The Duchess

A Novel of Wallis Simpson

By: Wendy Holden

Narrated by: Louise Barrett

Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

It was a love so strong, a king renounced his kingdom - all for that woman. Or was she just an escape route for a monarch who never wanted to rule? Best-selling author Wendy Holden takes an intimate look at one of the most notorious scandals of the 20th century.

The year 1928. A middle-aged foreigner comes to London with average looks, no money, and no connections. Wallis’s first months in the city are lonely, dull, and depressing. With no friends of her own she follows the glamorous set in magazines and goes to watch society weddings. Her stuffy husband Ernest’s idea of fun, meanwhile, is touring historic monuments.

When an unexpected encounter leads to a house party with the prince of Wales, Wallis’ star begins to rise. Her secret weapon is her American pep and honesty. For the prince she is a breath of fresh air. As her friendship with him grows, their relationship deepens into love. Wallis is plunged into a world of unimaginable luxury and privilege, enjoying weekends together at his private palace on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Wallis knows the fun and excitement can’t last. The prince will have to marry, and she will return to Ernest. The sudden death of George V seems to make this inevitable; the prince of Wales is now King Edward VIII. When, to her shock and amazement, he refuses to give her up - or recognize that they are facing impossible odds - her fairy tale becomes a nightmare. The royal family close ranks to shut her out, and Ernest gives an ultimatum.

Wallis finds herself trapped when Edward insists on abdicating his throne. She can’t escape the overwhelming public outrage and villainized, she becomes the woman everyone blames - the face of the most dramatic royal scandal of the 20th century.

©2021 Wendy Holden (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“One of the delights of historical fiction is the what-if factor, and Holden poses a whopper: What if Edward never really wanted to be king and pursued Wallis, whom he knew he couldn’t marry as monarch, to avoid the throne We’ll never know, but fans of biographical fiction and British royalty will thoroughly enjoy this sparkling tale of love and loss.”—Booklist

"A beautifully woven and exquisitely detailed story of strong upstairs/downstairs women whose lives entwine during some of the most significant periods of modern British history. . . a novel that will stand the test of time. I loved it."—Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, on The Royal Governess

"An intimate view of the royal family at a time of great uncertainty and change, The Royal Governess is a beautifully written and richly detailed piece of historical fiction. Marion Crawford's dedication to her charges, as well as her passion for education and reform, shines through the pages. Through her eyes, the reader is transported back in time and thoroughly immersed in the lives of the British royal family. A delightful read!"—Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Train to Key West, on The Royal Governess

Clever, tight and profoundly beautiful

The author has done excellent research in this semi-fictionalized account of the life Wallis Windsor, Duchess of Windsor and the death of the Edward Windsor, Duke of Windsor.

I felt like I was inside of the thoughts and words and actions of a truly extraordinary woman.