Was Wallis Simpson all woman?

[cinrit]

Wallis Simpson was a woman of the world.  If she had wanted to get rid of King Edward VIII she could have done so in five minutes.  As far as the birth control situation is concerned, I read it and I stand by what I said about it being used for centuries, but it works if you know what you are doing and if you are careful.  Millions of people have used it over many many years.  Of course there are slip ups and accidents, but before the pill was invented birth control methods as mentioned in the article listed by Cindy were instumental in preventing millions of pregnancies. 

I agree that Wallis didn't have to marry Edward VIII.  She could easily have gone back to the U.S., but I suppose the threat of suicide works on some people.  As for birth control, I never said it hasn't been used for centuries, and I never said it wasn't effective.  I said before The Pill it was iffy, and it was.  Hundreds of thousands of people have been born because of faulty birth control.  "Being careful" isn't something most people think of when they jump into bed ... they think they're being careful, but they're more hopeful than careful.  The rhythm method, for example ... 78-88% effective?  My mother used to tell me there was a running joke about the rhythm method when she was young ... "What do you call people who use the rhythm method?"  Answer: "Parents". ;)

Cindy

[SophieChloe]

My mother used to tell me there was a running joke about the rhythm method when she was young ... "What do you call people who use the rhythm method?"  Answer: "Parents". ;)

Cindy

:) Too true.  Finger in the wind moment. 

[amabel]

. 

I agree that Wallis didn't have to marry Edward VIII.  She could easily have gone back to the U.S., but I suppose the threat of suicide works on some people.  As for birth control, I never said it hasn't been used for centuries, and I never said it wasn't effective.  I said before The Pill it was iffy, and it was.  Hundreds of thousands of people have been born because of faulty birth control. Cindy

The Rhythm method isn't very reliable, only works if people are VERY careful and stick to it.  but the barrier methods while many people found them distasteful, are reasonably good, again provided one is "strict" about using them properly.
I am not so sure Wallis could have EASILY shaken off Edward if she wanted to.  I think at the least he would have purrused her with agents and a lot of chasing.  O course he couldn't force her to marry him but I think he would not give up easily.

[lilibet80]

. 

I agree that Wallis didn't have to marry Edward VIII.  She could easily have gone back to the U.S., but I suppose the threat of suicide works on some people.  As for birth control, I never said it hasn't been used for centuries, and I never said it wasn't effective.  I said before The Pill it was iffy, and it was.  Hundreds of thousands of people have been born because of faulty birth control. Cindy

The Rhythm method isn't very reliable, only works if people are VERY careful and stick to it.  but the barrier methods while many people found them distasteful, are reasonably good, again provided one is "strict" about using them properly.
I am not so sure Wallis could have EASILY shaken off Edward if she wanted to.  I think at the least he would have purrused her with agents and a lot of chasing.  O course he couldn't force her to marry him but I think he would not give up easily.

I absolutely agree that he would have made her life a misery with detectives and showing up in her path like a stalker.  However, not even the King of England can force an American citizen to marry him.  When she threatened to go somewhere where he would never find her, his equerry Dudley Forwood heard him tell her that if she thought the King of England could not find a woman anywhere there was something wrong with her.  From her point of view however it is very difficult to refuse royalty anything they want.  I think Wallis was shocked and stunned by what happened.  She had told someone that she had had a wonderful time and a great adventure and with her jewels she would now be quite well off if she left.  She probably envisioned herself being the toast of the town, but without the enveloping affection and devotion of David Windsor.  i personally think she would have gladly left him to ride off into the sunset hung with jewels and ready to take the world by storm as by now she was a well known celebrity.  She was probably dying to get away from England as there was the real threat that she would be murdered. It was all becoming too much for her to handle, and then David pulled the abdication card.  But she still could have gone, she did not, he abdicated and she was stuck for the rest of her life.

[cinrit]

Even before I knew the entire story (that is, more than just "he gave up his throne for the woman he loved"), I felt sorry for both of them.  I felt that if anything were to go wrong in the marriage, no matter what, they were stuck with each other for the rest of their lives ... or become laughingstocks.  :(

Cindy

[SophieChloe]

Even before I knew the entire story (that is, more than just "he gave up his throne for the woman he loved"), I felt sorry for both of them.  I felt that if anything were to go wrong in the marriage, no matter what, they were stuck with each other for the rest of their lives ... or become laughingstocks.  :(

Cindy

Yes Cindy, there was no going back - they both 'made their beds' so to speak - very selfish and sad at the same time.

[amabel]

Even before I knew the entire story (that is, more than just "

I felt that if anything were to go wrong in the marriage, no matter what, they were stuck with each other for the rest of their lives ... or become laughingstocks.  :(

Cindy

i daresay that since it happened  back in the 30s when divorce was rare, ti did mean that if they did split up, it looked as if the whole drama had been for nothing.  If it had happened later on, there might not have been the same pressure, they might have split up with some explanation... and people wold not have thought anything of it.  but still I think that David was always obsessed with Wallis even when I suspect he realised that the marriage wasn't perhaps vyer happy...
and maybe SHE would have been glad to split up ith him, but had gotten used to being treated as a sort of royalty...

[lilibet80]

He was obsessed to the point of mental illness where she was concerned.  William Buckley said that he was once in an elevator with them both.  The elevator was crowded and Wallis moved out of his sight for a moment.  He started whining and almost crying, saying "Wallis Wallis, where are you?"  She then stepped out of the shadow and said "I'm here David, I'm never very far away."  According to biographers he would have been happy to just sit and stare at her all day.  My friend's father had a hardware store on Lexington Avenue, a block or so away from the Waldorf.  When the Duchess was having her hair done or had gone for aitting, the Duke would come to the store because he could not stand being alone without her.  My friend's father used to keep new kitchen gadgets on the side for the Duke of Windsor's visits as he was very interested in all kinds of gadgets.  I saw him once on the street.  He looked dissipated and careworn with deep bags under his eyes, painfully thin and looked like he drank more than was good for him.  But then they both did that, drank and did not eat.

[cinrit]

^^  :( Just .... sad. :no: 

Cindy

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Anyone know why Wallis had a hysterectomy? And doesn't the fact that she had one prove that she was indeed a woman; or is the claim that she was a hermaphrodite who had both fem and male organs?

[amabel]

I think she had cancer of the womb...

[drezzle]

"In the end, said Ms Sebba, Edward abandoned his duty to follow selfish preferences while Wallis Simpson accepted her duty (and misery) to see through this doomed dalliance to its bitter end."

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/opinion/anne-pickles/the-royal-rule-book-is-thrown-away-1.872478?referrerPath=opinion/ross_brewster