Duke and Duchess of Windsor (1894-1972) and (1895-1986)


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Happy pre-Valentines Day from the National Portrait Gallery. I was trying to find images of the postcards from the NPG Gala fundraiser - and instead I found this Portrait of the Day of the D and D of Windsor.
National Portrait Gallery - Portrait of the Day: Wallis and Edward

It makes me want to grab someone and ballroom dance! Lovely and timeless, whatever their individual faults, there was love.
 
"Edward and Mrs. Simpson" miniseries

I've just watched and enjoyed this seven-part series on Acorn TV (streamed via my Roku device). It was made in 1978 and starred Edward Fox and Cynthia Harris.

There wasn't really anything in it that I didn't already know, but the fashions, sets, and jewels were pretty fabulous. It was a very sympathetic portrayal of both of them, and it made Edward seem as charming as he was said to be, and Wallis came off well, too. I've never cared for them because I think they both behaved badly, particularly their doings after marriage, but I liked them in this. It was a pleasant way to spend 7 hours when my husband was out of town!
 
:previous: I've seen most of it but still have the last couple of episodes waiting for me. I vaguely remember it being on CBC back in the 70s but didn't really take it in at the time because I was so young.
 
This was a 7 part series about the Duke and Duchess? For people who were supposedly so maligned they sure fascinate the masses and have for decades.
 
I came across this site from another board, the alleged daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Winsor is named Elizabeth. Be sure to click on the link for the pictures of her sons and grandsons.

Here is the site Elizabeth, the daughter of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor.


This story I have heard about before but the wife and child in Canada is new to me.

How similar Elizabeth's second son, John looks to Queen Mary (1911 photograph)!!
 
Edward VIII Personality

Hi, I was wondering what Edward VIII was actually like as a person, I cant seem to find that much online and was wondering if anyone could help me here?
 
Like anyone else there will be differing views on whether he was liked. Some people liked him, some loathed him, some loved him while others hated him and some even changed their minds about him over time.

Generally - as he was The Prince of Wales he was loved - not personally as much as the position he held but ... that was the age also when royalty was still seen as something special and beyond the reach of the average person in the street (no longer the case of course).

When he abdicated a lot of that love from the general public went and was transferred to his younger brother who was now the special one as the King.
 
Ryanm, you might have to look at books rather than online to find information about David the person. There is a fair bit out there, but it's in books. I think he was a rather egotistical chap, but that's not really surprising considering his upbringing, and he was surrounded by sycophants. I find him to be very interesting, and, unlike many others, I tend to admire him for the stance he took about Wallace. I think it took courage to abdicate.
 
I am by no means an expert on Edward VIII (well loved to his family as David). I think when I look at familial traits, I can see traits that I see in other family members that paints the picture of David for me.

I think growing up, he was very much the beloved "golden boy" of the family along with being the heir and The Prince of Wales. The difference between David and his brother Bertie were very much as we see the differences between William and Harry now. While William seems to exhibit a more reserved, serious nature and on his guard in public like Bertie, David was more the flamboyant, devil may care and outgoing social animal as Harry seems to be. Another comparison could be made too of the differences in natures of Queen Elizabeth and her sister, Princess Margaret. Elizabeth was one that preferred to be in the country riding and always presented herself in a refined manner whereas Margaret was the "grab life by the horns" girl and she grabbed a lot of it. In one respect David and his niece Elizabeth were very much alike though. They both knew what their hearts wanted and stuck steadfast to it and never faltered. As it was Wallis forever for David, it was Philip forever for Elizabeth and both marriages were not shallow ones. Elizabeth's father, Bertie, stepped up to the plate to clean up the proverbial mess that David created with the abdication with a deep sense of duty, fortitude and resolve that was lacking in David's makeup when it came to being King. Personality wise, I think David was the more extroverted one that was ruled by what David wants whereas Bertie was more introverted and more empathetic to what was needed of him rather than what Bertie needed.

All in all, I think for the most part, the way history happened was the best possible outcome. It also shows that sometimes the expectations of a person at birth isn't always in the best interest of a person.
 
Hi, I was wondering what Edward VIII was actually like as a person, I cant seem to find that much online and was wondering if anyone could help me here?

I think he was a very complex person, easy to get along with, aware of his position and comfortable enough with it to be personable. Other thoughts are than he was, deep minded, thoughtful, quiet, funny, stylish, selfish, friendly, kind, caring, deeply in love, lonely, weak-willed, wry. My father was in awe of him and tried to emulate some of his characteristics, so maybe some of the things I have written are not really about the Duke of Windsor, but they seem to fit him well.
 
Sorry to ask yet another question, but what did the public think of Wallis Simpson, did they like her or not?
Thanks in advance :)
 
The public had little chance to form an opinion of Mrs Simpson [prior to the Abdication] in early December 1936, since the British press chose not to write about , or publish photos of the couple. London society, however knew all about it, as they were often seen in nightclubs or at parties together.

When the news broke [like a thunderclap] many people were appalled at this 'hussy stealing our King'. For others however ,who idolised Edward [both as Prince and King] felt he should be allowed to marry 'the woman he loved'...

I think that the majority of the public strongly disapproved of her, not because she was foreign, but because she was twice-divorced [in an age when divorce was considered very differently to the way we view it now.]
 
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The public had little chance to form an opinion of Mrs Simpson [prior to the Abdication] in early December 1936, since the British press chose not to write about , or publish photos of the couple. London society, however knew all about it, as they were often seen in nightclubs or at parties together.

When the news broke [broke a thunderclap] many people were appalled at this 'hussy stealing our King'. For others however ,who idolised Edward [both as Prince and King] felt he should be allowed to marry 'the woman he loved'...

I think that the majority of the public strongly disapproved of her, not because she was foreign, but because she was twice-divorced [in an age when divorce was considered very differently to the way we view it now.]

I think this really points out the big difference there is in the media today compared to what it was like back at the time of the abdication. Its hard to believe but the press actually had respect for the royal family. There was still very much an air of mystery surrounding them and I really don't think that cloud evaporated too much until the War of the Wales blew it totally away.

From what I understand, Wallis became a household whispered name at coffee klatsches and over the back fence. "THAT woman" most probably should have worn a great, big scarlet A on her chest and how DARE she lead the King down the garden path to ruination and damnation especially as their beloved David as King, was the Supreme Head of the Church of England no less! They saw her as the reincarnation of the devil himself. Even growing up in the 50s and 60s as I did, any woman that was divorced had a "reputation" and even the word "divorce" was one to be whispered.

Needless to say, the public took a very dim view of Wallis and I don't think they ever really got the chance to know her as they spent most of the remainder of their lives in France. Out of sight, out of mind.
 
What lasting impacts do people think that the abdication had on the UK and the empire.
 
Were all the royal jewels Edward had given to Wallis eventually returned to the British Royal Family?
 
Were all the royal jewels Edward had given to Wallis eventually returned to the British Royal Family?

I don't believe any jewelry or jewels that belonged to the BRF was ever given to Wallis. I found an interesting article though about the jewelry she did have though.

JEWELS OF WINDSOR - NYTimes.com
 
I don't believe any jewelry or jewels that belonged to the BRF was ever given to Wallis. I found an interesting article though about the jewelry she did have though.

JEWELS OF WINDSOR - NYTimes.com

not true, there was a necklace belonging to his mother, Queen Mary, that was given to Wallis Simpson at the insistence of her difficult eldest son! I do recommend Suzy Menkes' book on the Windsor jewels for those interested in the history of the spectacular Duchess!:cool:
 
not true, there was a necklace belonging to his mother, Queen Mary, that was given to Wallis Simpson at the insistence of her difficult eldest son! I do recommend Suzy Menkes' book on the Windsor jewels for those interested in the history of the spectacular Duchess!:cool:

Thanks gerry! I knew that Wallis had quite a fine collection of jewelry but I had never heard about Queen Mary's necklace. I did a bit of checking and according to this site, Queen Mary's pearl necklace was her gift to Wallis when she married the Duke.

Style - Wallis Simpson on Pinterest
 
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I admire that the Duke of Windsor tried to give his wife the lifestyle that the royal establishment didn't give her.
 
Thank God Wallis Simpson came into his life and kept him from the Throne.

There are two very scary Documentaries over at YouTube about Edward. One by National Geographic called Britain's Nazi King and the other from one of he British networks/channels called Edward VIII : The Traitor King.

As I've said...Thank God Wallis Simpson came into his life and kept him from the Throne. To think of what might have been if he had been King during WWII are too terrifying to even consider.


Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community mobile app
 
In Royal Romance, edited by Lynn Picknett, it is mentioned:

King Edward VIII thought nothing of telephoning his staff at any time of the day or night.

In Royal Britain, it was stated:

In summer 1936, they holidayed as couple more openly than ever before on a chartered yacht, the Nahlin, in the eastern Mediterranean. International pressmen followed their every move and a crowd was heard to shout, 'Vive l'amour!' ('The wonders of love!') when the couple came ashore.

On June 13, 1914, Prince Edward, The Prince of Wales, performed his first public duty.
His first public duty was laying the foundation stone of St. Anselm's Church at Kennington Cross.

In Long to Reign?, A. W. Purdue wrote:

The Prince of Wales (Prince Edward) felt that it was bogus and humiliating to be allowed close to the western front (in the First World War) but not allowed to go into action and then be awarded the Military Cross.

In Kings & Queens of Great Britain, David Soud wrote:

His seemingly effortless style and charisma made him (Edward) an icon of the new, postwar mentality of the young. He was a prince for the Jazz Age, a celebrity rather than a symbol.
None of this endeared him to his father.
 
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I admire that the Duke of Windsor tried to give his wife the lifestyle that the royal establishment didn't give her.


That is quite sweet.
And I love how Edward's racist views are highlighted in here when he was a white man born in the 1800's. Various members of the RF are rumored to have had non pc views and they were born decades after him.
 
Edward surely inherited some parts of the Windsors' jewelery collection from his grandmother, mother and aunts.


Edward wouldn't have maintained control of the royal collection of jewels post-abdication, as they belong to the monarch.

He might have inherited something from his grandmother's personal jewel collection, or from his aunt Victoria. I don't see why he would have inherited any jewels from his other aunts, as they both had children who they presumably would have left their estates to.

Edward's mother died well after the abdication, and so I wouldn't be surprised if her personal jewels weren't left to him at all.

I read somewhere that Wallis didn't really like more classic jewelry, preferring newer designs. I doubt she would have wanted the jewels of her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law for anything but the stones.
 
Other than the string of natural pearls given to The Duke by his mother for Wallis in 1949, at no time did he ever possess or give The Duchess any jewels from the Royal Collection. When Edward became King, Queen Mary had all of the jewels in her possession and was careful to ensure they remained out of his hands.


Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community mobile app
 
Thank God Wallis Simpson came into his life and kept him from the Throne.

There are two very scary Documentaries over at YouTube about Edward. One by National Geographic called Britain's Nazi King and the other from one of he British networks/channels called Edward VIII : The Traitor King.

As I've said...Thank God Wallis Simpson came into his life and kept him from the Throne. To think of what might have been if he had been King during WWII are too terrifying to even consider.


Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community mobile app

The titles Nazi King or Traitor King say enough about the quality of both documentaries, for sure when it is brought in connection with National Geographic, which was once a widely respected periodical but has fallen into sensationalist depths since the once so promised start as a TV-channel.

It is also always completely overlooked that as King, Edward would have been 'under custody' of the Government and would have been by-steered, corrected, guided, advised by the ministers, the councillors and 'the grey men'. It is always easy to look to Edward as Duke of Windsor, living in Paris, without any correction mechanism, without ministers, without councillors, without 'grey men' and then look at actions he did in that perod and copy-paste this to a situation as if he still was King. That is what these documentaries do and sadly there are viewers who swallow it all as the truth. Edward was no Nazi, he was no member of the NSDAP and he most likely had no fanatically dedicated view in the God-like status of Hitler as Führer or the absolute supremacy of the white race and the divine destiny of the German people as the Herrenvolk.

Thanking God that Wallis has come in his life because thinking what might have been of him as King during WWII shows you have fallen in this trap too. No one can say how it would have been. As Edward VIII was a very popular Prince of Wales, had so much more charisma and was an excellent speaker, he most likely could have turned into the most popular King ever thanks to his excellent speeches during the War, touching every Briton to the core of his/her soul and make then murmuring after each radio speech: "Thank God that He has given us this great King.... God save the King!".

:flowers:
 
The titles Nazi King or Traitor King say enough about the quality of both documentaries, for sure when it is brought in connection with National Geographic, which was once a widely respected periodical but has fallen into sensationalist depths since the once so promised start as a TV-channel.

It is also always completely overlooked that as King, Edward would have been 'under custody' of the Government and would have been by-steered, corrected, guided, advised by the ministers, the councillors and 'the grey men'. It is always easy to look to Edward as Duke of Windsor, living in Paris, without any correction mechanism, without ministers, without councillors, without 'grey men' and then look at actions he did in that perod and copy-paste this to a situation as if he still was King. That is what these documentaries do and sadly there are viewers who swallow it all as the truth. Edward was no Nazi, he was no member of the NSDAP and he most likely had no fanatically dedicated view in the God-like status of Hitler as Führer or the absolute supremacy of the white race and the divine destiny of the German people as the Herrenvolk.

Thanking God that Wallis has come in his life because thinking what might have been of him as King during WWII shows you have fallen in this trap too. No one can say how it would have been. As Edward VIII was a very popular Prince of Wales, had so much more charisma and was an excellent speaker, he most likely could have turned into the most popular King ever thanks to his excellent speeches during the War, touching every Briton to the core of his/her soul and make then murmuring after each radio speech: "Thank God that He has given us this great King.... God save the King!".

:flowers:


1. You should put "in my opinion" following your assessment of the National Geographic channel, as many (including myself) would totally disagree with your assessment of the quality of their work.

2. Edward/David had a well-documented history of anti-semitism, racist remarks and sympathy for ultra-conservative (some would say "fascist") causes (the references/footnotes on his Wikipedia page are quite extensive).

3. He visited Nazi Germany - performed the Nazi salute - reviewed SS troops. Some of this might be "explainable" because he didn't have a palace staff to guide him, but the man visited in 1937 - he (along with many others, admittedly) had the opportunity to know exactly what the SS were doing. At the very least, is was an ill-advised move in the extreme.

Flashy documentaries notwithstanding, the Duke of Windsor had some deeply troubling views. And while may have toed the line during the war, his personal opinions would have been a serious detriment to morale and unity within the government.
 
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