The Windsor Story

by J. Bryan III, Charles J.V. Murphy

If you thought you knew everything there is to know about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, you are in for a shock...

In this authoritative, entertaining dual biography of Edward VIII and the American woman for whom he sacrificed the crown of England and its Empire, we see the Windsors as they have never been seen before: Wallis as a domineering woman who badgered the King for a bigger title, and the King himself as a slave of love. Through interviews with those closest to them, we observe their marriage not as the sentimental love story but as the nightmare it truly was.

The Windsor Story sweeps the reader up into a saga embracing two World Wars, the roaring twenties, the decadent café society of the fifties, and a score of personalities ranging from Cecil Beaton to Adolf Hitler, with major appearances by Winston Churchill, Prime Minster Stanley Baldwin, Queen Mary, the present Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is above all enthralling history, shedding new light on who made the decisions that led to disaster, the court intrigue that swirled around the Abdication (a Watergate-sized foul-up), the gulling of the British press by Lord Beaverbrook, and the royal family's vindictive behavior, which drove the Windsors into the arms of the Nazis and other unsavory and dangerous connections that were to mar their lifelong exile.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Royalty, British Literature, Biography Memoir

639 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Joseph Bryan III was a journalist and writer who was born into the influential Bryan family of newspaper publishers and industrialists. He edited and wrote for many national publications, including the family-owned Richmond News Leader and Chicago Daily Journal, as well as Parade, Time, Fortune, Town and Country, Reader's Digest, the Saturday Evening Post, and the New Yorker. He wrote numerous articles on travel, humor, and celebrities, some of which evolved into books or reappeared as portions of his books. He served in all three branches of the U.S. military: first as a lieutenant in the field artillery of the army following his graduation from Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, then in the navy during World War II (1939–1945) as a lieutenant commander assigned to naval air combat intelligence in the Pacific, and later as a lieutenant colonel in the air force. He also worked for the Central Intelligence Agency from the late 1940s until 1953. He lived in Washington, D.C., and at Brook Hill, an ancestral home in Henrico County.
Bryan's principal books included Mission Beyond Darkness (1945), written with Philip Reed about the U.S.S. Lexington in the South Pacific; Admiral Halsey's Story (1947), an authorized biography written with William F. Halsey; Aircraft Carrier (1954), based on a diary Bryan kept while aboard the U.S.S. Yorktown; The World's Greatest Showman: The Life of P. T. Barnum (1956), written for young readers; and The Windsor Story (1979), a dual biography of the duke and duchess of Windsor, written with Charles J. V. Murphy. He also published two volumes of short writings. The Sword over the Mantel: The Civil War and I (1960) features reminiscences and character sketches derived from his youth in Richmond, and Merry Gentlemen (And One Lady) (1985) contains memorable pen portraits of Fred Allen, Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker, and other personalities of the Algonquin Round Table who flourished during Bryan's years in New York. His last two books, Hodgepodge: A Commonplace Book (1987) and Hodgepodge Two: Another Commonplace Book (1989), reflect his omnivorous reading, his love of travel, and his sense of humor.

Reviews

[Christopher Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first foray into Windsor-and-Wallis-ology, and apparently there is a consensus now, since this book came out (1979), that the real reason behind the abdication was Edward's Nazi sympathies and their potential to destabilize the ongoing debate, in 1936, over whether to go to war with Germany. With that sense, I could easily tell in this book--and perhaps the authors knew this too but were obliged to downplay it or dance around it--that Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin was clearly maneuvering Edward into believing that his only two choices were ruling and losing Wallis or abdicating and keeping her, as opposed to the very real possibilities of a morganatic marriage or--what Churchill proposed--putting Wallis quietly away in France for a few years so the public can get to know Edward and he can introduce her to the court slowly--or of course entering an arranged marriage someday with some monobrow, club-footed German princess picked for him by the Queen Mother and having Wallis as his jewel-draped Little Bit of Tail on the Side, that being a very well established English royal tradition since, oh, since Uther Pendragon at least. Now what I'm really curious about is whether the Nazi issue was a bigger issue than the fact that the Duchess of York (later the Queen Mother Elizabeth) hated Wallis to the core of her being and was dead seat on keeping her out of the palace. There's more to read on this, and especially about Hitler's secret plan to fetch the Windsors from the Bahamas after annexing Britain so he could put them on the throne as his puppet royal family.

One odd note: this huge book tells the story of the Windsors' lives in meticulously chronological detail, in places week by week. But why is the death of George VI and their reaction to it skipped over as though it never happened? Suddenly, it's 1952, Elizabeth II is queen, and I wondered if I'd missed the succession, but no, there's no mention. Clearly this would have been one of the more emotional moments in Edward's life. Was this an accidental omission or is something being left deliberately untold?

That aside, there are some hilarious anecdotes in here, plus plenty of evidence to back up the hypothesis that the Windsors were a couple of shallow, self-absorbed, amoral bigots of very little brain. Rejection, ostracism, humiliation, slow fade, and death in exile--couldn't have happened to two more deserving people. The supposedly blameless Queen Mother (Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, that is) comes across as the pettiest person on the palace's side of the drama, and her daughter, Elizabeth II, as the most gracious and forgiving and reasonable. Whatever you may say of her, the broad's got a lotta Class.

[Pat Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent read. However, I can't remember when I have read about anyone as vacuous and self-centered as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. What an empty, boring life they led! I don't envy them. Maybe they were mentally ill. I'm surprised they had any friends. Sad.

[Dorothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best I can say of this is that it impelled me to read Ziegler's Edward VIII which I have just begun. This is a decent narrative with a lot of anecdotal frisson. The book is hampered by three things: it was written while Wallis was still (barely) alive and before a lot of archival records were released. The authors did not care for their subjects and thus neither Wallis nor Edward comes out of this well. While the authors did try to distinguish between fact and fiction, the lack of records and bit of spite didn't adequately dispel some of the more egregious rumors.

Like Henry VIII and all his wives, this Eight is forever fascinating.

[Lisa Buese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by two men who did actually know the Windsors (working with them on their autobiographies), it's the right note between the whitewash jobs and the spiteful gossips. Best of all, it actually covers their life AFTER the abdication as well as before, while a lot of books about them go into excruciating detail on the abdication and then cover 1937 to 1970 in about 2 chapters.

[Cathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked up this inter-library-loaned book at my library's circulation desk, my co-worker there asked me, "Aren't you done with these people yet?" HA HA Well, after reading 608 pages about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (the remaining 31 pages in the book were footnotes and bibliography), I can answer with a resounding... YES! Although I shall never be done reading books about Queen Elizabeth II and (maybe) some of the other British Royal Family members, I am most definitely done with these two.

This book was quite thorough; I learned things about them that the other 3 or 4 books I've read specifically about them did not mention. Yet this book left out or skimmed over some parts of their lives, I am guessing because it was getting long. Things that spring to mind are Wallis's ongoing dental work in the USA while they were stationed in the Bahamas, and their time there while he was Governor of the island.

Towards the end of this book, it becomes a bit catty, quoting more and more of their friends and former friends with remarks about their personalities (his: weak and bulldozed, hers: demanding and materialistic) or how they did not pay their staff well. I was fine with that -- if anything, they kind of deserve it because in my opinion although of course they were not evil, they did live selfish, petty, self-centered lives.

[David Allwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The abdication of King Edward VIII for his subsequent marriage to twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson, was one of the most momentous and historic events of the 20th century. In the decades since, however, this affair has become somewhat simplified by a public yearning for a fairytale. But this massive true account, ‘The Windsor Story’ written in 1979 by J. Bryan III and Charles J.V. Murphy is surely the most comprehensive and accurate record of this bleak and complicated story. Remaining highly-relevant and as astounding now, as then, this book details all the ugly facts and incredible twists making it the very opposite of a modern fairly tale. The two narcissists at the centre of the story are unyielding in their selfishness with mutual utter contempt for their social responsibilities. Even today, this is a shocking expose is a compelling reading experience. The inclusion of geographic maps, photos, and family trees could have simplified and enhanced the experience but, regardless, this is a seminal work.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining

This was an easy read. I like the way that the authors chose not to trash her, but still manage to portray the both of them as supremely superficial people. Most people prefer to make Wallis the bad person, but at anytime the Duke could have abandoned her…and the crowd would have followed him. So, you have to believe that there was true love on someone’s part. Definitely worth reading.

[Susann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Thorough

This is a long book but well worth the read. Their relationship is always fascinating as are the details of their life together. So many good stories. Unfortunately, both principals appear shallow, selfish, self-absorbed and amazingly stingy. Plenty of warts and all.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A long book but interesting subject I didn’t know much detail about.

[Lisa Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting, hugely detailed. I learned a lot .

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a bit boring to me. It did answer some questions I've had, but it led to many other questions.

[Kristie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

I’ve read many books on the Duke and Duchess, but this book was most illuminating, with many things not exposed anywhere else.

[Shelly Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard about this story before reading the book. I enjoyed it and could not help but think history is repeating itself with Harry and Meagan. The story is different but similar.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What set this book apart as well as above other books on the Windsors is that is focuses a lot on the Duke and the actual abdication. Generally when I have read anything about the Windsors, it tends to dwell too much on the idea of a fairy tale love story or some sort of crazy idea of Wallis being a sex goddess that had learned all sorts of things in Chinese brothels. This book is a much more rounded version of this odd story in which everyone's flaws are pointed out. I particularly liked the fact that the authors pointed out the mistakes made by George V and his queen, Queen Mary, George VI and his Queen Elizabeth, as well as David and Bertie's other brothers along with their wives. People do not go through their lives alone and a story such as this will have a lot of players. The duke himself, was foolish and self absorbed and made a bad decision. At least this book makes the first real attempt to explain how it happened and what everyone brought to the story instead of pronouncing the duke and duchess "bad" and George VI and his wife "perfect."

I am not certain I will ever quite understand the story of Edward VIII, but I do feel I have learned quite a bit about how the events unfolded. It comes across almost as a perfect storm where lots of events converge and create this incredibly strange event. There are so many "if this had happened ..." or "if that had not been that way" moments. For instance if Edward the VIII had married young, or if Wallis had not married young. If George V and Queen Mary had not been such horrible parents. If George the V had died earlier and Edward had already been on the throne. If George V had lived through World War II. If the war had not begun when it did. If someone had put their foot down when Edward started taking up with married women in the first place.

One thing I do think is interesting though, is how many criticize the duke because he basically abandoned his country in order to marry a rather ugly middle aged women. When you look around today, how many people do that today? They abandon their spouses and children in order to run around with someone new and different. The duke clearly influenced style and fashion, but evidently he influenced future behavior as well when it comes to abandoning duty and family for some sort of so called great love that rarely lasts.

Anyway I thought the book interesting and rather worth the long read.

[Henry Tilney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read almost everything I can about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Of course the Frances Donaldson biography of the King is seen as being the definitive text but as Bryan and Murphy point out in their Foreword, Donaldson never met either of the two protagonists - and the authors here spent hours with them as they worked on ghosting their memoirs. In the process, they were treated to self serving evasions, slothful evasions and outright untruths. The authors did their best to truly represent their subjects in these ghosted memoirs but through the process the authors obviously came to understand their subjects better than Edward and Wallis knew themselves.

It's a sad, sad story. She had a difficult life until she landed on her feet as the wife of Ernest Simpson; he had a childhood that was cruel and bizarre - but it was not very different from the strange lives endured by of lots of upper class children. Bryan and Murphy cover the story of the Abdication with verve and compassion for everyone but it is a story that has often been told. They are at their best covering the years of idleness and aridity that followed the Second World War. Yes, the Royal Family were unforgiving and mean spirited after the Abdication and beyond. The simple message of the long, unhappy narrative is that Edward never understood the enormity of what he had done. He couldn't understand, as his mother put it so simply, the nation had demanded so much of its people in the war years and there was not a family in the nation who had not lost a loved one. Here was the King who put his private happiness ahead of his duty and could not understand that people might be angry, disappointed or shamed by his behaviour. Wallis was just as cold and as self serving.
The mendacity of their lives is stunning. During the darkest days of the war, they sprout opinions that are completely at odds with the heroic determination of the Churchill government to go on fighting. They indicate that they are open to offers of a return to England to lead a collaborationist government if Britain is defeated. They are openly anti-Semitic. Windsor, the richest man at the table, won't even pick up the bill at dinner even if those sitting there are supposedly his guests. What a pair!
It's a great read but I feel soiled after putting it down!

[E.S. Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book better than Henry VIII although the latter had more on the Duke’s childhood and early adulthood and how it shaped him. But when it comes to little details that add atmosphere to the story - such as the decor and setting of the many palaces and houses - this one has more than a lot of books on royalty that I’ve read. It also adds in more of the amusing anecdotes in detail instead of referring to them in a general way. It’s as well researched (and as thick) as King Edward VIII, by Philip Ziegler but they seem to give more context to their quotes and explain the references around the quotes (such as information about the person quoted.)
The details, such as the extensive descriptions of how the houses are decorated, the household staffs managed and outfitted really gives a sense of how royalty - or former royalty - expected to live. And it’s interesting to note that while the Duke and Duchess spent huge amounts of money, they were tough negotiators and penny-pinchers who kept detailed accounts of their expenses so that they could keep an eye on economy.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really bad move by Edward VIII. The scene of his last dinner at 'The Fort' and how he was treated by his servants after the abdication is priceless. This could probably be read as the beginning of the end of Britain's preeminent place in the world. The portrait of 'the smart set' is devastating and I could not help but think of American public opinion in the '30s and how they wanted nothing to do with the Europeans, their problems and eventually their wars. Alas, public opinion did not win out and the America Empire has replaced the British Empire (with disastrous results). "Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less." These words by Robert E. Lee were unheeded by Edward. (Alex Jennings as the Duke of Windsor in episode 5 of the Netflix series "The Crown" is what got me interested in all of this. That was an amazing episode that I have watched some six times now...)

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many books on this subject. Of course, I have no way of knowing the truth. I noticed that this version seems more critical of the Duchess of Windsor. It isn't just things people said or things that actually happened. The authors never miss a chance to take a shot at her. It seems like their judgement of her. An example is the issue of her being denied the HRH title. Other versions I've read emphasized that the Duke was the one obsessed by this and never stopped trying to get it granted. He never stopped harping on it to his brother the King or anyone else. In this verison, it is emphatically described as something the Duchess was obsessed about. If the Duke harped on it, it's because she was constantly harassing him about it. I don't know which, if either, is true. I just noticed that dramatic difference in interpretation. Some authors can't stand the idea of a man subjecting himself to a woman. They blame the woman, not the man.

[Joy H.]

I started reading this book, The Windsor Story, after reading Royal Feud: The Dark Side of the Love Story of the Century. Although I read only part of The Windsor Story, I found that it explained more (i.e., gave more background) about the various Windsor friends which are mentioned in both books. That was helpful.

However, after awhile, since it repeats much of was in Royal Feud, I decided not to continue reading it.

Since I didn't finish it, I won't rate it.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book 35 years ago, gave it away, and then - I admit it! - watching *The Crown* made me re-buy and re-read it. I am not sorry.

There is no need to create drama in the story of Edward’s abdication of the throne so that he could marry Bessiewallis Warfield Spencer Simpson: the drama is real! The authors have credibility in their knowledge of both parties, and the research involved in writing this book is impressive. I read it (again) waiting for the ending to change, for Edward to place country over his own intoxication with a social-climber...but he didn’t, and it was to England’s benefit.

Great book. Highly recommended.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took so long to get through because I kept coming back to it in between book club selections. The first half dragged a little, but I think that was partly because by the time I started reading, I'd already gotten through several other books on the abdication (an interest stoked by "The King's Speech"). However, the second half of the book was an interesting and fairly intimate portrayal of one of history's fascinating marriages.

[Patricia Delucia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread this book in honor of the jubilee. Still think Wallis was a gold digger and not a very pleasant person--The notably always wanting the recognition of the royals. David was tight wad and infatuated with Wallis. David was a tight-wad His love for Wallis was childlike and he bent to her every whim--even other men! I find him exasperating and think he would have been better staying king andlosing her.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I found it to be a very interesting read but also very sad. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor led a very shallow empty life..... worrying over money, moving many times unable to settle in any place for long. Had many 'so-called ' friends who turned out not to be very nice friends in the end. They both had problems and both contributed to the mess of their lives. Very hard to decide on whom to sympathize with if one had to pick.

[Andrew Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will tell you the ins and outs of the marriage between Wallis Simpson and his Royal Highness, King Edward. I this biography is a brutal, but honest account of Edward‘s life prior to meeting Wallis Simpson, his abdication and ultimate downfall by his American wife.

It is hard not to compare Edwards downfall with that of Prince Harry by his divorced American wife, Megan. The parallels are frighteningly similar.

Definitely worth a read as we seem to watch history repeat itself.

[Marmie Donna]

I am an admitted anglophile - I thought I'd read (or heard!) everything there was to know about the Royal family; but this book revealed well-documented sources about events and people previously unknown to me. As a Baltimor-on (ha), I now have little/no empathy for the Duchess; I can't imagine what pain and embarrassment the Royals and their subjects endured.

[Rho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not lots of new info but it was a pickup from my bookshelf of used books. Written in 1979 so many new tell alls since then. Book would be a good start for anyone who does not know their story - factual and accurate account of their lives

[Tanya Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I loved this book. It was like a historic soap opera in a way with a lot of context thrown in. It's worth checking out, especially if you are interested in the history of British royalty.

[Cws]

92W

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an interesting read but also sometimes quite repetitive. I was surprised that the death of George VI. was not really mentioned.