Feb 06 2009
Wallis Simpson, a controversial figure
Wallis Simpson, the later Duchess of Windsor, was born in 1896 into an upper class Baltimore family. Her father died when she was only five months old and she and her mother, although belonging to the elite, had to live on handouts from wealthy families. This siutation haunted Wallis from an early age on and she escaped into an unfortunate and unhappy first marriage, which soon ended in divorce.
After that, she married British-American businessman Ernest Simpson and, through him and his position, settled into British society. She met Edward, the then Prince of Wales, during a house party given by his mistress Lady Thelma Furness. When Thelma, a friend to both Simpsons, had to go on a trip to America, she told Wallis “to look after the prince.” Wallis did, with a vengance. Edward fell hopelessly in love with her and her marriage broke up under the strain of the relationship.
Edward became King as Edward III in January 1936. He wanted to marry Wallis, but it was impossible for a twice divorced American woman to became Queen. Hence Edward took the consequences and abdicated on 11th of December 1936 to be able to marry Wallis.
Wallis Simpson has remained a controversial figure to this day. Polititians of the day, witnesses and biographers have called her cold, ambitious, calculating and dangerous. She allegedly had an affair with Nazi foreign minister von Ribbentrop and there was even an FBI investigation into whether or not she might haved passed on information. Edward’s infatutaion with her has also been the subject of many speculations, including sadomasochist tendencies.
Wallis is credited with two sayings: ‘You can’t abdicate and eat it” and ‘ you can never be too rich or too slim’. Exciled from England and shunned by the royal family, the couple spent their life living mostly in France, but travelling the world and filling the society pages. The Duchess of Windsor died in Paris in 1986, many years after Edward.
