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Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How the hasty planning of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson's calamitous wedding made it so miserable - marked by the 'sad' looks in the wedding photos
Throughout British history, royal weddings have been extravagant affairs full of pomp and grandeur, but there has been one major exception to this tradition. Hundreds of miles away from the Royal Family, King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson were married in a low-key wedding ceremony 88 years ago today. It was highly unusual, taking place in the shadow of Edward's abdication crisis, less than a month after the coronation of King George VI. The wedding was hastily planned, taking place a month and a day after Wallis's divorce from Ernest Simpson was finalised. Straying further from tradition, Wallis opted for a long, finger-hugging white wedding dress in the style of the period while Edward wore a civilian suit instead of a military uniform. Despite the opulent setting of the wedding in the Chateau de Cande in France, the couple looked far from happy in their official pictures. Royal photographer Cecil Beaton, who was behind the camera for the event, remarked that Edward had an 'essentially sad' look in his eyes. Meanwhile, royal author Jane Marguerite Tippett, in The Lost Memoir Of Edward VIII, wrote that Wallis and Edward looked back on the wedding without much fondness. The Duke and Duchess are seen on their wedding day alongside Edward's best man, Edward 'Fruity' Metcalfe (right) and businessman Hermann Rogers, whom Wallis later had an affair with In the memoir it was revealed that Wallis said that preparations for the wedding 'were not very gay'. Which is unsurprising considering the royal wedding was in stark contrast to those before it, taking place in a small ceremony with no one from the Royal Family present. Among the guests were Edward's best man, Major Edward 'Fruity' Metcalfe, along with his chauffeur and equerry. Businessman Hermann Rogers, whom Wallis fell in love with and had hoped to marry, also attended. Reverend J.A. Jardine officiated in defiance of Church of England rules surrounding divorcees with living former spouses. He was later defrocked and would go on to open the tacky 'Windsor Cathedral' in Hollywood. Edward had also been left furious by King George's refusal to grant Wallis the status of Her Royal Highness. He bitterly joked that it was a 'nice wedding present'. When his mother, Queen Mary, did not send him an actual gift, he told her that he was 'bitterly hurt and disappointed that you virtually ignored the most important event in my life.' The royal wedding was in stark contrast to those before it, consisting of a small ceremony with no one from the Royal Family present A Faberge box that was sent as a gift by his younger brother Prince George, the Duke of Kent, was rejected by Edward, on the basis that his sibling had not shown any desire to deviate from the family's official stance towards him. Edward and Wallis's wedding venue was owned by millionaire Charles Bedaux, who was later frowned upon by the British and French intelligence services. The chateau boasted modern comforts that included a pipe organ costing $40,000 and a $15,000 telephone system. On the day itself, Wallis wore a blue wedding gown which she twinned with silk gloves made from the same material and a straw hat. She also wore an impressive diamond and sapphire brooch alongside a glittering sapphire wristband and earrings. Her second divorce - from shipbroker Ernest Aldrich Simpson - had been finalised only a month earlier. The Duke had originally wanted a royal chaplain to officiate at his wedding, but this desire was rapidly torpedoed by his brother, the King. His second choice had been the Reverend Martin Andrews, who presided over a parish in the Duchy of Cornwall. The couple looked less than jolly in the official photos that were taken to mark their wedding In the end he had little choice but to go with Reverend Jardine, who was described as 'turbulent' by Edward's biographer Philip Ziegler and later stripped of his duties. Archbishop of Canterbury Cosmo Lang - who had been instrumental in sealing Edward's abdication - described Jardine as a 'seeker of notoriety'. He questioned how Edward - who had been King of England just months before - could have 'lost his dignity' to the extent that he asked 'a man of this sort to celebrate his marriage'. Jardine officiated in defiance of the Church of England, which until 2002 would not perform weddings of rulers to divorcees who had living former spouses. While Edward believed that in Jardine he had chosen well, this idea was somewhat punctured by the priest's subsequent tour of the United States, where he revealed all about the ceremony. The altar was what Ziegler described as a 'bogus renaissance chest adorned with plum caryatids'. Beaton took official photographs of the couple after they tied the knot. In his diary he described Edward's expression when his photo was taken as 'essentially sad, tragic eyes belied by impertinent tilt of nose.' He added that the former King had 'common hands - like a mechanic - weather-beaten and rather scaly and one thumbnail is disfigured.' Beaton had talked to Wallis at length and decided that she was a 'strong force', and 'intelligent within her vast limitations'. 'She has obviously a tremendous admiration for the Duke and considers him one of the greatest brains… of our times. 'She admires his character, his vitality and is determined to love him, though I feel she is not in love with him.' As well as his best man, chauffeur and equerry, guests also included the Duke's hairdresser Charles Topper and Mrs Buchanan Merryman, Wallis's aunt. The service itself was composed of a French civil ceremony and then an Anglican counterpart conducted by Reverend Jardine was carried out ten minutes later. In both versions, Wallis promised to obey her husband. Incredibly, the Duke failed to kiss his bride in either the civil or religious ceremony, although there were tears in his eyes when he put Wallis's ring on her finger. Despite the controversy that surrounded the wedding at the time, the Duke and Duchess received more than 3,000 telegrams and 30,000 letters of good wishes after their wedding. In a statement, the Duke said: 'The Duchess and I would like to thank all those who have so kindly sent us presents and good wishes on the occasion of our wedding. 'We shall never forget their friendly messages, which mean so much to us on this day.' Following their wedding the couple eventually settled in France in the so-called Villa Windsor on the outskirts of Paris. Here they led the life of the idle rich, attending parties in France and America and 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 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. 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 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, in scenes strikingly similar to her wedding, it was stripped of nearly all the pomp and ceremony that usually marks a royal death.
BBC News
28-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Ipswich County Hall fails to sell at auction for a second time
A Grade II listed building that once served as a prison, court and council headquarters has failed to sell at auction for a second time. Ipswich County Hall on St Helen's Street was previously up for auction through Savills on 13 May with a reserve price of £895,000, but no successful bids were up again during an auction that started on Wednesday morning, the bidding did not meet the reserve of £750,000, although a bid of £745,000 was Hall was where the divorce of Wallis Simpson was granted in 1936 before her marriage to the then King Edward VIII. The Tudor-style building came with planning permission to convert the site into 40 new year, Ipswich Borough Council members voted to approve these Hall dates back to 1837 and originally served as a prison and law court before becoming a council building from later it became the home of Suffolk County Council after its formation in 2004, the council moved its 1,300 staff to new headquarters and the site has remained vacant ever since. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Sky News AU
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Esther Krakue on the ‘sad' story of Wallis Simpson's later life
Writer and broadcaster Esther Krakue examines the latter part of Duchess Wallis Simpson's life and how 'quite sad it was'. Upcoming biopic 'The Bitter End' will look at the last days of the Duchess of Windsor's life, directed by Mike Newell of Four Weddings and a Funeral fame. 'We really don't understand the emotional toll that it must have taken for them to exit the royal family and effectively be banished to France,' Ms Krakue told Sky News host Caroline Di Russo. 'For her to basically be exiled from everyone, including her family, and dying alone as a woman ... it must not have been easy.'
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Joan Collins, 91, goes from acting royalty to the British sovereignty in Wallis Simpson role for new biopic about the Duchess of Windsor
She made her name as the scheming Alexis Carrington in Dynasty. Now, at the age of 91, Dame Joan Collins is taking on a very different dynasty - the British royal family. The actress has been pictured for the first time as Wallis Simpson in a new biopic of the American divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor after marrying King Edward VIII, following his abdication, in a new film based on her final years. In the images for the movie titled The Bitter End, Dame Joan's hair is perfectly coiffed into Simpson's classic style, while flanked by Conclave actress Isabella Rossellini who plays the Duchess's formidable French lawyer, Suzanne Blum. The photographs were taken in the grounds of Villa Windsor, the Parisian townhouse where Simpson and her royal husband hosted the likes of Diana Mitford. Dame Joan, who will be celebrating her 92nd birthday later this month, said: 'In production for The Bitter End, I'm delighted to post the official first look photograph of Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor, and her scheming lawyer, Maitre Suzanne Blum in the garden of her villa in Paris. 'Under Mike Newell's legendary direction, this is a truly exciting production.' The film will chart 'the shocking untold story' of Sompson's twilight years when she finds herself ensnared in a menacing grip of her lawyer Blum's obsession and coercive control. Blum worked on some notorious high society cases, most notably representing Rita Hayworth during her divorce proceedings from Prince Aly Khan. By 1977 she was the only representative for the widowed Simpson, whose ill health left her practically confined to her Paris bedroom. Biographer Hugo Vickers has described how the 'sinister' Blum took advantage of the royal's memory lapses and physical weakness and 'sacked' Simpson's other lawyers, meaning Blum had 'near full control of the Duchess'. The Duchess of Windsor died in April 1986, with dementia, leaving her unable to speak. While Blum died eight years later in 1994. On Thursday it was announced Game of Thrones actor Charles Dance and Harry Potter star Miranda Richardson will join the cast of the much anticipated movie. Dance's casting has prompted speculation that he could reprise his role as Lord Mountbatten, who he portrayed in The Crown. The former governor-general of India became close to Simpson following the abdication and escorted the Duchess to her husband's funeral in 1972. As an American divorcee who seduced a British royal, Mrs Simpson has been dubbed the original Meghan Markle. Simpson was at the center of the most scandalous love affair of the 20th century when she entered into a relationship and marriage with Prince Edward VIII, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne. His obsession with Wallis subjected her to a brutal character assassination. She was called a temptress and sorceress who had cast a spell on the fairy-tale Prince to become Queen. In 1936, King Charles's great-uncle Edward VIII's choice to abdicate the throne to marry her. The move clashed with his responsibilities as head of the Church of England - sparking a constitutional crisis which left the nation stunned and beginning a rift within the family that never healed. The couple went into exile in France at Villa Windsor, a 14-room Parisian townhouse, where they received guests including British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley and his wife Diana. The Duke had hoped his exile would be brief but he was never allowed to move back to Britain, with his brother the new King George VI threatening to cut off his allowance if he tried to return without an invitation. Edward's health deteriorated in the 1960s and towards the end of 1971, the Duke – a heavy smoker – was diagnosed with throat cancer. Netflix's The Crown depicted how, in May 1972 – ten days before his death – Edward was visited by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. She spoke to him alone before appearing with just the Duchess for a photograph. Edward died on May 28, less than a month before his 78th birthday. It was only after death that the tension in the family seemed to dissipate and Edward's body was returned to Britain, where it lay in state at Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel before his funeral. Wallis died in 1986 aged 89 after years of frailty and suffering from dementia which led to her living as a recluse. The Royal Family allowed her to rest next to her late husband on Windsor's grounds.
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
First look at Dame Joan Collins as Wallis Simpson in new biopic
The first image of Dame Joan Collins portraying Wallis Simpson in a new biopic about her final years has been released. Dame Joan, 91, can be seen sporting the Duchess of Windsor's signature centre parting and 1920s-style finger waves hairstyle with bold red lipstick for The Bitter End, directed by Mike Newell. Wearing large sunglasses and a glamorous fur-lined coat with leather gloves, the British actress stands in front of Conclave star Isabella Rossellini, who is portraying the French lawyer Suzanne Blum. The relationship between the Duchess and Blum, who has been described as a 'totally menacing' force in her later life by Johanna Schutz, the Windsor's private secretary, is being explored in the upcoming film. In the first look image, the Duchess and Bloom appear to be standing in front of Villa Windsor, the main residence of the Duke and Duchess in their exile in France. The Bitter End will be produced by Gore, Richard Holmes and Francis Hopkinson and executive produced by Hilary Strong and Michael Foster, with its screenplay written by screenwriter and novelist Louise Fennell. Miranda Richardson, who played Queen Elizabeth in Black Adder, Game of Throne's Charles Dance, and Pride And Prejudice's David Bamber are among those recently announced to join the duo in the film. After marrying in June 1937, the Duke and Duchess lived the rest of their lives in exile, with Edward dying in May 1972. The Duchess died in their shared home in Paris in 1986 at the age of 89. John Gore, the film's producer, said of the casting: 'We are thrilled to announce the exceptional cast and creative team joining Joan Collins and Isabella Rossellini in The Bitter End. 'It's an exciting project for John Gore Studios as we commit to producing distinctive British stories for global audiences.' After marrying in June 1937, the Duke and Simpson lived the rest of their lives in exile in France. Simpson died in Paris in 1986 at the age of 89. Dame Joan, who is known for playing Alexis Carrington Colby in US show Dynasty, previously said of the film: 'I am thrilled about the challenge of playing this iconic woman in a previously untold story and to be in John Gore Studios' initial roster of what I'm sure will be a very successful endeavour.' Simpson has previously been portrayed by Lia Williams in the Netflix royal drama The Crown, Faye Dunaway in The Woman I Love, and Eve Best in The King's Speech.
