King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson (Duke and Duchess of Windsor)

[Emperor of the Dominions]

Forgive the OT intrusion.  I have been contacted privately by several users about the sub-topic conflict between Eric Lowe and several other users. I have spent the better part of an hour reading this entire thread, and looking at others referenced. I must confess I rarely read the Windsor threads, GDE does such a good job of mod here, and they are not high priority on my personal interest list.

GDElla is quite corrrect, as usual, that I give the greatest of latitude for the free and unfettered expression of opinions and discussions here. As it should be, according to Bob. EVERYONE should be able to participate in a reasonable and enjoyable fashion. I lay down few express rules. One is that statements alleged as FACTS must be supported by evidence. The other is that ALL PERSONS ARE TO BE RESPECTED IN PUBLIC. In other words, feel free to disagree with the statements but RESPECT THE POSTER.

ERIC LOWE: You have indeed crossed the line. This is not up for discussion. You have been rude, condescending, arrogant and simply disrespectful of other users. Consider this your one and only warning. I hate to ban users, and will always give everyone the benefit of doubt and chance to behave before taking such a drastic action. However, Eric there will be no further warnings.  Feel free to privately contact me if you have any questions. Also, I am asking that you publicly apologize to Margot and Robert Hall specifically.

I hope this is the end of this matter. Please contact me directly should anyone have any further questions or issues. 

Thank you for you support of our Forum. Carry on!

Rob
FA

OT I know -  but I should like to point out, that despite being recently active on the site, Mr Lowe does not seem to have taken the opportunity on this thread to make amends and publicly apologise to Mr Hall and Margot as requested. Am I the only one that believes this shows total contempt for our valuable forum, its members and moderators? Should Mr Lowe continue to maintain his silence; I say again BE GONE! All those in favour?
R.I.

[LadyTudorRose]

I thought someone said she took size five!

Does anyone know if that's current sizing or what it was when the shoes were bought? American or British sizing?

I do think the sizes have changed over the years. I have bought vintage shoes with sizes both much larger and smaller than current sizes, depending on where the shoes were originally made. Either way they probably wouldn't fit me... But those shoes are fierce. I could see them on Carrie Bradshaw.

[Lindelle]

How is it that Wallis was so chic?  I know she had the money to do so, but did she have a personal dresser?

[LadyTudorRose]

How is it that Wallis was so chic?  I know she had the money to do so, but did she have a personal dresser?

Some people just have the gift. I have a friend like that who's worked as a model and stylist. I'm trying to learn from her. See also, Dita von Teese.

[Lindelle]

Hey Jeniann thanks for that!

She certainly DID have the gift of the gab and it must have come naturally to her before she met Edward. After that though, do you think she may have had a personal dresser? She did have more formal engagements to attend and I wonder how she put it all together.

[Robert_Hall]

Wallis was usually dressed by her designers. They know how  to make her look her best.  She also had a personal maid who looked after  the clothes and helped her dress.

[Kalafrana]

Let's be honest, she had a doting husband who showered jewllery on her, and nothing else to do but look decorative.

Did Mrs Simpson ever do anything useful in her life?

Ann

[Margot]

Well she helped keep various couture houses, cordwainers, milliners, haberdashers, hosiers, cobblers, numerous Jewel houses and whatnot in business for decades! Come on Ann, let's not make out that she didn't 'do' anything for enterprise, business and commerce! Even Dior tried to dress her in his early post war collections and that was less than successful, not that it did his house any harm in the long term! Just kidding...but I am sure you get my drift?

With regards to style and why the Duchess managed to always seemed to be able to look fab! I think the Duchess of Windsor tended to know her own style boundaries and that Dior's New Look was about the only silhouette that she simply could not carry off, she did some of later lines far more successfully  including the H line! The Sixties era could have proved her downfall, but Wallis stuck with the classic adaptations and became a loyal patron of Givenchy who created some spectacular garments, which Wallis snatched up and made her own including that wonderfully memorable blue and white striped dress that to this day is timeless! Even into her seventies Wallis seemed able to sense what was good on herself! Love her or hate her one has to admit she had "It" with a huge capital 'I' when it came to image, clothes and how to make them work for her!!!!!!

Interestingly I think Wallis made mistakes but she always managed to rebound and adapt, in this I think Diana, Princess of Wales was very similar as an 'Icon' of fashion! Both had pretty unlimited funds and both made mistakes but ultimately both found their niches ,which are and will no doubt remain timeless in the relevance to them and what they did and wore! Wallis was tiny, Diana a comparative Amazon and yet both achieved their own status as the ultimate exemplars of how clothes can be used in an image conscious world! Couture was probably, in Waliis' case the only way she knew how to fulfill her role as the Duchess of Windsor! No one would or could ever criticize her for not looking the part! Diana eventually used popular designers to make everyone realize that here was woman who could really carry off those spectacular creations such as those by Versace et al! She didn't actually need to be a Princess to do it! That is the parallel!


 

[Robert_Hall]

Ann- Yes, she did. She saved the UK from a  dreadfully selfish and potentially divisive monarch, and got themselves out of the country
Margot, you forget her hairdressers-   Alexandre in Paris  and  some one at the Waldorf Astoria when they were there.

[Margot]

Ann- Yes, she did. She saved the UK from a  dreadfully selfish and potentially divisive monarch, and got themselves out of the country
Margot, you forget her hairdressers-   Alexandre in Paris  and  some one at the Waldorf Astoria when they were there.

Omigod I can't believe I forgot the HAIR!!!!! Ooooops!

[Kalafrana]

Robert

I agree. She did perform a considerable service for the British monarchy, albeit unintentionally. Where would we have finished up had Edward VIII stayed on the throne?

Ann

[Michael HR]

Robert

I agree. She did perform a considerable service for the British monarchy, albeit unintentionally. Where would we have finished up had Edward VIII stayed on the throne?

Ann

I could not agree more. Edward as it turned out was not it seems suitable and seems to have put self before Crown, country and it's people. George VI was a superb monarch and the right man for the time. Elizabeth II has never put a foot wrong and understand the meaning of duty as well.  Had Edward remained I am not sure he would have been a liked and respected King, sadly. He had as a young man shown such promise and was loved. I always remember my Mother saying when he came back here to be buried that she said "he was our King" butt that was before the selfish side came out.

Michael

[Marc]

Does anyone have other version of this photo where Duchess is standing?I know I posted it on this board a while ago but now couldn't find it...thnx!

http://www.princessdianabookboutique.com/images/?src=Wallis_Simpson_book_09.jpg&width=300

[primrose]

Does anyone have other version of this photo where Duchess is standing?I know I posted it on this board a while ago but now couldn't find it...thnx!

http://www.princessdianabookboutique.com/images/?src=Wallis_Simpson_book_09.jpg&width=300

This photograph was taken by Cecil Beaton at Chateau de Candé, 25 April 1937, about six weeks before their wedding. The photograph appears on the cover of Sotheby's The Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor auction catalogue which was held in Geneva in 1987. At that time I ordered the book and was swept away by it... it is a gorgeous publication and if you can get your hands on a copy it's worth spending time over, not only for the photographs but for the history it gives.

I actually made a couple of bids on very small things but didn't even come close to the sale prices. Most lots sold for at least 10 times the estimated price and the big winner was the Pasteur Institute in Paris where much of the profits went for AIDs research.

Oops... realize I didn't answer your question about a standing figure but if you check out Cecil Beaton's work online you should find it~

[Marc]

Thank you for giving me a clue :-)