Wallis Simpson is known as the woman at the center of the most scandalous love affair of the 20th century, but in this “unputdownable…lively and detailed” (The Times, London) biography, discover a woman wronged by history with new information revealed by the latest research and those who were close to the couple. The story that has been told repeatedly is this: The handsome, charismatic, and popular Prince Edward was expected to marry a well-bred virgin who would one day become Queen of England when he ascended the throne. But when the prince was nearly forty, he fell in love with a divorced American woman—Wallis Simpson. No one thought the relationship would last, and when the prince did become king, everyone assumed that was the end of the affair. But to the shock of the British establishment, the new king announced his intention to marry the American divorcée. Overnight, Wallis was accused of entrapping the prince in a seductive web in order to achieve her audacious ambition to be queen. After declaring that he could not rule without the woman he loved, the king abdicated, and his family banished him and his new wife from the country. The couple spent the rest of their days in exile, but happy in their devoted love for each other. Now, Anna Pasternak’s The American Dutchess tells a different story: that Wallis was the victim of the abdication, not the villain. Warm, well-mannered, and witty, Wallis was flattered by Prince Edward’s attention, but like everyone else, she never expected his infatuation to last. She never anticipated his jealous, possessive nature—and his absolute refusal to let her go. Edward’s true dark nature, however, was no secret to the royal family, the church, or the Parliament; everyone close to Edward knew that beyond his charming façade, he was utterly unfit to rule. Caught in Edward’s fierce obsession, she became the perfect scapegoat for those who wished to dethrone the troubled king. With profound insight and evenhanded research, Pasternak pulls back the curtain on one of the darkest fairy tales in recent memory and effortlessly reveals “a host of intriguing insights into a misunderstood woman” (Kirkus Reviews).
Karen Harper tells the tale of Consuelo Vanderbilt, her “The Wedding of the Century” to the Duke of Marlborough, and her quest to find meaning behind “the glitter and the gold.” On a cold November day in 1895, a carriage approaches ...
Note that colors like purple were caustic in the eighteenth century and turned brown very quickly—what might appear to be a brown flower could have originally been purple. What to avoid at the fabric store: 1. If it looks Victorian, ...
With Lauren and Abby’s step-by-step instructions and insightful commentary, this must-have guide is sure to find a permanent place on the shelves of all 18th century beauty enthusiasts.
A beautiful new standalone historical romance from New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James, a companion story to her latest romance, How to be a Wallflower!
In Kent, England, the arrival of Beranger Northcott, Duke of Brightshire, causes a stir.
A deep voice said, “You must breathe, Your Grace. Please try to relax, Your Grace.” It was Dr. Drury. As he leaned over her other side, Nigel's mother moved aside, and Zoe reached for him desperately. “I don't want to lose my baby,” she ...
The story of Cora Cash, an American heiress in the 1890s who bags an English duke, this is a deliciously evocative first novel that lingers in the mind.
An updated edition of the life story of the American heiress and Duchess of Marlborough whose experiences inspired the character of Downtown Abby's Lady Grantham describes her arranged marriage, her observations of the intricate hierarchy ...
... Beck Pritchard and Henry G. Taliaferro Furnishing Williamsburg's Historic Buildings by Jan Kirsten Gilliam and Betty Crowe Leviner The Governor's Palace in Williamsburg A Cultural Study by Graham Hood Pewter at Colonial Williamsburg ...
Here are her encounters with every important figure of the day - from Queen Victoria, Edward V11 and Queen Alexandra to Tsar Nicholas, Prince Metternich and the young Winston Churchill.