Video: Wallis Simpson is the "unacceptable" bride for whom the British monarch renounced the throne
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
At the end of 1936, the king of Great Britain Edward VIII made his famous address on the radio, in which he said that he was not able to carry out his duties, if at the same time his beloved woman was not around. The monarch abdicated the throne, and his marriage to a divorced American woman of ignoble birth became one of the most notorious misalliances of the twentieth century. How did Wallis Simpson manage to attract the British king …
Wallis Simpson (Wallis Simpson) Prince Edward VIII was introduced to him by his then mistress Thelma Furnis. An affair began between the American woman and the heir to the throne.
Wallis Simpson could not boast of an impeccable reputation. She had two divorces behind her shoulders, and she did not shine with beauty. At the time of her acquaintance with Edward VIII, she was already 35 years old. However, Wallis Simpson had a special charm that attracted men to her. And she also knew how to listen to interlocutors, support them in difficult times, say what they want to hear. This is exactly what the heir to the throne lacked, who did not receive parental love in childhood. The prince literally beamed with happiness.
On January 20, 1936, King George V died. The throne was to pass to his son. When Wallis found out about the death of the king, she told Edward that she understood what changes would occur in their relationship. The prince convinced her that he was not going to give up his beloved.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that Wallis was still married. She immediately filed for divorce. Edward VIII promised that he would marry her before the official coronation. However, the parliament and the royal family had a different opinion on this matter. According to the established rules, the British king could not marry a divorced woman.
Plus, the people of Great Britain are up in arms against Wallis Simpson. Anyone could be the king's mistress, but not a wife. People took to the streets with placards in protest and shouted insults at the American woman. The prime minister threatened to resign, and there was unrest in parliament. In the end, the woman could not stand the pressure and left for the south of France. But even there she did not have peace. People left the hotels in which she stayed en masse, thus expressing their protest. Wallis received threatening letters. She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
On December 11, 1936, Edward VIII delivered a radio address that changed the course of history. The king abdicated the throne, declaring:.
They got married six months later. The royal family defiantly ignored this event. The newlyweds received the official titles of Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Wallis understood the sacrifice David made (as she called Edward VIII) for her sake, so she tried to create conditions under which he simply would not have enough time to think about what he had done.
The Duke and Duchess, in fact, did not have a single free minute. They constantly attended official receptions and festive events. For Edward VIII, journalists queued up for interviews. Along the way, the former king wrote his memoirs.
The couple traveled a lot in Europe, and each time Wallis tried to arrange their place of residence in the way Edward was used to in his homeland. They even slept in separate rooms.
Wallis Simpson kept order not only in everyday life, but was also strict with herself. She did not abuse alcohol and food. Until very old age, this woman was considered the standard of style. As the duchess herself said, if nature has not endowed her with beauty, then she must be flawless in everything else.
Unequal marriages have happened at all times and in any country. Steel is no exception misalliance in Russian history.
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