According to Aline, Countess of the Ramonones and friend to the Duchess, (see the 2nd of her "Spy wore/went" books) Wallis hated to be called "Wally".

I don't blame her. I'm not sure about other countries but, here in Ireland, the name or term isn't regarded as a flattering one.

[Grandduchess24]

Need.to.see.the.movie. Buy the way anyone know when it comes out here in the US and if it's an independent of worldwide premier movie?

[Breffney]

Originally Posted by Grandduchess24

Need.to.see.the.movie. Buy the way anyone know when it comes out here in the US and if it's an independent of worldwide premier movie?

According to the IMDB web site it will be on general release in the USA from February 3rd. It was shown in Los Angeles and New York on Dec 9th, 2011 but that may have been in order to make it eligible for awards such as the Golden Globes etc. ?

W.E. (2011) - Release dates

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Originally Posted by Breffney

I don't blame her. I'm not sure about other countries but, here in Ireland, the name or term isn't regarded as a flattering one.

I can't believe her parents named her Wallis in the first place.

[NGalitzine]

Bessie Wallis Warfield

[Mirabel]

Originally Posted by NGalitzine

Bessie Wallis Warfield

Horrible. What were they thinking?

[Royal Newbie]

Originally Posted by Mirabel

Horrible. What were they thinking?

I know. When my Mom met my Dad his family had a cow they kept in the front yard called Bessie. I can't hear that name without thinking of my grandparents house with a great big cow in front!

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Bessie does sound like a cow but at its best isn't Wallis a boys name? If I was cursed with those names I would definitely have to change them.

[NGalitzine]

Bessie came from her aunt, the same one that supported her during the abdication crisis, and Wallis came from her father. Sometimes it was written as Bessiewallis but she later dropped the Bessie part.

[Breffney]

Originally Posted by NGalitzine

Bessie came from her aunt, the same one that supported her during the abdication crisis, and Wallis came from her father. Sometimes it was written as Bessiewallis but she later dropped the Bessie part.

It could have been worse. Wasn't one of her father's names "Teackle". ?

[Mirabel]

Sometimes I think that countries like France or Germany that have an agency to approve names have the right idea!

It seems dictatorial but probably saves some poor child a lot of grief!

[Breffney]

Originally Posted by Mirabel

Sometimes I think that countries like France or Germany that have an agency to approve names have the right idea!

It seems dictatorial but probably saves some poor child a lot of grief!

Good point. Over here David & Victoria Beckham came in for a lot of slagging over the names which they gave their children. So, too, did a member of an Irish pop group, who named his son Koa.

[Breffney]

Originally Posted by Breffney

Good point. Over here David & Victoria Beckham came in for a lot of slagging over the names which they gave their children. So, too, did a member of an Irish pop group, who named his son Koa.

Please remove the above if I have gone too far off thread.

I found something which I think is interesting. A few statistics about the use of the name "Wallis" in the USA. The highest usage is in those people who are in the 70 year age group. Wallis Simpson and her notoriety would have been at a height 70 + years ago. Did her fame lead a lot of American parents to call their children after her. ?

Spokeo People Search | Find People Named Wallis

Today we seem to be highly influenced by celebrities with many people naming their children after them. Maybe W.E. will bring the name "Wallis" to a new generation with people finding her a romantic figure and subsequently call their daughters after her. ??

[NGalitzine]

Well when Bessie Wallis was born names like that probably were not terribly unusual. I imagine that a lot of the cutsey names given to baby girls today will seem quite odd to future generations. I always thought parents should consider that the cute name they give to their baby girl will one day be the name of a mature woman who might want to run a business or run the country.

[Breffney]

Originally Posted by NGalitzine

Well when Bessie Wallis was born names like that probably were not terribly unusual. I imagine that a lot of the cutsey names given to baby girls today will seem quite odd to future generations. I always thought parents should consider that the cute name they give to their baby girl will one day be the name of a mature woman who might want to run a business or run the country.

Very good point. Someone who was born the same year as Wallis also had an unusual name,i.e. Mamie Geneva ..... Eisehower ..... First Lady of the United States. !!

If some celebrity called their child after Lake Geneva today we'd be shaking our heads in disbelief.

[Russophile]

Originally Posted by Mirabel

Horrible. What were they thinking?

They were Southern.
(And yes, Wallis, in her auto bio. book described Maryland as being VERY southern)

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Southern people do not necessarily give their children stupid names. There are some southerners who have pretty, nice, and normal names.
Plus I don't think Geneva is a stupid name and it is also a name of a city somewhere in Europe; and naming your child after a place can work out for the best: Asia, Virginia, Brooklyn, Dallas, one of my best friends is named after Guadalupe, etc.
Plus other people not from the south have given their children dumb names, Gwyneth Paltrow anybody?

[EchoLynn]

Granted my name Echo is unique, Southern people do not use unsual names as a rule. As a texas born woman, I find that very insulting.

I was named after a character in a Louis Lamour book, my dad is an avid reader and has always been.

As to the Gwyneth paltrow comment I agree. Apple is truly a silly name.

[Breffney]

Originally Posted by XeniaCasaraghi

Southern people do not necessarily give their children stupid names. There are some southerners who have pretty, nice, and normal names.
Plus I don't think Geneva is a stupid name and it is also a name of a city somewhere in Europe; and naming your child after a place can work out for the best: Asia, Virginia, Brooklyn, Dallas, one of my best friends is named after Guadalupe, etc.
Plus other people not from the south have given their children dumb names, Gwyneth Paltrow anybody?

Fair point about place names .... Virginia, Constance (as in, Lake) etc. although the Beckhams got terrible slagging for starting a trend over here by naming the first two boys after places, i.e. Brooklyn, Romeo (Rome). The boys were allegedly conceived in these places.

Actually I quite like the name "Wallis". The only problem with it is that it lends itself to an unflattering nickname but so do a lot of names.