Wallis, Duchess of Windsor

Wallis, Duchess of Windsor (June 19 1896–April 24, 1986), formerly Wallis Simpson, was the wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom. The King's desire to marry Wallis, an American and twice divorced, caused a constitutional crisis in the United Kingdom, which ultimately led to his abdication.

Relationship with Edward, Prince of Wales

After her second marriage, Wallis was living in Britain and had been introduced to Prince Edward, The Prince of Wales. The Prince was the eldest son and heir of King George V and Queen Mary. Wallis later became his mistress, although Edward denied to his death that she was his mistress before they married. Wallis soon ousted the Prince's previous companion, the exotic American-born Viscountess Furness (née Thelma Morgan), and distanced him from a former lover and confidante, the Anglo-American textile heiress Freda Dudley Ward.

Related Topics:
Prince Edward, The Prince of Wales - King George V - Queen Mary - Viscountess - Thelma Morgan - Freda Dudley Ward

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The Prince was infatuated by Wallis, to the fury of his father. Although the pre-war media in the UK remained deferential to the monarchy, and no stories of the affair were reported in domestic press, foreign media reported Edward and Wallis?s relationship widely.

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