Wallis in Love: The Untold Life of the Duchess of Windsor, the Woman Who Changed the Monarchy

The great myth while Wallis Simpson, the not-HRH Duchess of Windsor, and the Duke of Windsor were alive was that theirs was a great love story, which Andrew Morton lays to rest in this book. You keep turning the pages hoping to find a redeeming quality in either of them, something to balance the pettiness, selfishness, and let’s not forget Nazi sympathies, but Morton can’t report what doesn’t exist. I kept wondering about what the scintillating, witty conversation that everyone reported from Wallis could be. She didn’t read, had no interest in history or indeed anything beyond herself and gaining power, and no real sense of current affairs except that she liked the Nazis; maybe everyone was as obsessed with fashion and cruel gossip about people behind their backs as she seemed to be? The examples of her sharp wit that Morton provides are not convincing. And Edward/David, as Morton makes clear and as The Crown memorably dramatized, gave secrets to the Nazis; his only redeeming feature was being as absorbed with Wallis as she was with herself.At any rate, it’s a great hate read, and you’ll find yourself saying “you’ve got to be kidding!” The book reports one pious self-delusion after another. Somehow the ex-King didn’t realize that a grand visit to Germany and a meeting with Hitler in 1937 would be seen as political? The Duke and Duchess got to have each other, and the rest of the world was spared a Nazi king. That’s the happy ending, right there.

This may well be the last book written about Wallis and Edward that anyone will want to read. At long, long last, the tale has been told and the reader moves on to new and exciting people on the scene. That said, no one will ever garner the attention the Duke & Duchess of Windsor have over the last almost-100 years.My fascination of and for the British Monarchy began at the age of 3 in 1945. Although born in the Deep South, when I started to talk I had a pronounced English accent. My parents took me to specialists thinking I was suffering from a speech impediment. As I grew older and learned of reincarnation I firmly believed I lived in England in the King Edward time period. There is no other reason for me to have read every single book ever written on these two vapid, boring people. Their photographs are framed in my apt. along with photos of Princess Diana, Prince Charles and their sons. A few photos of the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II can be found. No photos of Camilla, I assure you. I finally moved to London just after my 27th birthday and was never happier than during the brief years I lived there. Yes, I believe with all my heart that I not only lived in the UK in the 20s and 30s, but knew Wallis & David and many of their intimate friends. Color me crazy, it is what I believe.Over the decades, when I read the latest tell-all about the couple by various friends (?) and wannabe friends, I instinctively knew if what was written was true or made up. I don't know how, I just knew that this never happened or he/she never met them much less partied with them. Who is left who can now write such a book? No one, That is why I say Andrew Morton's book may well be the final one. How many ways can you rehash Wallis, her men, her time in China, how she met the Prince (will we ever know the truth about that?!) and their relationship. The real revelations come in the first chapters of the book that talk about her childhood and early marriage-hood. He has really heavily researched her past. Who knew Gertrude Stein lived across the street from her as a child?! Amazing!There were, believe it or not, tidbits I had never read before. Herman Rogers is well known among the Windsor readers, but this book fleshed him out into a real man, not a hologram. His friendship with Wallis spans the globe and her entire adult life. Reading all the sacrifices he made for her is exhausting. She really adored him, there is no doubt about that. Has anyone written a book about him and his life? Would be an interesting read. Then there was a name I was not at all familiar with: Sonia, the seamstress/designer. Her narrative does not sing true, Have read numerous stories about the death of the Duke, but never the story the American nurse tells. This one is sad beyond words and I don't believe the Duchess slept through his dying minutes. Sorry, that dog don't hunt.What is left to write about? One author said she was born a man. Well, how does one have a hysterectomy when one doesn't have the proper plumbing? She claims to have never had sex with any of her husbands. This might explain the rocky first marriage she had with Win Spencer. I am a little more sympathetic towards him now.My take on her attorney, Mrs. Blum has always been way off the mark of everyone else. A known anti-Semite, (the Duke) none of their close friends of many years standing were Jewish. The Sassoon family entertained them but were not dear friends. That said, I have said for a long time that the true story of how her attorney, Maitre Blum, latched on to Wallis and kept her a virtual prisoner until her death, has never been told. Probably never will. There is a sinister aura about the whole mess. I have a vivid imagination.Princess Diana is gone. Charles has grown old and chubby and uninteresting. Wonder what his present life with Camilla is like behind closed doors. Their two sons are non-remarkable. Had high hopes for at least one of them to break away from The Firm and make his mark on the world in a special way. They still have time.I liked Andrew Morton's book. Read it in two sittings. Having read all the other books, there wasn't that much new information. For someone just getting started reading books about the Windsors, it should give you a big head start. I will re-read this book 100 times before I die. There is so much information to learn, you really can't read it and put it on the book shelf. I really like his books. He chooses his subjects carefully. When does the movie come out? Wallis, of course, will be played by Naomi Watts or Nicole Kidman and the Duke by Joel Edgerton or Ben Mendelsohn! Chuckle! Can't wait to see it.

“You have no idea how hard it is to live out a great romance.” -Wallis Simpson Before she became known as the woman who enticed a king from his throne and birthright, Bessie Wallis Warfield was a prudish and particular girl from Baltimore. At turns imaginative, ambitious, and spoiled, Wallis’s first words as recalled by her family were “me, me.” From that young age, she was in want of nothing but stability, status, and social acceptance as she fought to climb the social ladder and take her place in London society. As irony would have it, she would gain the love and devotion of a king, but only at the cost of his throne and her reputation. In WALLIS IN LOVE, acclaimed biographer Andrew Morton offers a fresh portrait of Wallis Simpson in all her vibrancy and brazenness as she transformed from a hard-nosed gold-digger to charming chatelaine. Using diary entries, letters, and other never-before-seen records, Morton takes us through Wallis’s romantic adventures in Washington, China, and her entrance into the strange wonderland that is London society. During her journey, we meet an extraordinary array of characters, many of whom smoothed the way for her dalliance with the king of England, Edward VIII. WALLIS IN LOVE goes beyond Wallis’s infamous persona and reveals a complex, domineering woman striving to determine her own fate and grapple with matters of the heart.My Thoughts: As a fan of all things royal, I have always been intrigued by the king who gave up his crown for the woman he loved. So much of the tale told in Wallis in Love gives us a peek into the controversial union, focusing primarily on how much of Wallis was all about her own needs, more than those of her husband. Her social climbing ways were fascinating, in that we catch a glimpse of her style, somewhat outrageous at times, and at her need to surround herself with interesting and important people.But Wallis apparently lacked the main ingredients for true social interaction, and by the end of the story, we could only wonder how the banished king could continue to stick to his wife like glue, especially since there were many scenes we saw of her rude and cruel behavior to him. Throughout we are also shown her feelings for her “one true love,” a friend and confidante who was never actually hers.The wartime attitudes of the Duke almost destroyed his life further, but then he narrowly escaped the consequences of his actions.Looking at the two of them near the end of their days, I felt a sadness and even some empathy for their poor choices and how they had to finally live with what those decisions had wrought. Abandoned and discarded, they were truly alone, and not even really “together.” I was happy to finally close this book and turn my back on them. 4 stars.

A fascinating if annoying woman. Edward does not come across well in this book, for once an author isn't afraid to denounce him as a snivelling spoilt weakling, dominated by his mistresses. It evidently wasn't the love match of the century, more a lifetime of tolerance and indifference. In short they were both ghastly people who deserved each other

Another "just OK" book from Andrew Morton. Yet again he's managed to spin a fairly short tale into a long-drawn out affair. The book contains very little new information and his "sources" seem to be very loosely connected ie: "step-granddaughter in-law of 2nd or 3rd wife says she thinks ......." Yet again we are to!d repeatedly that while Edward Windsor was besotted with Wallis, she wasn't as enraptured by him. Morton did good job of describing Edward's character but yet again, the Duchess appears to be a creature with no depth whatsoever. An "ok-sort" of book but a fairly interesting addition to my library.

A well researched book.She sure knew what she wanted, and went out and got it.Such bitter disappointment in the end. Edward such a weak man.How on earth did they need 26 servants to look after the two of them in the south of France?Glad that their belief in their assumption of superiority is now largely disappeared from our society.Parasites who contributed nothing to this world.

Morton misses out some vital research into the life of Wallis.. jumps through the war years during which she heavily influenced the Duke's stance and behaviour with the Nazi Party.. key information is just not here.We gloss over the Abdication, rarely delving deep enough to understand the woman who captivated the Prince of Wales and forced a King to give up his Country it's people.Whilst the outcome could have been disastrous if he'd reigned and Wallis' appearance would have appeared to have saved most of Europe from Nazi rule we barely touched on their visit to Germany, her ongoing relationships with nazi sympathisers and individuals connected with the plans to restore Edward VIII to the throne with Wallis by his side as Queen. I find it hard to understand why this is overlooked when it was her biggest desire and the only reason she stayed with him when clearly he was not the man she believed him to be.

Wallis Simpson was not a fascinating woman, the only interesting thing about her was that she happened to catch the eye of the then Prince of Wales. Most people in Britain, then and now, know that she only wanted to be Queen! This bit could have been told in about one chapter. The rest was a boring account of various wealthy people and their extremely boring lives! Would not recommend to anyone.