The Duchess of Windsor: The Secret Life [Paperback]

How History portrays Edward V111 and Mrs Simpson will probably vary somewhat - but this book from Charles Higham is an excellent starting point for history buffs.
With the passing of time, more and documents are being made available for perusal from a wide range of sources. The Governments of Britain,Germany, Austria and Italy for starters.
Then add Buckingham Palace letters and documents,and the views of FDR and the Whitehouse staff, Winston Churchill,Hitler et al.
The level of research can make or break a biography and this one succeeds because of Higham's thoroughness.
It has always been clear to me that the Duchess had no idea what she was embarking on when she became involved with Prince Edward.
She was vilified,loathed, shut off from the Royal family.
At various times during her life she experienced real despair and depression.
Their lives became empty and meaningless - just endless rounds of entertaining and being entertained.
Many of the upper class in England were Nazi sympathisers, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were no exception.
It was this allegiance that was the root cause of all their problems, as British and American spys kept abreast of their activities,their friendships and of course the notoriety they received when visiting Germany did not go unnoticed.
It was because of this concern they were in effect banished to the Bahamas and had their requests to travel abroad refused or at least severely curtailed.
The Duke seemed to forget the promises he made when he abdicated. He was born to be King and the reality of NOT being King was something he never managed to adjust to. He thought that he and Wallis would return to England to live but his support of Germany and plotting with the Germans to again become King should Britain lose the war, was well known to George V1 and to Churchill, and thus a return to his homeland became an impossibility.
The most revealing access to the character of the Duchess of Windsor were in her letters to her Aunt Bessie. On one occasion she was complaining bitterly about the Bahamas, and the house etc, never once mentioning the war and the hard times people were experiencing.
On another occasion a visiting British friend mentioned the London bombings, loss of life etc and the Duchess' response was along the lines of why should she care, the British had made her life hell and she would never forgive them etc.
Interestingly enough, Wallis was regarded as a spy of long standing, and her later annual trips to America were viewed with alarm by the US government and she was constantly under surveillance.
Both the Windsors spoke fluent German and yet despite living in France for many years,they knew only a few words of French.
This book shows Wallis as a woman of expensive tastes,very chic beautifully groomed, and a fine hostess of great taste and style.
Many who knew them well noted that the Duke was besotted by her but she less so with him. Then again, when his final illness struck him down,the Duchess of Windsor was there for the Duke until the last.

At the time, the "romance of the century" was seen through the lenses of love. Behind the scenes, however, Edward VIII of England was a weak man totally in the thrall of a domineering and dangerous woman, Bessie Wallis Simpson. (Thank heaven, she dropped the Bessie.) When he abdicated and became the Duke of Windsor, he and his Duchess became not only roving mooches, seeking out wealthy patrons to pay their way, they were Nazi collaborators. They could have lived within their means, except she had an insatiable desire to live like a queen -- including the jewelry to go with it.

Meticulously researched, this tells the story of how they fell into the thrall of Hitler -- even visitng him and giving the vile salute all over Germany. The Duke of Windsor was not unlike many Englishmen who had been through the horror of WWI. Anything was better than another war, even that horrid little man with the funny mustache. As well, many Brits were afraid that Hitler was the only thing standing between them and Communism, a bogeyman of epic proportions. Besides, he treated them like "royalty" so they were silly enough to fall for him, hook, line and sinker. They thought he's just expel the Jews -- no one really liked them anyway. Much better they go to America. (I kid you not, this is what they thought.)

This book not only details the romance, the abdication, the involvement with Nazis, but their petty and petulant view that she should have the HRH before her name. This went on until her death!!! Give it up, guys. Not gonna happen. She embarrassed a nation.

Personally, I enjoyed the book and am glad that he wasn't on the throne. He was a weak, insipid and dangerous man. Far better his stammering but clear headed brother -- George VI, Queen Elizabeth's father.

I ordered it without realizing this is the exact same biography on the Duchess of Windsor I read about ten years ago but the book seems to have been so updated with new facts it really is worth buying the newer version. She really was a tenacious and riveting woman...no wonder the King left his throne for her. I would have done the same. I find the authors writing to be very unbiased...he does not seem to approve of the politics or the activities of the Duke and Duchess very much, but he gives a very balanced presentation of the facts. Like most people born after world war 2, anyone who supported the Nazi's was automatically evil in my mind but this book caused me to reconsider such a snap judgement. The arguments presented for why so muchof the European elite and American elite supported Hitler are very sound. Fascism was just another right wing philosophy...most of the royals and aristocrats who believed in Hitler were not interested in committing genocide. Hitler went off on the rails on his own in that aspect.

In addition to being insightful and gossipy, this book made me revise some of my own opinions.

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