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bargainsleuth's review
5.0
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There’s a new historical fiction novel about my favorite royal story: the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Their love affair changed the course of British history, and even though I’ve read dozens of accounts of how it all went down, there’s no one general consensus. That’s what makes The Duchess by Wendy Holden (Amazon) so compelling: it offers a fresh take on the well-known story.
The story offers a dual timeline starting in 1972 when the Duke of Windsor has died and his body is returned to England, then flashing back to 1928 when Wallis Simpson first arrives in England with her second husband, Ernest. What I really liked about this book was that is made the Simpsons utterly middle class. They struggled to make ends meet. Ernest is under incredible pressure to make his business succeed and spends much time away from home. And Wallis is introduced as someone who is frigid based upon the abuse of her first husband, who raped and beat her. She and Ernest are not intimate in any way.
Wallis is ambitious socially, but breaking into society is a bit of a challenge. Luckily, she has help from the American Morgan sisters, Consuelo and Thelma. Thelma is married to a count, and opens the doors to higher society. The problem is, how to present one’s self to society when money is tight. Wallis is clever in her use of markets and tailors who can make it seem like the Simpsons have more money than they really do. It takes several years, but eventually Wallis finds herself in the same social circles as the Prince of Wales, Edward, known as David to intimates.
Holden portrays the future king as a man who really never wanted the job, and there are historical anecdotes to suggest he said this as early as age 6, and that his affair with Wallis was just the excuse he needed to step down once his time came. Wallis is portrayed sympathetically as a woman who has fallen in love with a man who was not her husband, She realizes she is destined to just be a mistress, but David doesn’t want it that way. There’s some indication that David couldn’t perform adequately for women prior to Wallis, and her frigidity melts away once in the arms of her prince. Theirs is a true love connection. This is another well-known rumor for those that have read anything about the couple.
Wallis is the most pragmatic of mistresses. Once the king dies and David is elevated to become Edward VIII, she realizes she has no future with him because he insists she divorce her husband and he will make her queen. Wallis tries to break it off, but he sends a note saying if she does, he will slit his throat. This is also based upon anecdotal rumors that I had also read and seen in documentaries about the situation. Wallis is, in a word, trapped. Sure, she loves David, but her standing in society, which took her so long to achieve, will all be for naught if the king abdicates. Ultimately, that proves not to be true: the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were the top of society’s A-list until the Duke’s health declined. But David’s dream of retiring to his country estate in England and acting like a younger brother to the king was not to be. They spent the rest of their lives being the life of the party with no real contributions to society other than their fashion choices and the vast jewelry collection of the duchess.
There’s a new historical fiction novel about my favorite royal story: the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Their love affair changed the course of British history, and even though I’ve read dozens of accounts of how it all went down, there’s no one general consensus. That’s what makes The Duchess by Wendy Holden (Amazon) so compelling: it offers a fresh take on the well-known story.
The story offers a dual timeline starting in 1972 when the Duke of Windsor has died and his body is returned to England, then flashing back to 1928 when Wallis Simpson first arrives in England with her second husband, Ernest. What I really liked about this book was that is made the Simpsons utterly middle class. They struggled to make ends meet. Ernest is under incredible pressure to make his business succeed and spends much time away from home. And Wallis is introduced as someone who is frigid based upon the abuse of her first husband, who raped and beat her. She and Ernest are not intimate in any way.
Wallis is ambitious socially, but breaking into society is a bit of a challenge. Luckily, she has help from the American Morgan sisters, Consuelo and Thelma. Thelma is married to a count, and opens the doors to higher society. The problem is, how to present one’s self to society when money is tight. Wallis is clever in her use of markets and tailors who can make it seem like the Simpsons have more money than they really do. It takes several years, but eventually Wallis finds herself in the same social circles as the Prince of Wales, Edward, known as David to intimates.
Holden portrays the future king as a man who really never wanted the job, and there are historical anecdotes to suggest he said this as early as age 6, and that his affair with Wallis was just the excuse he needed to step down once his time came. Wallis is portrayed sympathetically as a woman who has fallen in love with a man who was not her husband, She realizes she is destined to just be a mistress, but David doesn’t want it that way. There’s some indication that David couldn’t perform adequately for women prior to Wallis, and her frigidity melts away once in the arms of her prince. Theirs is a true love connection. This is another well-known rumor for those that have read anything about the couple.
Wallis is the most pragmatic of mistresses. Once the king dies and David is elevated to become Edward VIII, she realizes she has no future with him because he insists she divorce her husband and he will make her queen. Wallis tries to break it off, but he sends a note saying if she does, he will slit his throat. This is also based upon anecdotal rumors that I had also read and seen in documentaries about the situation. Wallis is, in a word, trapped. Sure, she loves David, but her standing in society, which took her so long to achieve, will all be for naught if the king abdicates. Ultimately, that proves not to be true: the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were the top of society’s A-list until the Duke’s health declined. But David’s dream of retiring to his country estate in England and acting like a younger brother to the king was not to be. They spent the rest of their lives being the life of the party with no real contributions to society other than their fashion choices and the vast jewelry collection of the duchess.
mjsmilliken's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
kaytee_tjuh's review
medium-paced
4.5
It was a really good book, but you need to know some things from the British royal family to read it of course. I loved the flashback, however sometimes it ‘flashed’ too fast so it was really difficult to follow sometimes. Otherwise, I enjoyed reading this book!
bec_wheels's review
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It was a really good read and I felt that it portrayed Wallis Simpson in a different light. I would definitely recommend. Only criticism would be that it does jump back and forth through time.
andrea_author's review
3.0
If this book were purely a work of fiction, it would be fascinating, clever, and entertaining. But it's not. It's based on the lives of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, who were Nazi sympathizers. The fact that the book skims over this fact is deeply disturbing.
bossmoo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
micaela_s's review
slow-paced
2.0
I wasn't really a fan of this one. It reads like a YA romance novel. When the narrator described Wallis' second husband's "basset hound eyes" for the third time in as many pages I knew to adjust my expectations.
Wallis falling madly in love with the Prince of Wales to the point that she is obsessive and not eating because she can't stand the thought of never seeing him again after spending only a day and a half with him was giving major Bella Swan vibes.
For a woman that has supposedly been through so many terrible experiences, Wallis comes off as naive and gullible. I also really disliked how the author took away all her agency when it came to marrying Daivd, having her forced into it against her will.
Another thing that felt off to me was Wallis has a very modern, progressive worldview for someone who was in actuality a Nazi sympathizer, something that is not mentioned.
I don't think the author managed to make Wallis a sympathetic character; I liked her less and less as the book went on. She's very selfish, entitled, and spoiled.
Be prepared going into it that it does not read like historical fiction, and is not necessarily attempting to present the true historical figure.
Wallis falling madly in love with the Prince of Wales to the point that she is obsessive and not eating because she can't stand the thought of never seeing him again after spending only a day and a half with him was giving major Bella Swan vibes.
For a woman that has supposedly been through so many terrible experiences, Wallis comes off as naive and gullible. I also really disliked how the author took away all her agency when it came to marrying Daivd, having her forced into it against her will.
Another thing that felt off to me was Wallis has a very modern, progressive worldview for someone who was in actuality a Nazi sympathizer, something that is not mentioned.
I don't think the author managed to make Wallis a sympathetic character; I liked her less and less as the book went on. She's very selfish, entitled, and spoiled.
Be prepared going into it that it does not read like historical fiction, and is not necessarily attempting to present the true historical figure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Classism, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Rape and Sexual violence
kdurham2's review
5.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Wallis Simpson is famous and infamous. Her name is known by many and most people even know why she is famous. In this book, we go back in time before she meets the Duke and before she is famous beyond her circle of friends and family and get to know her before the world tips upside down.
I have read a book or two from this time period, but they had a focus on the Vanderbilt side of things and it was interesting to read something (fiction of course) that solely came from Wallis' point of view and to really hear her reaction of how a relationship with the Duke could change all sorts of lives. I wondered often while reading the book where fact and fiction were and oh how I wish I could know the gory details of this whole time period.
Wallis Simpson is famous and infamous. Her name is known by many and most people even know why she is famous. In this book, we go back in time before she meets the Duke and before she is famous beyond her circle of friends and family and get to know her before the world tips upside down.
I have read a book or two from this time period, but they had a focus on the Vanderbilt side of things and it was interesting to read something (fiction of course) that solely came from Wallis' point of view and to really hear her reaction of how a relationship with the Duke could change all sorts of lives. I wondered often while reading the book where fact and fiction were and oh how I wish I could know the gory details of this whole time period.