Wallis Simpson(1896 — 1986)

« You can never be too rich or too thin.»

In December 1936, after a reign of only 326 days, Edward VIII gave up the British throne to marry Wallis Simpson. In his farewell radio broadcast, he declared that he could not reign “without the help and support of the woman I love.” It is one of the rare times a British monarch has voluntarily abdicated.

Wallis Simpson was American and twice divorced, which was deemed incompatible with the status of queen: the king is also head of the Church of England, which did not permit divorced people to remarry while their former spouses were still living. This incompatibility lay at the heart of the constitutional crisis of 1936.

After their marriage in 1937, the couple was granted the titles of Duke and Duchess of Windsor. But King George VI refused to allow Wallis to bear the style of “Her Royal Highness,” a protocol affront that deeply wounded Edward and lasted until the end of their lives.

In 1937, shortly after their marriage, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor made a controversial visit to Nazi Germany, where they were received by Adolf Hitler. These images lastingly tarnished their reputation and fueled suspicions of pro-German sympathies.

Wallis Simpson was a recognized fashion icon: she is often credited with the saying “You can never be too rich or too thin.” She appeared several times among the best-dressed women in the world and collected jewels and gowns by great couturiers such as Mainbocher and later Givenchy.