Everyone has heard of Wallis Simpson, the woman for whom Edward VIII so infamously abdicated his throne and birthright. Although her life has been the subject of much fascination, gossip, and speculation, her whole story continues to unfold. In his new book Wallis In Love (Grand Central Publishing), historical biographer Andrew Morton uses diary entries, letters, and other rare records to offer a fresh portrait of Wallis Simpson in all her vibrancy and brazenness as she climbed the social ladder, transforming from a hard-nosed gold digger to consort of an uncrowned king.
Join Morton as he follows Mrs. Simpson through the cacophonous Jazz Age; her romantic adventures in Washington and friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt; exploits in China and beyond; and her entrance into the strange wonderland that was London society. In conversation with John Donvan, broadcast journalist, author, and host of the Intelligence Squared US debate program,Morton discusses an extraordinary array of characters, many of whom smoothed the way for her dalliance with the future king of England, and offers insights into the personality and motivations of a complex, domineering, and controversial woman striving to determine her own fate in a turbulent world.
Morton has written biographies of members of the British royal family as well as celebrities, and is best known for Diana: Her True Story, a life of the late Princess of Wales.
Smithsonian Connections
There aren’t many rumors that American socialite Wallis Simpson hasn’t been subjected to. Smithsonian Channel examines how she actually infiltrated the British monarchy.
