Unseen images show Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson holidaying in Venice

2022-10-11

Lavish lifestyle of the abdicated King: Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson relax with friends in Venice in the 1950s in unseen images that are up for auction with letters describing holidays, golf and parties

After abdicating in 1936, Edward enjoyed a lavish lifestyle in France, with frequent holidays
Images show Edward and Wallis on holiday with friends in the 1950s, with destination believed to be Venice
Letters betray the holidaying schedule of Edward and Wallis, who became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor
The lots are expected to fetch up to £8,000 when they are sold with Chiswick Auctions, in West London

After he gave up the crown to marry the woman he loved, Edward VIII continued to enjoy the kind of lifestyle that was fit for a king.

Having married American divorcee Wallis Simpson shortly after abdicating in December 1936, Edward spent much of his time attending parties and living in luxury in France and the US.

Now, previously unseen images that have emerged for sale reveal just one of the many holidays that Edward enjoyed with his wife Wallis Simpson in the 1950s.

The photos, which are among a trove of letters and documents being sold that were once owned by the royal couple’s friend the Earl of Dudley, are believed to have been taken in Venice.

The lots are expected to fetch up to £8,000 when they are sold with Chiswick Auctions, in West London, tomorrow.

The letters in the sale betray the packed holidaying schedule of Edward and Wallis, who became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor after the former king’s abdication.

In one, Edward told the Earl of Dudley how, after spending two weeks in Palm Beach, Florida, he was set to enjoy a week of golf in Virginia’s White Sulfur Springs before sailing to Europe and then visiting Britain.

Other letters reveal Edward’s political sympathies, with one expressing his support for the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill and another describing his disappointment at US General MacArthur being forced to leave North Korea by Chinese communists during the Korean War.

Previously unseen images of the former King Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson on holiday in Venice in the 1950s have emerged for sale. Above: Edward sits with a friend (left); Wallis (right) is seen on the beach in a short skirt

The new photos mainly show Wallis posing with groups of friends, none of whom have been identified. In one, she is seen on the beach in a short skirt.

Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII: A scandal that rocked a nation

January 1931 – Wallis meets Prince Edward in January 1931, after being introduced via her friend Lady Furness

1931- 1934 – The American divorcee and the heir to the throne see each other regularly at various parties

August 1934 – Wallis admits she and Edward are no longer just friends, after joining him on a cruise

January 1936 – King George V dies. Edward asks Wallis to watch the proclamation of his accession with him from St. James’s Palace

August 1936 – The pair enjoy a cruise around the Adriatic sea with friends. Details of their relationship appear in the American press

December 11, 1936 – Edward announces his abdication

June 3, 1937 – The couple get married in the south of France. Wallis was formally known as the Duchess of Windsor, but was not allowed to share her husband’s title of ‘Royal Highness.’

Another image shows Edward sitting on a bench with a female friend.

Edward wrote to the Earl of Dudley from New York in May 1951, less than a month after his ghost-written autobiography had been published.

Providing a reason for not having been in touch sooner, he said: ‘The truth is that in order to meet my publisher’s deadline, I’ve been out of circulation until my book was published on April 1 and I’ve had to let my personal correspondence slide, along with everything else.’

Revealing his extensive travel plans and Wallis’s medical issue, he then added: ‘Then, just as I was through and whacked with the final correcting of all the galley proofs, the poor Duchess goes to the Medical Center for a routine check-up and the doctors decide to perform a slight operation.

‘It was like “Kayoing” a groggy man in the ring. Praise be to God she has made a good recovery but still has to take it easy.

‘The doctors wouldn’t let her travel to Florida, but she sent me to Palm Beach a lonely bachelor, to stop two weeks with Bob and Anita Young.

‘We leave this evening to see the Kentucky Derby, and then will spend a week at White Sulphour for golf. We sail for Europe in ‘Queen Elizabeth’ on May 24 and as I expect to go to Great Britain early in June, I look forward to seeing you and Laura again soon.’

In a separate letter to William Ward, 3rd Earl of Dudley, Edward wrote about how Churchill’s speech to the conservative Primrose League at the Royal Albert Hall in 1951 had been received in America.

The Duke of Windsor also wrote of his dislike for spending winter in New York, as he admitted he preferred the warmer temperatures of Palm Beach.

In a third letter, he thanked the Earl for hosting a shooting party. He wrote: ‘The shoot on Wednesday was lots of fun and enjoyed by all your guests.

‘You are a wonderful host and always give your friends a good time, the Duchess is most grateful for the four brace of pheasants which we are serving at a dinner party.’

The new photos mainly show Wallis posing with groups of friends, none of whom have been identified. In one, she is seen on the beach in a short skirt

Wallis is seen sitting for a group photograph with friends while on holiday. The images are believed to have been taken in Venice

A similar colour image reveals Wallis’s sense of style and love of jewellery as she was seen wearing a pussy bow and pearl necklace

Edward wrote to the Earl of Dudley from New York in May 1951, less than a month after his ghost-written autobiography had been published. Providing a reason for not having been in touch sooner, he said: ‘The truth is that in order to meet my publisher’s deadline, I’ve been out of circulation until my book was published on April 1 and I’ve had to let my personal correspondence slide, along with everything else’

In a third letter, he thanked the Earl for hosting a shooting party. He wrote: ‘The shoot on Wednesday was lots of fun and enjoyed by all your guests

Wallis also wrote to the Earl of Dudley. In one letter (above), she thanked him ‘for being so nice to my “Romance” and keeping him from being alone

Wallis also wrote to the Earl of Dudley. In one letter (above), she thanked him ‘for being so nice to my “Romance” and keeping him from being alone.’ Giving yet another indication of hers and Edward’s gilded social diary, she added: ‘We will miss you at Biarritz… we may go to Austria for a few days to stay with friends.’

Wallis also wrote to the Earl of Dudley. In one letter, she thanked him ‘for being so nice to my “Romance” and keeping him from being alone.’

Giving yet another indication of hers and Edward’s gilded social diary, she added: ‘We will miss you at Biarritz… we may go to Austria for a few days to stay with friends.’

She also told him: ‘I really know nothing about your love life, which as you know always interests us.’

The letters have always been in private hands and the seller is anonymous.

Speaking of the images, auctioneer Valentina Borghi told MailOnline: ‘They show Edward and Wallis with close friends. They had a lot of friends and they used to g on holiday with them.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor after their marriage in Monts, France, in June 1937. The couple insisted on pressing ahead with their union despite the fact that it meant Edward giving up the throne

‘They didn’t really go on holiday just the two of them. They were always surrounded by many fiends and relatives.

She added that the letters exchanged between Edward, Wallis and the Earl of Dudley ‘provide a glimpse’ into the couple’s lavish lifestyle.

‘They spent months in New York, in Palm Beach in Florida and elsewhere. They were quite famous for partying all year round. Thy were never really spending too much time in the same place,’ she said.

Edward’s relationship with Wallis, who had been twice married before her union with him, was a scandal when news first emerged of it.

His proposition to marry her – whilst divorce proceedings with her second husband were still ongoing – sparked a constitutional crisis which culminated in Edward’s decision to abdicate.

After his abdication, Edward was made the Duke of Windsor by his brother – the new King George VI – and granted the style of His Royal Highness.

However, after their 1937 marriage and decision to settle in France, Edward was upset by the King’s decision to issue Letters Patent which denied Wallis the style of Her Royal Highness.

Edward received a tax-free allowance from his brother which went some way to maintaining his and Wallis’s lavish lifestyle. He also made money from illegal currency trading.

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