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A review by bookstoloveandhate
Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor by Andrew Lownie
4.0
One of the problems with books about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor is that they're often portrayed as either saints whom everyone turned against or horrible people England was lucky to see the back of. Andrew Lownie takes a more measured approach, acknowledging some genuine successes and good intentions (even if not followed through), while not shying away from the inescapable fact the Duke of Windsor was sympathetic to the Nazi regime, and probably wouldn't have objected too strenuously if German victory meant he might have a chance to return to the throne. (Despite what that would have meant for his brother, sister-in-law, and two nieces.)
The author leans heavily on primary sources such as letters, diaries, and other items contemporary to events, often contrasting those observations with later memoirs and biographies. Some of those sources are overtly hostile (Hello, Tommy Lascelles), but the evidence supports the idea they were right to be concerned about a feckless, pampered, privileged man more interested in the trappings of his position than the responsibilities, trappings which he bemoaned the loss of for the rest of his life.
Wallis is more of a cipher. More controlled and clever about what she did and did not reveal than her husband, there is a hint she found this "great romance" a trap from which she could not escape. The letters and diaries cited show a somewhat obsessive neediness in Edward which seemed to grate on Wallis from time to time (as it would almost any person). But it is also clear she enjoyed the status which came which being his wife, a status she would not find again if she left him.
For a long book, it's a surprisingly easy read, with a style that keeps you turning the page. It's also the story of two people, having made their choices, didn't want to face the consequences or discomfort of those choices.
The author leans heavily on primary sources such as letters, diaries, and other items contemporary to events, often contrasting those observations with later memoirs and biographies. Some of those sources are overtly hostile (Hello, Tommy Lascelles), but the evidence supports the idea they were right to be concerned about a feckless, pampered, privileged man more interested in the trappings of his position than the responsibilities, trappings which he bemoaned the loss of for the rest of his life.
Wallis is more of a cipher. More controlled and clever about what she did and did not reveal than her husband, there is a hint she found this "great romance" a trap from which she could not escape. The letters and diaries cited show a somewhat obsessive neediness in Edward which seemed to grate on Wallis from time to time (as it would almost any person). But it is also clear she enjoyed the status which came which being his wife, a status she would not find again if she left him.
For a long book, it's a surprisingly easy read, with a style that keeps you turning the page. It's also the story of two people, having made their choices, didn't want to face the consequences or discomfort of those choices.