The former King Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson remain a source of fascination.
In 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated the British throne to marry American divorcée Wallis Simpson, an event that rocked the monarchy, and continues to affect the royal family to this day. Their wedding took place in France in June 1937, just seven months after Edward’s abdication. From then on, the new Duke and Duchess of Windsor spent their lives in exile, residing mainly in France; after the Duke of Windsor died in 1972, the Wallis, the Duchess of Windsor remained in their home in Paris until her death in 1986. Decades later, the Windsors have remained a source of fascination for many, with books focusing in on their romance and marriage, the abdication and its aftermath, and their association with Nazi Germany. If you are looking to read about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, a.k.a. former King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, here’s where to begin:
No. 1
Atria Books – The Real Wallis Simpson: A New History of the American Divorcée Who Became the Duchess of Windsor
This biography of Wallis Simpson by Anna Pasternak argues that Wallis never wanted Edward to abdicate, and that she was the real victim of the abdication. “Instead of simply belittling Wallis and defaming her reputation,” Pasternak writes, “we might try to understand this modern, intelligent, remarkable woman and the impossible situation she was placed in.”