The British royal family has weathered many storms of controversy, none greater than the obsessive romance between Edward VIII, heir to the throne, and twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson which ultimately resulted in the abdication and forced exile of the charismatic King.
A century before Meghan Markle found herself at the mercy of the media, Daily Mail reports Wallis was subjected to a “brutal character assassination” by the public and press who cruelly dubbed her “that woman”, a conniving seductress hell bent on bewitching the Prince of Wales and luring him away from his monarchical duties.
To add more drama to the already incredible fairy-tale gone wrong, Baltimore-born Wallis was alleged to have been born intersex – that is, born with male sex organs and genetic characteristics.
Per ABC News, a 2012 biography by royal writer Anne Sebba noted the Duchess of Windsor, as she would become, had a “raspy voice, square jaw and flat chest” while other authorities claim Wallis was infertile and never menstruated.
Scandalous whispers did the rounds throughout Wallis’ relationship with Edward alleging she had spent time visiting brothels in China where she learned special oral sex techniques which gave her a psycho-sexual hold over the Duke.
Anna Pasternak, author of The Real Wallis Simpson, writes that Wallis was desperately insecure about her sexual identity and “never had sexual intercourse with either of her first two husbands” nor engaged in any kind of penetrative sexual activity.
Ms Pasternak also claims the Duchess was obsessed with maintaining her figure and favoured a “starvation diet” for fear of “bulking up in a masculine way”.
The Duke and Duchess shared a love for luxury and excess – especially fine jewels and foreign travel – as well as obsessive compulsive personalities and preoccupations with physical appearance.
According to the couple’s close confidant Perry Brownlow, their relationship was “an obsession”.
“No great love ever existed,” he remarked.
After Edward sparked a constitutional crisis and bitter rage amongst the royal family by declaring his decision to abdicate, he presented his love with a 19.77 emerald engagement ring inscribed with the words: “WE are ours now.”
The Duke and Duchess settled at an opulent cottage called Le Moulin de la Tuilerie at Gif-sur-Yvette just outside of Paris, and later spent years living in the Bahamas where Edward acted as Governor from 1940 to 1945.
Elizabeth, daughter of Edward’s brother who would later become the world’s longest reigning monarch herself, is known to have despised Wallis and was open in stating she “hoped Mrs. Simpson would remain in France”.
The future Queen once said of Edward and his lady: “What a curse black sheep are in a family.”
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