6 Shocking Facts About Wallis Simpson, the Scandalous American Who Stole King Edward VIII's Heart (2023)

FAQs

What did Wallis Simpson do? ›

Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (born Bessie Wallis Warfield, later Simpson; June 19, 1896 – April 24, 1986), was an American socialite and wife of the former King-Emperor Edward VIII. Their intention to marry and her status as a divorcée caused a constitutional crisis that led to Edward's abdication.

But before "Megxit," there was another royal couple who was exiled for their love. Wallis Simpson, a two-time divorcee, and King Edward VIII met and fell in love, and what followed was mass scrutiny and a media berating that led to their eventual exit from England and royal duties.

Simpson's sisters-in-law — the Queen Mother and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester — attended the funeral ceremony at St. George's Chapel where she was buried next to Edward. Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana were also on hand.

During the Second World War, Edward was at first stationed with the British Military Mission to France but after the fall of France was appointed Governor of the Bahamas. After the war, Edward spent the rest of his life in France. He and Wallis remained married until his death in 1972; they had no children.

Had the Duke of Windsor not abdicated and remained King until his death, who would be the sovereign now? ASSUMING that he married Mrs Simpson and this union produced no children, as was the case, his eldest surviving brother, Henry, Duke of Gloucester, would have become King Henry IX in 1972 at the age of 72.

We also know that the younger of these two brothers died in 1952, twenty years before Edward, meaning the role of heir would have passed to Bertie's daughter, Elizabeth. And so the most likely answer to the question of who would rule had Edward never abdicated? Right now, the British Monarch would still be The Queen.

Still unmarried as he approached his 40th birthday, he socialized with the fashionable London society of the day. By 1934, he had fallen deeply in love with American socialite Wallis Warfield Simpson, who was married to Ernest Simpson, an English-American businessman who lived with Mrs. Simpson near London.

Edward and Eleanor were, by all accounts, truly in love. Historians have often sought to demonstrate the success of their 36 year marriage, by the fact that Edward, unlike other medieval kings, never had a mistress.

He didn't know how to act around others. He just wanted what he wanted. And when the government told him he couldn't have Wallis, it became this huge obsession.” Borman also pointed out that Edward was fascinated with Americans, which only lured him into further falling for Wallis.

Occasionally, the Duke did visit his mother and brother King George VI and did attend his brother's funeral in 1952 and his mother's funeral in 1953. He did not attend the coronation of his niece Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Where is the Queen buried? ›

The black marble stone features the names of three other monarchs of the royal family. The Queen is buried in St. George Chapel in Windsor Castle. The Queen was interred in the Chapel on Monday after the state funeral observed in Westminster Abbey.

Queen Mary II – Reign: 1689 - 1694

Her body was laid to rest in Henry VII's Chapel. Her funeral, which at the time cost £50,000, was the first to be attended by members of both Houses of Parliament - a tradition that has continued ever since.

Wallis and Edward returned to France in 1945 and there they stayed, with Edward returning to England for the funeral of King George VI in 1952 and his mother, Queen Mary, in 1953.

The result of this is that we have a standardised numbering scheme on either side of the conquest, except for the one minor point that there have been 11 kings of England called Edward and we only number eight of them.

Edward was never crowned; his reign lasted only 325 days. His brother Albert became King, using his last name George, as George VI.

England was quiet and prosperous during Edward's reign. He lived relatively modestly at his own expense and so taxation was light. Edward can also be seen as a weak and indecisive and sometimes violent leader whose failure to leave an heir led to the Norman invasion of Britain and the end of Saxon rule.

As the British monarch, Edward was the nominal head of the Church of England, which at this time did not allow divorced people to remarry in church if their ex-spouses were still alive. For this reason, it was widely believed that Edward could not marry Simpson and remain on the throne.

He was succeeded by his eldest son, Æthelstan. Edward's two youngest sons later reigned as kings Edmund I and Eadred.

And the infamous moment that will forever have Elizabeth's uncle and his wife etched in the history books was not something the Duke of Windsor ever lamented. Says Pasternak, "The duke always said that not once did he regret the abdication, because he was so happy."

Queen Elizabeth II

She married her third cousin, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in November 1947. Like Queen Elizabeth II, he was a great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria.

Who will be next king of England? ›

Prince Charles is presently heir (next in line) to the British throne. He will not become king until his mother, Queen Elizabeth, abdicates (gives up the throne), retires or dies. When either of these happen, Prince Charles may abdicate and pass the throne to his eldest son Prince William.

According to the author, vampires have venom that functions in a similar way to blood, which is how Edward was able to get Bella pregnant.

Answer and Explanation: In a word, he confessed Christianity.

Both Edward and Jacob are overly jealous to the point that it's unhealthy. She can never fully please either of them, though she tries to. Both men argue with each other right in front of her about what she wants even though she is right there and can tell them herself.

Sperm are living cells. Edward is dead - his cells have been burned and crystallized by venom, as described by Stephenie Meyer herself. Therefore his sex cells (sperm) are also dead. Dead cells aren't functional.

Either way, we know you've been wondering—how the hell does Edward Cullen get it up? Vampires have blood, which is what's used to fill those erections generally required for sex, in their system only after they've hunted and sucked their victims dry.

Edward becomes increasingly infatuated with Bella, and can't get her out of his mind. His infatuation with her reaches the point that he sneaks into her room at night to watch her sleep. On the first night, while Bella is dreaming of Edward, she says his name in her sleep.

During biology class, Edward reacted with disgust towards her, as if she was nauseating to him, and it was later revealed this was because the scent of her blood was irresistible to him.

Edward Cullen

However, his defining power is telepathy, and unlike Aro, he doesn't need to touch his target to read their minds. This power comes from his ability to read people when he was a human, thus becoming his heightened talent as a vampire.

Before Bella becomes a vampire, sex with Edward poses a serious threat to her. Edward is afraid that he'll accidentally kill Bella, and she does indeed wake up covered in bruises after they first have sex. However, Bella doesn't seem to mind.

Did Edward VIII regret marrying Wallis Simpson? ›

And the infamous moment that will forever have Elizabeth's uncle and his wife etched in the history books was not something the Duke of Windsor ever lamented. Says Pasternak, "The duke always said that not once did he regret the abdication, because he was so happy."

Wallis had no children with any of her husbands. Many historians believe that a case of mumps in Edward's youth rendered the Duke of Windsor infertile, and this was the reason they never conceived.

As the British monarch, Edward was the nominal head of the Church of England, which at this time did not allow divorced people to remarry in church if their ex-spouses were still alive. For this reason, it was widely believed that Edward could not marry Simpson and remain on the throne.

The duke of Windsor died in Paris on May 28, 1972, and the duchess continued to live at her Paris home in declining health and increasing isolation. At her death in 1986, according to her husband's request, she was buried beside him in the royal cemetery at Frogmore, near Windsor Castle.

He didn't know how to act around others. He just wanted what he wanted. And when the government told him he couldn't have Wallis, it became this huge obsession.” Borman also pointed out that Edward was fascinated with Americans, which only lured him into further falling for Wallis.

77 years (1894–1972)

Edward VIII / Age at death

Edward VIII could have had thirty illegitimate children, and none of them would have had any claim to the throne since they born illegitimately. Charles II and William IV both had recognized illegitimate sons and daughters, but no legitimate children, and the crown passed on to other legitimate heirs.

At the time of her birth, Elizabeth was third in the line of succession to the British throne, behind her Uncle Edward and her father. So even if Edward never abdicated and remained king throughout his life, Elizabeth still would have become queen when he died.

The change in the Royal Family is thought to have come after King Charles decided the family should have a smaller amount of members to perform royal duties. In 2020, Sophie, who married Prince Edward in 1999, said her children will not work in an official capacity for the Royal Family when they turn 18.

Most of us know Edward VIII because he abdicated the throne in 1937 because he couldn't bear the thought of spending his life without his true love, American divorcee Wallis Simpson.

Who was supposed to be Edward's mate? ›

Carlisle hoped for Rosalie to become Edward's mate, but they were never more than siblings to each other. 2 years later, while hunting, Rosalie found a young man named Emmett McCarty who had been mauled by a bear. She carried him over 100 miles back to Carlisle to be changed.

After Edward's death popular dislike of her and her court facilitated the usurpation of power by Richard, duke of Gloucester (King Richard III). A woman of great beauty, she was already a widow with two sons when Edward IV married her in May 1464.

Wallis and Edward returned to France in 1945 and there they stayed, with Edward returning to England for the funeral of King George VI in 1952 and his mother, Queen Mary, in 1953.

All of the Duchess' jewels were her own, and, like her palatial villa in the Bois de Boulogne, they went to auction after her death. All of their worth went to charity.

Wallis Simpson's emerald engagement ring

Made by Cartier, the platinum band featured a 19.77-carat rectangular emerald flanked by diamond baguettes, and it reportedly later sold at auction for £1.3million.