She was the woman who would change royal history forever. Wallis Simpson’s romance with King Edward VIII led to him deciding between love and duty. In the end, it was a choice of love. The King Emperor abdicated the throne as he was unable to marry the American divorcée in the Church of England at the time. The throne passed to his brother, Albert, who became King George VI. And Edward…
Americans who married royal
8th June 2023
The United States fought the Revolutionary War to break away from King George III and Great Britain in the 1700s. The country did not want a rule by a monarchy. However, over the years, Americans (the officialdemonym for those from the United States) have married into…
Duchess of Windsor keepsakes go under the hammer
15th July 2022
Several keepsakes belonging to the late Duchess of Windsor are going under the hammer in Lichfield on 19 July.
The auction includes a pair of Bergere gold-plated clip-on earrings in a case with an interlinked WE with a coronet – which stands for Wallis and Edward -…
A royal rarity - an emerald engagement ring
11th June 2022
Princess Martha Louise of Norway has announced her engagement to her partner, Durek Verrett. Their decision to marry wasn’t that much of a surprise with both having spoken of their hopes to wed previously. But the ring that they showed off during that most modern of royal engagement appearances, an Instagram live, was a bit of a surprise. For the couple have chosen an emerald as the central…
Wallis Simpson and the fight over the HRH
19th June 2021
On 27 May 1937, just a few days before Wallis Simpson and the former King Edward VIII were due to be married, a letter arrived from King George VI with “not very good news.” Edward then learned that while Wallis would become Duchess of Windsor upon marriage, she…
Royal Wedding Rewind: the Duke and Duchess of Windsor
3rd June 2021
It was the wedding that changed the Royal Family forever. The marriage of Edward, Duke of Windsor to Wallis Simpson on 3 June 1937 was the final act of a dramatic series of events that had reverberated around the world. For, of course, the groom had given up his throne to…
The Sussexes and Wessexes show that royalty is a tradition, not a trade - reinventing it never succeeds
12th May 2021
While the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to leave the UK for America might seem like a royal first to many, the discussions of leaving ‘The Firm’ have been held more frequently, and more recently, than you may expect.
On the face of it, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the Earl and Countess of Wessex may not appear to be too similar in their personal circumstances. But if we…
Who was the Duchess of Windsor?
19th June 2020
Bessie Wallis Warfield – more commonly known as Wallis – was born 19 June 1896 in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, to Teackle Wallis Warfield and Alice Montague.
Wallis grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. Her father died shortly after her birth from tuberculosis…
Edward VIII's wartime home for sale
28th February 2020
Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson’s former Bahamas home is now on the market, but it comes with a hefty price tag, $8.5 million, or, £6.6 million.
In 1937, after Edward abdicated the British throne so he could marry American socialite Wallis Simpson, he became the…
The Week in Royal History: a story of kings
5th October 2019
The royal diary is filling up after the summer break and autumn is bringing its own fair share of fresh stories all about the past. Royal history continues to fascinate and dominate with an eternally controversial king leading the way this week. Here’s Royal Central’s round up of the best history stories from the past week.
The Face of a King
He is one of history’s most…