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- [00:00]
Progressive Insurance Announcer
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- [00:34]
Narrator/Co-host
Not available in all states or situations
- [00:37]
Venmo Advertiser
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- [01:19]
Main Host/Storyteller
Hello, hello and welco to explaining why you're not listening to this podcast in German. In December 1936, jaws around the British Empire dropped when the newly crowned King Edward announced his intention to step down from the throne to marry the woman he loved, a divorcee from across the pond, Wallis Simpson. In that moment, the course of the British monarchy changed forever and a new public enemy was born. Twice divorced and gasp, American, Wallis was the original Meghan Markle. It was ever thus.
- [02:01]
Narrator/Co-host
Yet again, she walked so Meghan could run into a horrible, boring Netflix documentary series.
- [02:10]
Main Host/Storyteller
The press loved to hate her, the establishment shunned her, and intelligence services were desperate to dig up as much dirt as as possible on her, including whispers of a scandalous dossier full of exotic bedroom techniques, traitorous espionage, and even the odd Nazi romp. The world knows Wallis as the bewitching siren the king chose over his duty. But was it the most romantic love story of all time, or just a royal situationship that went a bit too far? From her origins as an ambitious Southern belle to her reclusive f final years under the spell of her scheming lawyer, the duchess was never far from a scandal. And even after her death, historians still don't quite know what to make of that woman. Which is what my grandma calls her, and here is the shorthand.
- [03:01]
Narrator/Co-host
Born Bessie Wallace Warfield Yep, that's just one word. On 19 June 1896, the future Mrs. Simpson grew up across the ocean from The Royal Court that she'd one day smash her way into. But she was born into a society with his own rigid set of rules, class and pedigree. She came from old money stock in Baltimore with an established heritage that stretched back to the likes of the Mayflower. And while Baltimore isn't technically part of the south, her forefathers had deep Confederate roots and were, to no one's surprise, big time slave owners. Her mum, Alice Montague, was a daughter of a wealthy stockbroker, while her dad, the brilliantly named Teekle Wallace, Warfield, Ticle T. What's happening? Came from a similar merchant background. Aptly, with a name like Montague, it was a bit of a Romeo and Juliet situation. Alice's parents reckoned she could have made a better match than the sickly Teekl, who had tuberculosis and shuffled off his mortal coil when Wallis was just five months old. With no capital of her own, Alice relied on wealthier family members to help her bring up her little girl, a position that made them always feel awkwardly like poor relations. Still, she managed to scrape together the cash and connections for Wallis to attend the most expensive private girls school in Maryland, dropping Bessie from her name because it sounded like a cow. In her teens, Wallis's school friends described her as brighter than all of us and ambitious. She was always immaculately dressed, keen to impress and be seen, especially by boys.
- [04:49]
Main Host/Storyteller
Wallis's society debut might have been dampened by the outbreak of World War I, but she didn't let that stop her from seeking an eligible bachelor. And whilst visiting her cousin In Florida in 1916, she met one, a handsome, charismatic US Navy airman called Earl Winfield Spencer, nicknamed Wynne. Wallis fell head over heels with the idea of being this rugged aviator's wife. But once they said their I dos just a few months later, she realised that she'd rushed into it and she didn't actually know her new husband at all. And what she was learning, like Winn's alcoholism and vicious temper, she didn't like. Wallis's first marriage was rocky and they actually spent most of their time apart. Whilst Winn was stationed overseas with the Navy in the early 20s, she grew close to an Argentine diplomat called Felipe de Espil. Although whether that was a full blown affair or just an emotional entanglement is up for debate. We do know that by the time Nguyen persuaded Wallis to join him in China in 1924 for one last go at wedded bliss, the marriage finally imploded and they split up for good.
- [06:02]
Narrator/Co-host
Alone across the Pacific Ocean. Wallis figured she May as well not waste the ship fare. She stayed in China for a year, flitting between Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. It was in Beijing that she found a home away from home, staying with her old friend Catherine Rogers and her husband, Herman. Juicily biographer Andrew Morton claims that Herman was the love of Wallis's life, although again, we're not sure if she actually did any homewrecking or just nursed a big old crush on him. Whether adultery was on the menu or not, Wallis thrived in Beijing's tight knit Western enclave, a glamorous, boozy bubble of diplomats and expats. One socialite joked that Wallis only mastered one Chinese phrase during that year, and that was Boy, pass me the champagne. Still, after a year of fun and frolics in the Far east, it was time for Wallis to go home. She managed to persuade Wynn to divorce her on grounds of abandonment and the paperwork's finalised in December 1927.
- [07:04]
Main Host/Storyteller
Officially back on the market, a freshly divorced Wallace made no secret that this time she was marrying for money. She moved to London and straight into the orbit of Ernest Aldrich Simpson, an Anglo American shipping magnate who liked to hobnob with royalty. He swiftly ditched his first wife, Dorothea, for Wallis. They got married in July 1928. Compared to the fiasco with Wynn, this marriage was a breath of fresh air. Ernest was kind, devoted and shared things in common with Wallis, and his proximity to the wealthy elite of London didn't hurt either. Always keen to mingle with the glitterati, Wallis slid into the royal adjacent social scene and made as many friends in high places as she could. When the Wall street crash hit Ernest's business, the Simpsons had to tighten their belts and sack some of their servants, which is the upper class equivalent of maxing out your overdraft. That Wallace had tasted the high life and she wasn't going to give it up without a fight.
- [08:07]
Narrator/Co-host
And that's when Wallis met Edward, the King's handsome, playboy eldest son and fascist. They were introduced in 1931 by Wallis's friend, Viscount Thelma Furness, who at the time was known throughout royal circles to be his main mistress. When Thelma had to travel to America in 1934, she asked Wallis to look after Edward and make sure he wasn't lonely without her. But Wallis took the job a bit more seriously than Thelma intended, swiftly taking her old pal's place as the Prince's number one side chick. At first, Wallis enjoyed what she saw as a harmless flirtation that kept her stocked in jewels and scandalous anecdotes to tell her mates. But it soon became clear that this wasn't just a fling for old Edward. Courtiers were uneasy about the hold Wallis seemed to have over the prince, who was described as slavishly devoted to his new mistress. Wallis was brash, domineering and one of the very few people who didn't fawn over him. One observer noted that she would actually tell Edward off in public, like a governess rebuking a child, but he just lapped it up, acting almost childlike and needy around her. A rebel prince with mummy issues, stunted by a distant and dysfunctional upbringing in the royal household, Edward was drawn to Wallis like a moth to a flame. And worryingly for those in court, it was starting to seem that he wasn't content to keep Wallis as a mistress. He wanted her as his wife.
- [09:43]
Progressive Insurance Announcer
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- [10:17]
Narrator/Co-host
Not available in all states or situations.
- [10:20]
HoneyLove Advertiser
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- [10:24]
Main Host/Storyteller
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- [10:26]
HoneyLove Advertiser
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- [11:15]
Narrator/Co-host
These days I'm all about quality over quantity. Buy nice over buy twice. I've had way too many of my Clothes wear out after less than a year of wearing them. So now if it's not well made and versatile, it's not coming in. That's honestly why I love Quince. The fabrics feel elevated, the cuts are thoughtful and crucially, the pricing actually makes sense. Quince makes high quality wardrobe staples using premium fabrics like 100% European linen, 100% silk and organic cotton poplin. These are versatile, well made pieces that make getting dressed simple without paying some crazy markup. Quince works directly with safe, ethical factories and cuts out the middleman. So you're not paying for the brand or for fancy retail stores, you're just paying for quality clothing right now. Go to quince.comredhanded for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will now available in Canada too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last. Go to Q U I n c-e.com redhanded for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com redhanded alright guys, if you've been
- [12:33]
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- [13:03]
Narrator/Co-host
chicken and loved it. The meals are ready in just two
- [13:06]
Factor Meals Advertiser
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- [13:35]
Main Host/Storyteller
over time. Edward brazenly began bringing Wallis along with him to royal events to the horror of his family and royal hangers on. It's like that bit in Titanic when Rose's mum, like, is talking about the unsinkable Molly Brown and she's like new money. But the whole nation was doing that face at Wallis Simpson. Because the only thing worse than being new money.
- [13:55]
Narrator/Co-host
Yep.
- [13:56]
Main Host/Storyteller
Is being American.
- [13:57]
Narrator/Co-host
Yeah.
- [14:00]
Main Host/Storyteller
And American. Wallis really, really was. She was brash. She had the wrong manners, a raspy voice and a checkered love life. Nobody could imagine Mrs. Simpson as their future Queen. And they didn't bloody want to. Despite swirling rumours in the foreign press, the British media faithfully kept stum for now. But naturally, within upper crust society circles, the gossip mill was working overtime. Who was this mysterious woman who had the Prince acting like a lovesick fool? And crucially, how could they stop her? Wallis had everyone on edge. So much so that the Met Police's Special Branch snooped into her personal affairs. They dredged up rumours that, as well as her love Triangle with Mr. Simpson and the Prince, Wallis allegedly had another bit on the side. A car salesman called Guy Trundle. Insiders have since indicated these claims were likely exaggerated. But the fact is, the actual police were trying to dig up dirt on Wallis. And that proves how deeply she had got under the Establishment's skin. Special Branch become the Anti Terrorism Unit, by the way.
- [15:13]
Narrator/Co-host
Yeah, and then there were the whispers of what Mrs. Simpson had got up to in what she called her Lotus Year in China.
- [15:22]
Main Host/Storyteller
That's what I'm going to start calling gap years.
- [15:25]
Narrator/Co-host
Rumors spread about the existence of a Chinese dossier allegedly collected by Beijing intelligence officers in the 1920s, containing nude photos and evidence of trips to opium dens and brothels, where she supposedly became well versed in exotic sex techniques.
- [15:41]
Main Host/Storyteller
I just love so much that they're just like, she must be doing something. Yeah.
- [15:45]
Narrator/Co-host
They're like, it's got to be more than just some old fashioned white bread missionary that's like, got this prince so under her spell.
- [15:54]
Main Host/Storyteller
Yes.
- [15:55]
Narrator/Co-host
The most notorious trick in Wallace's repertoire, the Shanghai grip. A move that will leaf mostly to your imagination, except to say that it apparently gave the wielder the ability to make a matchstick feel like a Havana cigar. That's a quote. As for why this had worked so well on His Royal Highness, well, Edward's spurned ex mistress, Thelma Furness, the one who had, if you remember, introduced Wallis to the Prince, had been going around spilling that Edward was, let's just say, under equipped.
- [16:29]
Main Host/Storyteller
It's all that inbreeding.
- [16:32]
Narrator/Co-host
Yeah. Either give you a tiny penis or a giant penis. See our shorthand, which is either out or coming soon on Prince Ferdinand of Spain. But anyway, suddenly it all made sense. Wallis had a hold on him, literally. And Wallace's alleged sins didn't end there. There were also claims of a steamy affair with an Italian count named Gian Galazo Ciano, Mussolini's Minister of Foreign affairs and son in Law leading to a botched abortion which had apparently left her infertile. So while nobody actually ever saw this so called file with their own eyes, it basically became gossip within royal circles. One thing was crystal clear. Wallis Simpson was not Queen material.
- [17:21]
Main Host/Storyteller
So it was lucky that Edward was just the Prince, not the actual King, wasn't it? Well, in the worst case of timing in history, the old King George V chose that very moment to pop his clogs unexpectedly, which meant Edward ascended to the throne and became King Edward VIII in January 1936. And even as the monarch, he had no intention of giving up Wallis. Tensions in the Royal family grew as Wallis properly got her feet under the table, even acting as a hostess on a trip to Balmoral. Oh my God, I've never felt more British in my life. The Highland air was even frostier between Wallis and her potential future sister in law, the Duchess Elizabeth of York, whose alleged dismissal of her as that woman went on to become an oft quoted royal legend. To be fair, Elizabeth had her own reasons for not being on Team Wallis. She had once caught her doing a bitchy impression of her at a party. Stick thin. Wallis would often poke fun at her plump frame, calling her Cookie. Oh. Oh. But Royal Mean girl antics aside, the proper beef was that Edward's family and the court didn't trust Mrs. Simpson. They thought she was a power hungry gold digger who wanted to muscle her way to the throne. And their fears would soon be realised. In October 1936, Wallis's decree niece from Ernest came through. She'd filed for divorce, ironically on the grounds of his adultery with her childhood best friend while they were separated and she was already Edward's mistress. Thinking the last hurdle was down, Edward declared he planned to wife Wallis up officially.
- [19:16]
Narrator/Co-host
But for a spoiled prince who'd always got his way, Edward had a big shock coming. Because, ironically, given how the whole thing started, with King Henry VIII clearing the way to bang and Berlin, the Church of England weren't at all keen on divorce. Divorcees could only be married if their ex spouses had died. And royal sensibilities meant that their presence in court was already contentious. As it was, politicians viewed Wallis as a cunning figure, pursuing Edward for his wealth and title. Not exactly helped by oft repeated rumours that she was heard remarking, soon I will be the Queen of England. Not long after, old King George kicked the bucket. So in November 1936, when Edward told Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin that he wanted to marry Wallis as soon as possible, he hit quite a big brick wall. Despite suggesting what's called a Morganic marriage, where he'd basically be king but Wallis wouldn't be recognised as Queen. Baldwin and the other Commonwealth leaders weren't having it. If he married Wallis, then they'd have to resign their governments and chaos would reign. And to add insult to injury, it was now that the story finally broke in the British press. The most hated woman in Britain, Wallis fled to the south of France to hide out at her friend's very luxurious villa for three months. Not exactly the worst place to hide out in the middle of a media storm, I have to say. Still, with the papers spewing hate and gossip about her, she later despaired, saying every morning my world fell apart on my breakfast tray. They did find an unlikely cheerleader in Conservative MP Winston Churchill, who declared the King should be allowed to marry his cutie only for playwright Noel Coward to quip back, england does not wish for a Queen cutie. That's amazing.
- [21:19]
Progressive Insurance Announcer
Red Handed is brought to you by Progressive Insurance Fiscally responsible financial geniuses, Monetary magicians. These are things that people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home and more. Plus, you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it. So your dollar goes a long way. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary.
- [21:53]
Narrator/Co-host
Not available in all states or situations.
- [21:55]
Factor Meals Advertiser
Alright guys, if you've been listening to the show then you will know that after a long and sluggish winter, I am very excited to nourish my body from the inside out to match those
- [22:04]
Narrator/Co-host
hopefully sunny days ahead.
- [22:06]
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And Factor is the easiest way to eat well even on a busy schedule with fully prepped meals. Designed by dietitians and crafted by chefs, their meals include quality ingredients like lean proteins, colorful veggies and whole foods without any pesky refined sugars or artificial sweeteners. My friend tried the Jalapeno Cheddar Lime
- [22:26]
Narrator/Co-host
chicken and loved it. The meals are ready in just two
- [22:30]
Factor Meals Advertiser
minutes with no planning or stress. Perfect for busy people like me who care about nutrition but don't have time to waste. Head to factor meals.com redhanded50off and use code REDHANDED50OFF to get 50% off and free breakfast for a year offer only valid for new Factor customers with code and qualifying auto renewing subscription purchase. Make healthier eating easy with factor
- [22:59]
Main Host/Storyteller
on 10 December 1936, after not even a year of rule, Edward officially abdicated becoming the only British monarch in modern history to ever voluntarily give up his crown. In a radio speech, he famously said, I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as King without the help and support of the woman I love.
- [23:28]
Narrator/Co-host
Fair enough.
- [23:29]
Main Host/Storyteller
Mm. The throne passed to his younger brother, Albert, and the rest is literally history. And while it might sound like a romantic sacrifice, it is a bit more complicated. Wallis didn't actually want Edward to give up the throne for her. She later wrote in her memoirs that they had terrible rows where she would try to convince him to change his mind, since they would only create disaster together. But Edward was a mule and he dug his heels in. Some sources claim that Edward threatened to cut his own throat if she left him. And some biographers have suggested that there was more to Edward's decision than love. He saw Wallis as an escape rope from his heavy birthright as King. Wallis even referred to the abdication as his Peter Pan plan in a letter to her ex, Ernest. But whether it was out of love or cowardice or both, Edward was committed to Wallis and she was getting cold feet from a fling that had spiralled way out of hand. And according to Anne Sebber biographer, Wallis wasn't in love with Edward, but with the opulence, the lifestyle and how he made all her childish dreams come true. She was sure the fairy tale would end, but couldn't bring herself to be the one to do it. And now she was in way over her head with a man who'd literally rewritten the destiny of the British Empire just to be with her. So in the end, she had to go along with it. Pretty awkward, but Edward did really love Hitler, So in the end, on balance, probably good.
- [25:10]
Narrator/Co-host
Wallis's divorce was finalized in May 1937, and on 3 June, she and Edward were married at the Chateau de Cande, led by their French millionaire mate, Charles Bedot. The date would have been King George's 72nd birthday, which Queen Mary took as a dig. And not a single member of Edward's family bothered to turn up. Wallis wore blue and Edward gave her a ring engraved with we are ours now.
- [25:38]
Main Host/Storyteller
And she's just like, fuck, do you have to? I'm marrying you, aren't I? Isn't that enough?
- [25:45]
Narrator/Co-host
The new Duke and Duchess of Windsor lived in France in a sort of unofficial exile. Edward's relationship with his brother Albert, now King George, was strained, especially since he refused to give Wallis the title of Her Royal Highness. But they still got a generous royal allowance. So, you know, every cloud and after
- [26:04]
Main Host/Storyteller
all that these star crossed lovers had gone through, to be together wasn't exactly happily ever after. Those who observed the royal couple described their dynamic as the dim, infatuated Duke and the disappointed, domineering duchess. And while Edward remained pathetically devoted to Wallis, she treated him coldly and seemed irritated by him most of the time. And as biographer Andrew Morton puts it, the only thing they had in common were a mutual interest in golf, fascism and casual racism. In fact, the couple's pro Nazi leanings raised even more eyebrows than their controversial romance during the build up to World War II.
- [26:44]
Narrator/Co-host
I do have to wonder, being pro Nazi, can that be described as casual racism?
- [26:51]
Main Host/Storyteller
I think being pro Nazi was encapsulated in the fascism bit of the sentence. I think the casual racism was just the sprinkling on top.
- [26:57]
Narrator/Co-host
I see,
- [27:00]
Main Host/Storyteller
because I am not being hyperbolic this time. The two of them cosied up to Hitler at his berghof retreat in 1937, and the Fuhrer later remarked that Wallace would have made a good queen. Which tells you everything you need to know about their stance and how we're all better off that it didn't go that way. As the war ramped up, Wallis and Edward were actually suspected by many of being Nazi spies, which caused Edward to be called the Traitor Prince. With all that said, there isn't any direct evidence that they were actively in league with the Third Reich or plotting against the Allies. They definitely did have fascist sympathies, but like so did loads of people, especially in the aristocracy. Still do. But Wallis's legacy is obviously shaped by how she accidentally saved Britain from a Nazi king.
- [27:48]
Narrator/Co-host
After the war, the couple settled in a grand Paris townhouse into a life of leisure with a royal allowance and none of the duties. They spent their time getting drunk, smoking cigarettes and hanging out with their fellow fascist Brit exiles like Oswald and Diana Mosley. Wallis had three facelifts and became sort of an eccentric gay icon, indulging in a flirtatious friendship with notorious gay playboy and Woolworths heir Jimmy Donoghue, who fanned the gossip flames by cheekily calling her the best cocksucker I've ever known. When Edward got jealous, Wallis scoffed that she was Queen of the Fairies. Upon his death of throat cancer in 1972, a nurse claims he called out pathetically for Wallis like a lamb calling for its mother. But she wasn't even at his bedside. Their romance might have changed the world, but it's hardly a fairy tale ending.
- [28:43]
Main Host/Storyteller
After Edward's death, Wallis withdrew into their vast Paris home, rarely seen in Public frail and suffering from dementia, she survived on Edward's estate and her allowance. Which brings us on to one of the more bizarre twists of the story. Once known for a brash and dominant personality, the Duchess in her later years became a helpless puppet at the mercy of her manipulative French lawyer, Suzanne Blum. After convincing Wallis to sign over power of attorney, Blum took control of her life. She threatened that Wallis would be evicted from her Paris home if she didn't donate to French institutions and coerced her into signing over priceless heirlooms that she then sold to her friends at cut down prices. Royal biographer Hugo Vickers described her as a satanic figure wearing the mantle of good intention. To disguise her inner malevolence, Blum banned the few friends that Wallis had left from visiting and spun yarns about her good health. Whilst in reality, she was fading rapidly. By the late 70s, the Duchess of Windsor was described as a vegetable, unable to walk or even speak. Her affairs were handled purely by Blum. Her final years were tragic, creepy and utterly humiliating. A far cry from her glory days as the fearless woman who dismantled the British monarchy. And this bit of the story is actually being adapted for a film which is coming out this year. Starring Joan Collins as Wallace and Isabella Rossellini as Suzanne Blum. Joan Collins is wonderful casting.
- [30:20]
Narrator/Co-host
Wallis Simpson died in 1986, and if the British press loved to hate her while she was alive, they positively feasted on her once she was gone. From the post war years on, the tabloids and biographers went wild, dredging up every rumor they could, including outlandish new claims that Wallace shagged high ranking Nazi Vakim won ribbon drop in the late 30s, who allegedly sent her 17 carnations to represent each night they spent together. How romantic.
- [30:51]
Main Host/Storyteller
Carnations are. Horrible flowers.
- [30:52]
Narrator/Co-host
They are. There's not a nice flower, but yeah, there you go. Maybe that's all he could get his Nazi hands on. This rumor seemed to lead back to the word of a single German duke who later ran off to the USA to become a monk. So needless to say, it's hardly trustworthy. And then there were the old whispers about the infamous Chinese dossier revived by Charles Hyams. Sensationalist book that brought it to the wider public's attention. By the time it hit shelves in 1988, the myth had fully taken root. Wallis was a depraved femme fatale who vagmatised Edward and infiltrated the monarchy with just a dream of being queen and a book of Chinese sex tips.
- [31:36]
Main Host/Storyteller
The only problem is that the so called Chinese dossier doesn't actually exist. There is no trace in Chinese or British intelligence archives, even those recently opened. The tales were stitched together from scandals involving other Western women in the 20s in China, playing on the era's racist fantasies about the Orient to tarnish Wallace's reputation. How unsurprising. As the Spectator puts it, an allegedly scandalous past became a useful myth at a time when letting a British king marry a foreign divorcee was unthinkable. Biographer and full time Wallace Stan Anna Pasternak goes further and calls it a foul fiction cooked up by the establishment to discredit her. In other words, it was one of the most effective smear campaigns in Royal.
- [32:27]
Narrator/Co-host
So who was the real Mrs. Simpson? For decades we've been force fed two extremes. The scheming Jezebel who sank her claws into a weak man for power, or the tragic heroine of a royal romance. The thing is, neither version is quite on the money. And while the truth will always be clouded by rumour and hearsay, what we do know for sure is that the establishment didn't quite know what to do with a woman like Wallis. So they had to invent myths to fill in the gaps that they couldn't make sense of. For now though, we'll leave you with her own words. You have no idea how hard it is to live out a great love story.
- [33:04]
Main Host/Storyteller
No, I don't. Can't even get a text back out
- [33:07]
Narrator/Co-host
here, but that just utterly screams a woman who is playing it out.
- [33:12]
Main Host/Storyteller
Yeah, yeah.
- [33:15]
Narrator/Co-host
So there you go. That is everything you need to know about Wallis Simpson, the woman who accidentally saved us from a Nazi king. We'll see you next week. Goodbye.
- [33:25]
Main Host/Storyteller
Bye.
- [33:51]
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- [34:08]
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- [34:18]
Main Host/Storyteller
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- [34:21]
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Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.
- [34:30]
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Main Host/Storyteller
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- [34:36]
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