The Real Wallis Simpson: A New History of the American Divorcée Who Became the Duchess of Windsor

"In a complex, riveting and tragic true story of manipulation and betrayal, Anna Pasternak rejects the conventional view of the Duchess of Windsor and reveals a loyal and intelligent woman who was trapped by cunning, powerful men in a life she never wanted."--;Prologue: The heart has its reasons -- The Prince's girl -- Ich dien -- One and only -- God bless WE -- Down with the American harlot -- Oceans of agony -- The last hour -- The fury -- Untitled -- The Twilight Zone -- A shadow king -- Son Altesse Royale -- My David -- Epilogue: The cedar walk. Wallis Simpson is known as the woman at the center of the most scandalous love affair of the 20th century, but in this surprising new biography, bestselling author Anna Pasternak redeems a women wronged by history with new information revealed by those who were close to the couple--presenting Wallis as a convenient scapegoat to rid England of a king deemed unworthy to rule. The story that has been told repeatedly is this: The handsome, charismatic, and popular Prince Edward was expected to marry a well-bred virgin who would one day become Queen of England when he ascended the throne. But when the prince was 37 years old, he fell in love with a skinny, divorced American woman--Wallis Simpson. No one thought the affair would last, and when the prince did become king, everyone assumed the affair would end. But instead the new king announced he wanted to marry the American divorcee, and Wallis was accused of entrapping the prince in a seductive web in order to achieve her audacious ambition to be queen. After declaring that he could not rule without the woman he loved at his side, the king gave up his throne, and his family banished him and his new wife from England. The couple spent the rest of their days in exile, but happy in their devoted love for each other. Now, Anna Pasternak's The Real Wallis Simpson tells a different story: that Wallis was the victim of the abdication, not the villain. Warm, well-mannered, and witty, Wallis was flattered by Prince Edward's attention, but like everyone else, she never expected his infatuation to last. She never wanted to divorce her second husband or marry Edward. She never anticipated his jealous, possessive nature--and his absolute refusal to let her go. Edward's true dark nature, however, was no secret to the royal family, the church or the Parliament; everyone close to Edward knew that beyond his charming fa ade, he was immature, self-absorbed, and uneducated--utterly unfit to rule. Wallis begged Edward to stay on the throne and let her go, foreseeing the verdict history would pass on her. Caught in Edward's fierce obsession, she became the perfect scapegoat for those who wished to dethrone the king they feared to rule. On the night Wallis died, Princess Margaret told a friend, "It wasn't her we hated, it was him." Rejecting the sinister schemer at the center of a dark royal fairytale, Anna Pasternak reveals Wallis Simpson as an intelligent woman, written off by cunning, powerful men and forced into a life she never wanted in a complex, riveting, and tragic true story of manipulation and betrayal Wallis Simpson is known as the woman at the center of the most scandalous love affair of the 20th century, but in this surprising new biography, bestselling author Anna Pasternak redeems a women wronged by history with new information revealed by those who were close to the couple-presenting Wallis as a convenient scapegoat to rid England of a king deemed unworthy to rule. The story that has been told repeatedly is this: The handsome, charismatic, and popular Prince Edward was expected to marry a well-bred virgin who would one day become Queen of England when he ascended the throne. But when the prince was 37 years old, he fell in love with a skinny, divorced American woman-Wallis Simpson. No one thought the affair would last, and when the prince did become king, everyone assumed the affair would end. But instead the new king announced he wanted to marry the American divorcee, and Wallis was accused of entrapping the prince in a seductive web in order to achieve her audacious ambition to be queen. After declaring that he could not rule without the woman he loved at his side, the king gave up his throne, and his family banished him and his new wife from England. The couple spent the rest of their days in exile, but happy in their devoted love for each other. Now, Anna Pasternak's The Real Wallis Simpson tells a different story: that Wallis was the victim of the abdication, not the villain. Warm, well-mannered, and witty, Wallis was flattered by Prince Edward's attention, but like everyone else, she never expected his infatuation to last. She never wanted to divorce her second husband or marry Edward. She never anticipated his jealous, possessive nature-and his absolute refusal to let her go. Edward's true dark nature, however, was no secret to the royal family, the church or the Parliament; everyone close to Edward knew that beyond his charming facade, he was immature, self-absorbed, and uneducated-utterly unfit to rule. Wallis begged Edward to stay on the throne and let her go, foreseeing the verdict history would pass on her. Caught in Edward's fierce obsession, she became the perfect scapegoat for those who wished to dethrone the king they feared to rule. On the night Wallis died, Princess Margaret told a friend, "It wasn't her we hated, it was him." Rejecting the sinister schemer at the center of a dark royal fairytale, Anna Pasternak reveals Wallis Simpson as an intelligent woman, written off by cunning, powerful men and forced into a life she never wanted in a complex, riveting, and tragic true story of manipulation and betrayal Wallis Simpson is known as the woman at the center of the most scandalous love affair of the 20th century, but in this "unputdownable...lively and detailed" ( The Times , London) biography, discover a woman wronged by history with new information revealed by the latest research and those who were close to the couple. The story that has been told repeatedly is this: The handsome, charismatic, and popular Prince Edward was expected to marry a well-bred virgin who would one day become Queen of England when he ascended the throne. But when the prince was nearly forty, he fell in love with a divorced American woman—Wallis Simpson. No one thought the relationship would last, and when the prince did become king, everyone assumed that was the end of the affair. But to the shock of the British establishment, the new king announced his intention to marry the American divorcée. Overnight, Wallis was accused of entrapping the prince in a seductive web in order to achieve her audacious ambition to be queen. After declaring that he could not rule without the woman he loved, the king abdicated, and his family banished him and his new wife from the country. The couple spent the rest of their days in exile, but happy in their devoted love for each other. Now, Anna Pasternak's The American Dutchess tells a different story: that Wallis was the victim of the abdication, not the villain. Warm, well-mannered, and witty, Wallis was flattered by Prince Edward's attention, but like everyone else, she never expected his infatuation to last. She never anticipated his jealous, possessive nature—and his absolute refusal to let her go. Edward's true dark nature, however, was no secret to the royal family, the church, or the Parliament; everyone close to Edward knew that beyond his charming façade, he was utterly unfit to rule. Caught in Edward's fierce obsession, she became the perfect scapegoat for those who wished to dethrone the troubled king. With profound insight and evenhanded research, Pasternak pulls back the curtain on one of the darkest fairy tales in recent memory and effortlessly reveals "a host of intriguing insights into a misunderstood woman" ( Kirkus Reviews ). Wallis Simpson is known as the woman at the center of the most scandalous love affair of the 20th century, but in this unputdownablelively and detailed ( The Times ) biography, discover a woman wronged by history with new information revealed by the latest research and those who were close to the couple. The story that has been told repeatedly is The handsome, charismatic, and popular Prince Edward was expected to marry a well-bred virgin who would one day become Queen of England when he ascended the throne. But when the prince was nearly forty, he fell in love with a divorced American womanWallis Simpson. No one thought the relationship would last, and when the prince did become king, everyone assumed that was the end of the affair. But to the shock of the British establishment, the new king announced his intention to marry the American divorce. Overnight, Wallis was accused of entrapping the prince in a seductive web in order to achieve her audacious ambition to be queen. After declaring that he could not rule without the woman he loved, the king abdicated, and his family banished him and his new wife from the country. The couple spent the rest of their days in exile, but happy in their devoted love for each other. Now, Anna Pasternaks The Real Wallis Simpson tells a different that Wallis was the victim of the abdication, not the villain. Warm, well-mannered, and witty, Wallis was flattered by Prince Edwards attention, but like everyone else, she never expected his infatuation to last. She never anticipated his jealous, possessive natureand his absolute refusal to let her go. Edwards true dark nature, however, was no secret to the royal family, the church, or the Parliament; everyone close to Edward knew that beyond his charming faade, he was utterly unfit to rule. Caught in Edwards fierce obsession, she became the perfect scapegoat for those who wished to dethrone the troubled king. With profound insight and evenhanded research, Pasternak pulls back the curtain on one of the darkest fairy tales in recent memory and effortlessly reveals a host of intriguing insights into a misunderstood woman ( Kirkus Reviews ). This book presents the life of Wallis Simpson, an American socialite and wife of the Duke of Windsor and former British king, Edward VIII. The story that has been told repeatedly is this: The handsome, charismatic, and popular Prince Edward was expected to marry a well-bred virgin who would one day become Queen of England when he ascended the throne. But when the prince was nearly forty, he fell in love with a divorced American woman, Wallis Simpson. No one thought the relationship would last, and when the prince did become king, everyone assumed that was the end of the affair. But to the shock of the British establishment, the new king announced his intention to marry the American divorcee. Overnight, Wallis was accused of entrapping the prince in a seductive web in order to achieve her audacious ambition to be queen. After declaring that he could not rule without the woman he loved, the king abdicated, and his family banished him and his new wife from the country. The couple spent the rest of their days in exile, but happy in their devoted love for each other. Now, Anna Pasternak's The American Dutchess tells a different story: that Wallis was the victim of the abdication, not the villain. Warm, well-mannered, and witty, Wallis was flattered by Prince Edward's attention, but like everyone else, she never expected his infatuation to last. She never anticipated his jealous, possessive nature and his absolute refusal to let her go. Edward's true dark nature, however, was no secret to the royal family, the church, or the Parliament; everyone close to Edward knew that beyond his charming facade, he was utterly unfit to rule. Caught in Edward's fierce obsession, she became the perfect scapegoat for those who wished to dethrone the troubled king Wallis Simpson is known as the woman at the center of the most scandalous love affair of the 20th century, but in this surprising new biography, bestselling author Anna Pasternak redeems a women wronged by history with new information revealed by those who were close to the coupleђ́ؤpresenting Wallis as a convenient scapegoat to rid England of a king deemed unworthy to rule. The story that has been told repeatedly is this: The handsome, charismatic, and popular Prince Edward was expected to marry a well-bred virgin who would one day become Queen of England when he ascended the throne. But when the prince was 37 years old, he fell in love with a skinny, divorced American womanђ́ؤWallis Simpson. No one thought the affair would last, and when the prince did become king, everyone assumed the affair would end. But instead the new king announced he wanted to marry the American divorcee, and Wallis was accused of entrapping the prince in a seductive web in order to achieve her audacious ambition to be queen. After declaring that he could not rule without the woman he loved at his side, the king gave up his throne, and his family banished him and his new wife from England. The couple spent the rest of their days in exile, but happy in their devoted love for each other In A Complex, Riveting And Tragic True Story Of Manipulation And Betrayal, Anna Pasternak Rejects The Conventional View Of The Duchess Of Winsor And Reveals A Loyal And Intelligent Woman Who Was Trapped By Cunning, Powerful Men In A Life She Never Wanted. Prologue: The Heart Has Its Reasons -- The Prince's Girl -- Ich Dien -- One And Only -- God Bless We -- Down With The American Harlot -- Oceans Of Agony -- The Last Hour -- The Fury -- Untitled -- The Twilight Zone -- A Shadow King -- Son Altesse Royale -- My David -- Epilogue: The Cedar Walk. Anna Pasternak. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 317-319) And Index. "In a complex, riveting and tragic true story of manipulation and betrayal, Anna Pasternak rejects the conventional view of the Duchess of Windsor and reveals a loyal and intelligent woman who was trapped by cunning, powerful men in a life she never wanted."-- (Source of summary not specified)