Wallis Simpson was 'exiled' when HRH was refused says expert

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After just 326 days on the throne, King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 to marry Wallis Simpson, an event which sparked a constitutional crisis for the British monarchy. The Royal Family, Church of England and the British public opposed the King marrying Wallis, a twice-divorced American socialite. After the abdication, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were exiled to France, and they tied the knot at the Château de Candé in 1937.

However, their wedding day was overshadowed as they were snubbed by the British Royal Family.

None of Edward’s relatives attended their nuptials, including his younger brother George VI who succeeded him as King.

The pair felt “agony” at being ignored on their big day, according to journalist Anna Pasternak.

She said: “It was agonising to him that no member of his family would be present.

“Wallace had been vilified by the Royal Family. She’s American. She divorced Ernest Simpson.

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“She’s stolen a beloved King. She had become the most hated woman in the world.”

The author was speaking in Channel 4’s new documentary about the Windsors, ‘Edward VIII: Britain’s Traitor King’.

The film looks at the couple’s scandalous exile from Britain, including their sympathies with Nazi Germany in the run-up to World War 2.

To make matters worse, Wallis was told she would not receive the royal standard after marrying Edward.

The news she would not be known as Her Royal Highness (HRH) was broken to the Duchess the day before the wedding.

Speaking in the Channel 4 show, the writer AN Wilson said: “They went on being obsessed by this to his dying day.”

Dr Andrew Lownie, whose research the documentary is based on, underlined Edward’s annoyance at the snub of his wife.

The historian wrote the book ‘Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’.

He said: “The way the Duke responds to this shows him up to be the self-centred and petulant figure that he is.”

Dr Lownie has conducted extensive research on the Windsors and has unearthed numerous documents from the archives.

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Appearing in the documentary, he reads from a memorandum the Duke sent to the minister of state Lord Moyne about the treatment of Wallis.

He said: “I strongly resent and take great exception to the article in the magazine Life of March 17, entitled ‘The Queen’.

“The latter is quoted as referring to the Duchess as ‘that woman’.

“This remark is a direct insult to my wife. Added to this is the chronic anomaly of my wife not having the same official status as myself’.”

Dr Lownie claimed Wallis being denied the use of HRH was a “constant gripe with the Duke”.

‘Edward VIII: Britain’s Traitor King’ is available on All 4.

‘Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’ was written by Andrew Lownie and published by Blink Publishing in 2021. It is available here. An updated version has just been published.

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