Biography
Wallis Warfield Spencer Simpson Windsor was born in 1896 into a prominent family. In 1916, she married Lt. Earl Winfield ("Win") Spencer, a U.S. Navy pilot. Following World War I, Win struggled with heavy drinking and became abusive. Wallis left him and finalized their divorce in December 1927. Six months later, she married Ernest Simpson, a shipping executive. The couple settled in London and participated in social events. In 1931, at Lady Furness's residence, Wallis met Prince Edward and joined his social circle. By August 1934, Wallis and the Prince had begun an affair. On January 20, 1936, King George V, Edward's father, died, and Edward ascended as King Edward VIII. His sorrow over his father's death was compounded by the burdens of the throne, which he resented. He frequently arrived late or canceled engagements abruptly. His obsession with Wallis intensified, severely affecting his royal duties. The situation reached a crisis point when he was warned that the press would soon expose their relationship and that the government might resign if it continued. Declaring he could not fulfill his role "without the help and support of the woman I love," Edward became the only British monarch to voluntarily abdicate on December 10, 1936. His brother Albert succeeded him as King George VI and granted Edward the family name Windsor. Wallis divorced Ernest Simpson, and she and Edward wed in a private ceremony on June 3, 1937, becoming the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Their romance caused a constitutional crisis in Britain and made Wallis "the most-talked-about, written-about, headlined and interest-compelling person in the world," according to TIME, which named her its first Woman of the Year in 1936. Wallis Simpson remains a controversial historical figure, often portrayed negatively. Despite being ostracized by the royal family, the couple stayed devoted to each other. They spent their remaining years in France and the Bahamas. After Edward's death in 1972, Wallis lived a reclusive life, confined to bed, until she died on April 24, 1986, just shy of her 90th birthday.
