Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    The Real Wallis Simpson: A New History of the American Divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor
    The Real Wallis Simpson: A New History of the American Divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor
    The Real Wallis Simpson: A New History of the American Divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Real Wallis Simpson: A New History of the American Divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor

    Written by Anna Pasternak

    Narrated by Laura Kirman

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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).
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateMar 5, 2019
    ISBN9781508284321
    The Real Wallis Simpson: A New History of the American Divorcee who became the Duchess of Windsor
    Author

    Anna Pasternak

    Anna Pasternak is the New York Times bestselling author of Princess in Love and Lara, which revealed the true story of the love affair behind her great uncle Boris Pasternak’s Doctor Zhivago. Her work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, Tatler, and every major British newspaper. She lives in England.

    Related to The Real Wallis Simpson

    Related audiobooks

    Royalty Biographies For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Before WALLIS

      Sep 7, 2018

      Before WALLIS
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Richest Girl In The World

      Aug 12, 2020

      The Richest Girl In The World
      10 min read

    • Article

      Royals Rocked By Tell-all Book

      Apr 17, 2022

      There’s been a deluge of royal tomes in recent years, but none so far has been as widely anticipated – or feared, if you’re a royal – than Tina Brown’s impending The Palace Papers: Inside The House Of Windsor – The Truth And The Turmoil. A close frie

      2 min read

    • Article

      Meghan’s Bitter Showdown With Royal Family 4 Days After Her Wedding

      Jun 22, 2020

      Four days after Meghan and Harry’s wedding in May 2018, royal insider Lady Colin Campbell heard a shocking claim about the new duchess, which immediately set off alarm bells. While attending lunch at an aristocratic friend’s home with “impeccable pa

      4 min read

    • Article

      Olivia De Havilland Dies At 104, Starred In 'Gone With The Wind'

      Jul 26, 2020

      Olivia de Havilland, the last remaining star from the 1939 epic film "Gone With the Wind" and a two-time Academy Award winner who for decades was seen as the essence of Hollywood royalty, has died at her residence in Paris. She was 104. De Havilland,

      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for The Real Wallis Simpson

    4.5/5

    43 ratings2 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      If all you know of Wallis Simpson is what you’ve learned from The Crown, you’re in for a eye opening read. Loved by a king and shunned by the world, the vulnerable Wallis would have sacrificed her love. This is a tale of snobby English aristocracy, centuries old rules and mores that caused pain and suffering to two people who’s only crime was falling in love.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Fabulous read. We'll written. Held your attention very very well.