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Herald Sun
4 days ago
- Herald Sun
48 hours in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, the ultimate French beach weekend
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Around two hours from Paris on the train is the French capital's favourite beach resort, Le Touquet-Paris-Plage. On the Opal Coast in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France, the upmarket resort makes the perfect beach break for anyone visiting the city. DAY 1: Morning I live in Kent in southern England, and Le Touquet has become my favourite – and most convenient – beach getaway. Despite being in a different country, it takes half the time to reach, door-to-door, than Cornwall and as such can be a fun bolt-on trip for visitors to the UK. After a short car-train journey on Eurotunnel LeShuttle and an easy drive along France's gloriously-efficient motorways, we arrive in charming Le Touquet. Taking time to orient ourselves, once more, among its neat avenues full of holiday homes, hotels, shops and restaurants, we check in, this time to a chic Airbnb duplex in the centre of town, two streets away from the enormous beach, and two doors down from the all-important boulangerie. My need for good croissants is real. Beachfront holiday apartments in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France. Noon We head to Le Touquet's beach, a vast stretch of sand lined with apartments and peppered with playgrounds, beach clubs and watersports. This is northern France, so it's not famous for its high temperatures, but we've been lucky each time we've visited and even in October – when it's wonderfully free of crowds – we've been able to enjoy time on the beach. The more adventurous types can try kite-surfing and sand-yachting, which Le Touquet is famous for, but we fly kites we bought from Decathlon, on the main street Rue Saint-Jean. We stop in for a croque monsieur at one of the beach clubs, washed down with Orangina (always tastes better in a glass bottle in France) and coffee (always tastes worse than you remember in France). Tourist crowds on the beach at Le Touquet in France Afternoon A century ago, Le Touquet was a ritzy resort, frequented by a who's-who of visitors, including Edward VIII, Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming and Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth – the town even renamed its airport Elizabeth II Le Touquet-Paris-Plage in honour of the late Queen. But it also has a long war history and in World War I its hotels became hospitals for thousands of wounded and displaced soldiers – many of whom were Australian. The Étaples Military Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth cemetery in France, is the final resting place of 10,771 Commonwealth soldiers, including 464 Australians. It's a sobering place to visit and in the 80th anniversary year of VE Day, a reminder we should never forget. The Etaples Military Cemetery contains 10,771 Commonwealth burials of World War I. Evening Eventually, following the occupation during WWII, Le Touquet recovered and once again became a holiday destination and now a centre for gastronomy. It has around 70 restaurants, from takeaway booths to brasseries and fine-dining restaurants, such as Michelin-starred Le Pavillon in Hotel Westminster and double-Michelin-starred La Grenouillère in neighbouring town La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil. We enjoyed dinner at Le Touquet's classic brasserie Jean's Café, followed by an ice-cream, then our kids took a spin on the vintage carousel, which sits in the Place du Centenaire on the seafront. Oriental lamb chops, small vegetables and semolina at Jean's Cafe, Le Touquet, France. DAY 2: Morning You could happily spend all your time in Le Touquet, but if you have a car, it's worth exploring the coast. A 50-minute drive away, you come to the pretty town of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, on the Baie de Somme estuary. It's a town of two halves – one ancient section of medieval buildings where William the Conqueror departed from for the UK, and where Joan of Arc was imprisoned, and a second half of old fishermen's cottages. It's a lovely place to explore on foot or to take the steam train which runs around the coast to neighbouring Le Crotoy with its long stretch of sandy beach. Street view in Saint Valery Sur Somme. Picture: Kerry Parnell Noon We walk along the Quai Jeanne d'Arc alongside the River Somme, then through the medieval part of town to the headland, where there's a pretty church, Chapelle des Marins. Back in town, we eat at Brasserie Le Courtgain,where you're reminded that steak frites are so much more sophisticated in French. Brasserie Le Courtgain in Saint Valery Sur Somme. Afternoon Halfway between Saint-Valery and Le Touquet, we call in at another small beach resort, called Fort-Mahon-Plage. With another vast sandy beach (they're huge on this coast), it's a popular family resort and its extremely long main street, at right angles to the seafront, is lined with restaurants and shops. Low tide and beach of Fort-Mahon-Plage. Evening Finally, you can't leave Le Touquet without a spot of shopping, along its sparkling-clean avenues (you can see shop owners wash the street front every morning). There's a mix of clothes shops, chocolatiers (Au Chat Bleu is a must) and eateries, while on Avenue Saint-Jean you find the designer boutiques. After splurging on souvenirs, we save cash by having galettes (regional savoury pancakes) for dinner. Outdoor dining in the beach town of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage. How to get to Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France It's two hours by train from Paris to Étaples-Le-Touquet, or three hours by car. If combining with a trip to the UK, it's around 45 minutes' drive from the Channel Tunnel at Calais. Where to stay in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage The five-star Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster celebrated its centenary in 2024 and is on my wishlist. We have previously enjoyed a family stay at The Holiday Inn Resort Le Touquet, set in a quiet spot, and the Airbnb duplex at 48 Rue de Paris, which I recommend. Cyclists pass Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France. Best way to get around Le Touquet-Paris-Plage Two great ways of seeing Le Touquet are in the saddle – you can either rent a bike from one of the town's many hire shops, such as Bike4You, or go for a horse-ride at the equestrian centre. You can also zip along the seafront on a Segway. Best food to try when you visit Hauts-de-France You'll see 'Le Welsh' in lots of restaurants in Hauts-de-France – the dish is the regional spin on Welsh rarebit and so much more than cheese on toast. The French version is unsurprisingly heavy on the cheese, with Dijon mustard, ham, beer and bread. Originally published as 48 hours in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, the ultimate French beach weekend
Daily Mail
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Inside Wallis Simpson's restless rise: How the ambitious socialite treated her stepping stone second husband when she realised she could catch a King
The lives of Edward and Mrs Simpson are legendary, but what about the third person in the Abdication Crisis – Ernest Simpson? Written off as the boring husband who willingly gave up his wife for his king, Mr Simpson has too often been dismissed as a dull dog. But in fact, Wallis Simpson 's husband was a very attractive man, who married four times and was involved with a series of worldly-wise women. Rather than just acquiescing while his monarch stole his wife, he was enjoying his own grand passion with Wallis's best friend. Ernest Simpson was certainly a catch. The son of a wealthy British ship-broker and an American mother, he was good-looking, well-connected and chivalrous. His elder sister Maud married a British politician, Peter Kerr-Smiley, and the couple entertained in style in Belgrave Square, in a house crammed with old masters. They hosted lavish parties where the Prince of Wales rubbed shoulders with celebrities and politicians. A protective older sister, Maud was determined to make sure her handsome brother married well. Noted as a 'fastidious dresser' with a 'neat blond moustache' by the New York Times, Ernest's good looks made him a magnet for women. A young Barbara Cartland, the future doyenne of romantic fiction, was one of his early conquests. She often danced with the dark-haired, well-built young man. On one occasion Ernest tried to kiss her in the back of a taxi. However, the canny flapper realised it was just a flirtation, writing to her mother, 'He said some very flattering things but I don't think he is seriously interested in me. Especially as his sister keeps saying to all the girls: "It's no use your falling in love with Ernest, he's got to marry money!"' Mr Simpson was never on the marriage market for long. His first marriage to Dorothea Webb Parsons, a New Englander with whom he had a daughter, ended when Wallis Warfield appeared on the scene. When they met in 1926, the attraction was instant. Wallis later recalled his 'quiet wit' and that he was 'always well-dressed, a good dancer, fond of the theatre, and obviously well-read'. She added that he was 'an unusually well-balanced man'. Wallis and Ernest married in 1928. Although Mr Simpson is now purely seen as a stepping stone to greater things for his ambitious second wife, in fact, the couple were very compatible. Wallis had found the security which had previously eluded her. Ernest brought out the best in her and there is little hint of the dominating side of her character that emerged in her marriage to the Duke of Windsor. Yet Wallis's restless spirit could never be content for long and when the possibility of catching a king arose, there was no way she could resist. At first Ernest encouraged the flirtation, not seeing the boyish immature royal as a threat. Wallis also did not take it too seriously, telling her Aunt Bessie that if her husband raised any objections, she would give the prince up at once. However, as the relationship between his wife and Edward escalated, Ernest resigned himself to the inevitable. He did not cause a scandal because he still loved Wallis. In October 1936, he wrote to her: 'I know that somewhere in your heart there is a small flame burning for me. Guard it carefully my darling, and don't let it go out – if only in memory of all the sacred lovely things that have been.' Rather than mope, Ernest moved on and fell in love himself – with someone too close to home for Wallis's liking. Mary Kirk Raffray had been Wallis' best friend since school and had even been her bridesmaid at her first wedding. When Mary's marriage broke up, Wallis invited her to stay with the Simpsons in their London flat. At first, she encouraged her friend to distract her husband so that she was free to be with Edward. What she had not calculated on was that Ernest and Mary would develop a lasting rapport. After Mary returned to America, Ernest met up with her on a business trip and their affair began. When Wallis discovered what had happened, she was not pleased. It closed a door that she had expected to stay open. Her husband's change of allegiance pushed her further into the arms of the king and meant there was no going back. Ernest and Wallis's marriage was dissolved in May 1937, and in November he married Mary. The affinity between Ernest and Mary was at least as great as the love between Edward and Wallis. In her book The Other Mrs Simspon, Mary's sister Anne wrote about the palpable bond between the couple, describing their 'ecstasy with each other'. Their future seemed promising when they had a baby together in 1939 and moved into a smart town house in Kensington. However, after the Second World War began, the Simpsons evacuated their son to America for safety. Tragically, in 1940 Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer. She told her sister that she was 'heartbroken' on Ernest's account but would try to be brave for him. In summer 1941, when she knew that she was dying, she wanted to be reunited with her only child. Recognising that Ernest behaved extremely well in the Abdication Crisis, Winston Churchill stepped in to help. Mary was flown to America where she was taken by ambulance to collect her son and bring him back to England. As she put on her final birthday party for their child, Ernest wrote that she looked 'divine'. She died shortly afterwards. Ernest was devastated by the loss, describing his soulmate as 'the bravest of the brave'. He told her sister that 'everyone adored Mary' for 'her charm, her kindness, her staunchness'. In 1948 Mr Simpson married for the fourth time and once again, his partner was a chic, cosmopolitan divorcee. Avril Leveson-Gower had been married twice before, first to a Georgian prince. Her sister, Elvira Mullens, was a decadent socialite, who became notorious for shooting dead her lover. Ernest and Avril were happily married for a decade until Ernest died from throat cancer in 1958 aged 61. In both his public and private life, Mr Simpson was an honourable man. After the war began, the Simpsons evacuated their son to America for safety. Tragically, in 1940 Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer. She told her sister that she was 'heartbroken' on Ernest's account but would try to be brave for him It is hard to believe that if Wallis had stayed with him, she would have pursued her flirtation with fascism which has tarnished her reputation. Staunchly patriotic, at the end of the First World War he abandoned his studies at Harvard to join the Coldstream Guards. Of Jewish descent, he had no time for Hitler, unlike his ex-wife. When the Second World War began, he was determined to do his bit and so he was sent on a secret mission to India. Knowing the real Ernest Simpson, instead of just seeing him as the king's cuckold makes an observer wonder whether Wallis made a mistake in leaving him. It seems that at times she regretted it. She always stayed in touch with her ex and never spoke negatively about him. She described him as 'a strong and noble character' who had been a wonderful friend to her. However, the allure of those sparkling Cartier jewels and the promise of a place in history were just too much for a woman who always wanted more. As Ernest, who perhaps knew her better than anyone, once wrote to her: 'Could you possibly have settled down to the old life and forgotten the fairyland through which you had passed? My child, I do not think so.'
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
From saluting SS camps to playing with Goering's model trains - new podcast reveals how Hitler manipulated a 'deluded' Edward VIII into becoming a 'Nazi puppet'
On the final instalment of the Mail's three-part podcast miniseries examining Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, royal biographer Robert Hardman and historian Kate Williams examine how deeply the exiled couple became entangled with Nazi Germany. After abdicating in December 1936, Edward and his twice-divorced wife Wallis found themselves seeking new allies, having been effectively ostracised by the British establishment and denied the full privileges of royalty. Buoyed by the propaganda triumph of that summer's Berlin Olympics, Hitler saw in the royal couple an opportunity to lend his regime further international legitimacy. Wanting to still appear a statesman, Edward accepted an invitation to visit Nazi Germany in 1937, a decision that prompted his brother King George VI to write to Edward's political advisor Walter Monckton that the plan was 'a bombshell, and a bad one'. By 1937, Europe was well aware of Nazi Germany's dismantling of democracy, persecution of Jews through the Nuremberg Laws, illegal rearmament, and aggressive territorial ambitions, making Edward's visit a highly controversial legitimisation of an openly authoritarian regime. The photographs from the visit and the rumours it generated would forever tarnish the former King's reputation. This episode of Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things explores what the couple did in Germany and investigates whether Edward was truly willing to collaborate with the Nazis should they occupy Britain. Edward and Wallis's 1937 Tour of Nazi Germany Beyond mere self-aggrandisement, royal biographer Robert Hardman believes Edward and Wallis agreed to the tour because they harboured fascist sympathies. In the late 1930s, this was seen as problematic but not entirely unusual among the British upper classes. Across Europe, many aristocrats viewed fascism as a bulwark against the spread of communism. 'Throughout the story of Edward and Wallis Simpson, there is a swastika', Hardman said. 'There was Nazi influence all the way through. In the run up the abdication, Hitler was issuing instructions to his diplomats in London to try and stop it. Hitler believed Edward was on his side. 'There are well documented stories Simpson's links to Nazi politicians and diplomats in London. 'It was clear by 1937, that Edward VIII would, in any given situation, lean towards the Nazi side.' Upon arrival in Germany, Edward foolishly sees himself as a 'peacemaker', as Kate Williams told the podcast. 'That vision he had of himself was hopelessly naive', Williams described. 'Because for Nazi Germany, the former King turning up and having the red carpet laid out for them is giving consent to the regime. 'It's treated like a Royal progress – crowds' wave away. The couple are greeted by the British national anthem accompanied by Nazi salutes. They dine with high-ranking Nazis including Goering, Goebbels, Ribbentrop and Speer. 'All of the Nazi charm is brought out to bear on Edward and Wallis, and they are there with their eyes closed to the reality of the situation.' During the tour, Edward is taken to munitions factories, SS training camps and Hitler's Salzburg Mountain retreat, the Berghof. An SS trooper would later recount how Edward relished in saluting the soldiers and declaring the shared racial ties between the British and German peoples. Visiting Berchtesgraden for a private meeting with Hitler, Edward reportedly killed time waiting for the Fuhrer by viewing Goering's prized model train set. Hardman explained: 'There's a hilarious lunch where Goering entertains the couple: he lays on this chorus of mountain huntsman with these horns to serenade them Get your weekly dose of Royal scandals and palace intrigue on this Mail podcast Hosted by Royal Historians Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams, Queens, Kings, and Dastardly Things looks at the Royal Family - the secrets, the palace intrigues, and the Crown's bloodiest moments. Listen wherever you get your podcasts now. 'Of course, they feel terribly important. At last, Edward thinks, I am being treated like the King I once was, and my wife, the Queen she should have been. 'After lunch, Goering shows them his model railway set, and they're utterly charmed by this. You get these amazing glimpses into what a bunch of crackpots these guys all were.' Exactly what the former King and Hitler discussed in their private meeting remains unknown to this day. According to his advisor Dudley Forwood, Edward told the dictator that the 'British and German races are one and they should always remain one.' In 1966, Edward told a reporter that he and Hitler had discussed the need to destroy communist Russia. Williams said: 'The King later says of the meeting that Hitler made him realise Red Russia was the true enemy. 'He convinced him that Great Britain and Europe should encourage Germany to march East and crush communism once and for all. 'The Duke of Windsor becomes obsessed with the idea that he and the Nazis can be best friends – he's impossibly naive about the realities of the regime.' Following their meeting, rumours would dog Edward that he had tacitly agreed to replace his brother as King in the event of a Nazi occupation of Great Britain. Addressing the veracity of these rumours, Hardman said: 'I do think Edward was deluded – his sympathies did lie strongly with the Nazi cause. 'But it's probably pushing it too far to suggest that there was a plot to put the Duke of Windsor on the throne. 'What is true is that when asked whether he would ever come back to Britain to be President if we ever became a republic – he said yes. 'He was happy to countenance the fall of the monarchy and taking over some sort of head of state role. 'Whether he would be willing to do that under the aegis of Nazi Germany is a deeper question.' To hear about the political fallout of the visit and how Edward and Wallis spent the war, search for Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things now, wherever you get your podcasts.
New York Times
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
You Only Get Married a Few Times. Why Not Go All Out?
They were one of the world's most famous couples, their future sealed when he renounced his throne for her and she renounced her husband for him. But so much disapproval surrounded the audacious affair between King Edward VIII of England and the American socialite Wallis Simpson that their eventual marriage, before a handful of guests in France in 1937, felt more like a perp walk than a wedding. 'It was a sad little service,' Lady Alexandra Metcalfe, a wedding guest known as 'Baba Blackshirt' because of her reputed Nazi sympathies, wrote in her journal. 'It could be nothing but pitiable and tragic to see a King of England of only six months ago, an idolized King, married under these circumstances.' It seems quaint to remember the days when second weddings were typically quiet and modest affairs, especially after a bit of adultery. Perhaps there was a sense that everyone was allowed just one public spectacle-style wedding in a lifetime. Maybe it was considered indecorous to declare 'til death do us part' once again, when death had clearly not parted you the first time you said it. That's why former monarchs fled to France and commoners had small, tasteful celebrations, perhaps at City Hall, the brides wearing outfits like 'a gray suit and a pillbox hat,' as the high-end event planner Bryan Rafanelli described it in an interview. In contrast, let us consider the 2025 version of a royal wedding: the forthcoming marriage in Venice between Jeff Bezos, the billionaire king of Amazon, and the ex-TV host and helicopter pilot Lauren Sánchez. Having entered public consciousness when their racy texts were leaked to the tabloids during their previous marriages, their relationship — buoyed and insulated by Mr. Bezos' estimated $228 billion fortune — has always had the feel of an extended P.D.A. victory lap. Depending on what you read, the wedding will cost $15 million, or $20 million. Or maybe it will be scaled back to under $10 million because of the couple's supposed decision to be 'less 'Marie Antoinette'' after the Blue Origin spaceflight this spring featuring Ms. Sánchez and a group of her famous female friends. The 11-minute mission suffered from a bit of a P.R. problem when the women donned sexy space outfits, discussed their extraterrestrial makeup routines and, in the case of Katy Perry, declared the intention to 'put the 'ass' in astronaut.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Revealed: How the troublesome Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII caused chaos for the royals for decades
Wallis Simpson, the woman who became Duchess of Windsor after King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry her, was born in a small town in Pennsylvania 129 years ago today. Despite her humble beginnings, Wallis would go on to play a notorious role in the greatest royal controversy of the 20th century. However, the abdication crisis in December 1936 was just the start of the chaos the troublesome American and the former King would continue to cause for the royal family for years to come. In his gripping book The Windsors at War - which documents the fallout between King Edward VIII and George VI - Alexander Larman revealed that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor clashed with the firm over numerous issues. One of the largest areas of contention was about whether Wallis would be allowed to adopt the title of Her Royal Highness as was customary. But, just a few days before their wedding in June 1937, a letter arrived from King George VI which said Wallis would become Duchess of Windsor but would be denied the title of HRH. Edward described the letter as a 'nice wedding present'. The decision broke convention and British law - which saw wives take the status and rank of their husband unless she is higher - and therefore restrictions were imposed on Edward's royal rank. His justification was that upon abdicating the throne Edward lost all royal rank and status. King Edward himself retained the HRH styling but it was decided that his wife or any future children shall not inherit the title. In their anger at what they viewed as a snubbing, Wallis and Edward hurled childish insults at the King and Queen who they referred to as 'Mr and Mrs Temple' while the young Princess Elizabeth was known as 'Shirley Temple' - a reference to the 1930s child star. Money was a particularly sore spot in the relationship between the Crown and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. According to Larman, access to the royal purse strings was conditional on Edward and Wallis not returning to Britain without permission. 'If the duke chose to disregard his brother's request [to not return to Britain] - which all agreed was most unlikely - his wallet would have suffered the consequences,' Larman wrote. Nevertheless, Edward demanded a date for when he could return to England for a visit. Writing to then-Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain the Duke of Windsor said: 'I never intended, nor would I ever have agreed, to renounce my native land or my right to return to it for all time. 'I should have thought that my record as Prince of Wales and as King was sufficient to convince anyone that I am a man of my word and that there was no necessity to impose financial sanctions on me.' King George VI's wariness to allow his brother to return home was vindicated when during an interview with the American Daily Herald newspaper Edward said he would be happy to return to Britain as 'president of the English republic, should the Labour Party wish it'. While this was taking by the government of the day to just be troublemaking, as Larman notes, the popularity of the Windsors in Britain meant that his return could have 'confused public opinion about who was the "real" monarch'. With his comments about leading a republic, any return to Britain risked Edward and Wallis running a shadow government. What made their concerns all the more worrying was the political views the couple's shared. In 1937, shortly after his abdication, Edward and Wallis visited Germany on an unofficial visit where he met Adolf Hitler and greeted him with a full Nazi salute – according to biographer Frances Donaldson in her book King Edward VIII. After the 'wonderful time' spent with the Führer at his mountain retreat, known as the Eagle's Nest, in Bavaria, Edward wrote a thank you letter. It read: 'To the Führer and [Chancellor], the Duchess of Windsor and I would like to thank you sincerely. 'Our trip through Germany has made a great impression on us. Many thanks to you for the wonderful time that we had with you at the [mountainside retreat] Obersalzberg.' A month before World War Two broke out, the Duke of Windsor recorded a message to the British public – although the BBC refused to air it. Reportedly, he urged Britain to do all it could to 'come to terms with Nazi Germany,' according to A.N. Wilson, author of Hitler: A Short Biography. Wallis was also known for her Nazi sympathies. So much so that the American was tracked by the FBI who in a report wrote that 'the Duchess of Windsor was exceedingly pro-German in her sympathies and connections.' Unsurprisingly, when war broke out the British Government were wary of the Duke and Duchess and it was decided that they would be sent to the Bahamas for the duration of the war. Here Edward took up the post as governor of the Bahamas. King George also harboured the suspicions against his brother. During the so-called 'Phoney War' of 1939 – the eight-month period between war being declared and fighting beginning – the King gave Edward a military appointment in France with strict instructions that he 'not be shown secret documents'. So it served a purpose to put a literal ocean between the couple and the United Kingdom as a precaution. However, despite being over 4,000 miles away, they still caused controversy at home. Wallis was blasted by the press for a spending spree in the United States at a time when Brits endured rationing and constant bombings. Edward also reportedly told a journalist at the time that 'it would be a tragic thing for the world if Hitler was overthrown'. At the end of the war, King George and the government's suspicions were vindicated when American diplomats uncovered files buried in the forest near Marburg Castle, including around 60 documents that appeared to contain correspondence between the Duke of Windsor and Nazi Germany. Wallis was known for her Nazi sympathies and was tracked by the FBI who in a report wrote that 'the Duchess of Windsor was exceedingly pro-German in her sympathies and connections' Now known as the Marburg, or Windsor, Files the documents contain details of a Nazi-devised plan to gain control of Britain, overthrow the monarchy and reinstate the Duke as King. It is clearly stated that Edward was seen as a better ally than his brother King George, with the Duke urging the Nazis to bomb Britain 'to make England ready for peace'. In the event of a successful invasion, the alleged plan was for Edward to rule a German-occupied Britain as a puppet monarch for Hitler. A cable from the German ambassador in Lisbon to Berlin reads: '[The Duke of Windsor] is convinced that if he had remained on the throne, war would have been avoided, and he characterizes himself as a firm supporter of a peaceful arrangement with Germany. 'The Duke definitely believes that continued severe bombing would make England ready for peace.' After Edward's tenure as governor ended in 1945, the couple led the life of the idle rich, attending parties in France and America, also going on lavish holidays with close friends. Though she lacked the status of an actual queen, it was the kind of high life that American Duchess had always sought. But when the Duke died aged 77 in 1972, Wallis was left alone, bereft of the man who had worshipped her. The Queen, with whom she had minimal contact in the decades since her husband's abdication, hosted her at Buckingham Palace when she arrived for his funeral. The two had previously met when Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip visited the Duke in Paris in his final days. It was a sign of the Queen's willingness to put differences to one side for the sake of the greater good. When Wallis died over a decade later, her funeral service at Windsor's St George's Chapel was attended by senior royals including the Queen, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother. Her name was not mentioned during the service. The service lasted for less than half an hour and was stripped of nearly all the pomp and ceremony that usually marks a royal death. Other members of the 100-strong guest list included the then Prince Charles and his wife Princess Diana, along with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Labour leader Neil Kinnock. On her coffin was a single wreath of white, orange and yellow lillies left by the Queen. Wallis was buried next to her husband at the Royal Burial Ground, Frogmore. The burial was attended by only the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles and Princess Diana and eight of Wallis's aides and friends. The Queen Mother, who had once called Wallis the 'lowest of the low', did not attend the burial, after being asked to stay away by the Queen. However, there was one alleged flicker of emotion that perhaps signalled how, despite all that happened, feelings could be complicated. According to Princess Diana, the Queen shed a tear as the Duchess was laid to rest. She claimed it was the only time she had seen the monarch weep. The laying to rest of the the Duchess of Windsor marked the final chapter in a marriage that had captivated and scandalised in equal measure.
