The Duke and Duchess of Windsor

Preference

This book is a collection of writings, drafts, reviews of magazines, books from 1946 to the present, and countless writings about the Duke and Duchess, put together in an effort of presenting another point of view.
With the death of both the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, many
Authors have taken t upon themselves to put forth harsh accounts about their lives.
This author hopes to put forth the other side of the story, a more balanced account, to open the mind of the reader but putting forth questions which for some reason, have never be broached, of if they have, have not made wide publication.
It appears that many authors take an easy task of degrading and belittling these two, two individuals unable to defend themselves; therefore, its this authors intent and hope that all those reading this manuscript, will stop a moment and reflect upon all the facts, then ask themselves, “what would I have done if placed in the same situation”?
We humans, find it far too easy to find fault in the dead, I therefore hope, that after reading “Let Legends rest in Peace”, that the reader will withhold judgment until coming to the conclusion that there are two sides to every story.

Chapter One

Can We


If only it were possible to sweep away any lingering hard feelings caused by the Windsor union, their might have been a happier ending, but alas, this isn’t possible. The roots of malice for these two have grown over the years and tangled themselves into the very foundation of an era.
Its sad now looking back though the eyes of a romantic, to see that theirs wasn’t the twilight made up of fairy tales. From the beginning, to almost the very last, they were chastised by the very establishment that had joined them together. She was cursed for stealing a king, for rocking a throne and for keeping a man from the duties long ago embedded within him to master. He was held accountable for his disregard for duty and family, for letting down the empire and for shortening the life of his brother in forcing the burden of kingship upon his unready shoulders.
As with most romantics, who gobble up all the books written about royalty, even the bad ones, clipping all the newspaper


articles at hand and watching every program available, is but a small price to pay to become a part of the legend that rocked society and brought England and the United Kingdom to its knees.
In so doing, the romantic flame is kept burning in the hope history has yet to write its final chapter about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
As Winston Churchill once said “a grateful Commonwealth will one day erect her statue” and surely they should, for no matter the slights felt by the Royal Family, this woman, this American Woman, brought forth a stronger England, and may have had an impact on the outcome of WWII as no other.
It is believed that Wallis first set eyes on the Prince of Wales while motoring with her second husband, Ernest Simpson. From a bomb shelter to a dinner, she smoothed her way into his Royal life. As any American women of her era, she would have been awed by titles and what they signified. He was a Royal Prince and this Prince, just happened to be the White Knight in shinning armor of a willing Empire.
The Prince would find in her the strength which he lacked, the straight forwardness of a lioness, coupled by her lack of fear. Yet,
Wallis sought something greater. Was it a Crown? Maybe, but surely, she also found the unquestionable stability which had been lacking in her prior marriage.
All things put together, these two were an even match, they needed one another and fate saw to it they would last the length of many stormy seas both actual and metaphorically. Their’s was something very special, this even today is unquestionable of their relationship. They lived as they pleased; this too is unquestionable and part of the cause for all the bad feelings against them. He was a man schooled to become a king, and not just any king mind you, but the King of England. Americans hold a strange bond towards England even to this day, a bond with their mother country and find its Royalty captivating and mysterious. Even greater so were these feelings in the 1920’s and 1930’s, when good little rich American girls raced to Europe to establish themselves and buy, if need be, as in many cases happened, a title. All that was required was to find a titled young man willing to marry a very rich bit not always beautiful American. During the 20’s and 30’s there were no shortages of these titled men and less a shortage of rich girls seeking them during the era. This of course was not the case of our characters, she was not rich and both at one time or another were the hunter of the carefree life. From early childhood the Prince (later the Duke of Windsor) was led to believe he was the golden gift to the nation and the empire which he served. Later in his youthful adult life he would be sent throughout the empire to gather goodwill for a battered and torn