Duke and Duchess of Windsor Part 2

Is anything known about the PoW/King/DoWs drinking habits? His personality strikes me as hovering around the melancholy/depressive spectrum and possibly the type that would use alcohol to drown his sorrows. He seemed to escape getting hooked on cocaine-hooked on Wallis instead.

I've actually come to believe he was probably bipolar. He had a lot of the symptoms that are common from periods of depression, to changes in sleeping habits, and some other stuff.

The Sebba book is apparently very trashy. I have no intention of reading it, but have had trouble avoiding the various articles she's written promoting it. Most of her conclusions are totally unproven and she dredges up theories that were disproven by previous biographers and presents them as being likely.

Honestly, from what I've read David was more interesting when he was young and I think he got boring as he got bored with his life post-Abdication. He was very reluctant to admit that boredom because he didn't want to suggest he was unhappy with Wallis.

I think he was more obsessive compulsive than bipolar.  He did not have wild spending habits or outbursts of energy followed by depressive symptoms.  He did drink quite a bit as did she, but that was the way a lot of society people behaved and still do.  His obsession with Wallis was intense.  Even Queen Mary said that his love for Wallis was "unnatural." 

Here's my review of the Anne Sebba biography of Wallis Simpson. The early chapters are quite speculative but here discussion of the abdication crisis is very interesting:

http://www.royalhistorian.com/that-woman-by-anne-sebba-book-review-of-the-latest-biography-of-wallis-simpson-duchess-of-windsor/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--goH-lhRNY

was it mentioned before?

My sister has just come back from spending a week at Le Moulin de la Tuilerie, the weekend retreat of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Its now owned and run by the Landmark Trust who restore historic and architecturally unusual buildings and then let them out as holiday homes so that they can 'earn their keep'. My sister and her husband had the main Mill house and slept in the Duke and Duchess's former bedroom whilst their children and friends stayed in the converted outbuildings in bedrooms once used by the likes of Elizabeth Tayler and Marlene Dietrich.

In the sitting room of the main mill house is a mural painted for the Duchess that states 'Im not the mill owners daughter but I have been through the mill!'. My sister and her family had a wonderful time and my niece is convinced she saw a ghost but not of the Duke or Duchess unfortunately. I believe it was the only property the Duke and Duchess ever actually owned.

The landmark Trust is a wonderful organisation, I have stayed in a few of their properties myself although not on the continent, they also have properties in Italy and the USA. For group bookings they are surprisingly good value. Have a look at the Le Moulin de la Tuilerie on their website landmarktrust.org.uk. Their are more pictures under the 'group' folder for the Landmark Trust on Flickr.com.

Prince Charles is the Trust's patron and so they also have a tower/hunting lodge that you can stay in on the Sandringham Estate, once used by Edward VIII and Queen Alexandra.

oops! I meant Edward VII.

Awhile ago, there was discussion about the Madonna directed W.E. film. I had a chance to watch it and I was quite surprised. It was lovely, beautifully shot and well acted. I didn't think that it would be something that would resonate with me, but surprisingly it did. Was anyone else surprised with their reaction to the film?

My sister has just come back from spending a week at Le Moulin de la Tuilerie, the weekend retreat of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. I believe it was the only property the Duke and Duchess ever actually owned.

Perhaps in terms of a home (where they actually resided much of the year); however, the Windsors also owned the E.P. Ranch in Alberta, Canada.  It was purchased by Edward, then Prince of Wales, in 1919 after his tour of Canada, and he bred lifestock, notably Shorthorn cattle, Dartmoor ponies, Shopshire sheep and Clydesdale horses.  In 1956 the Duke of Windsor and a group in Britain formed the EP Ranching Company to take over the ranch operations. It was restocked with purebred animals from Britain. In 1962 the ranch was sold to a neighboring rancher.

The Prince visited the ranch in 1923, 1924 and 1927, and after his abdication as King Edward VIII, visited the ranch with his wife in 1941 and 1950.