The Real Wallis Simpson

A New History of the American Divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor

By: Anna Pasternak

Narrated by: Laura Kirman

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).

Interesting and thoroughly researched

I’ve read almost every book out there on Wallis and Edward. This is one of the best. It makes no secret that its goal is to present to the reader a more favorable version of the Duchess than we’ve typically heard, and this it accomplishes quite well. I retained the neutral to negative take I’d had about the couple throughout the book, but by the end found I was quite sad at their deaths. The epilogue was especially moving and I quite enjoyed hearing about the author’s visit to the Fort and Frogmore. The only negative was some of the strange pronunciations and voices for historical characters used at times by the narrator, but they were brief enough to not be overly irritating. Highly recommend!

Beautiful profile of a complex woman

This is a fascinating, sympathetic account of a complex, multi-faceted woman and her devoted husband who found themselves in an impossible situation. The author tells the story artfully through excerpts from the memoirs and letters written by the Duke and Duchess themselves, as well as by people who knew them personally. The epilogue moved me to tears.

Exceptional - compassionate, brilliantly…

researched winner! It wins 3 prizes!

1) Exceptional serious work of history,
2) A captivating, complex tale of love and sacrifice.
3) A loving and respectful homage to our beloved and cherished – HRH Wallis Windsor, the Duchess of Windsor.

Great Book

All they had left was each other. I hope it was enough, and for him I guess it was.

The Duchess

A lovely book. I’m glad that I now know the real Wallis Simpson. Highly recommend it.