Review: "Once Upon a Time in Monaco"[1] by Andrew MacGregor*
By Ravi Chandrasekhar; sundaytimes.co.fbu
All of us have heard the story. Edward VIII ascended to the throne in 1936, and after much wrangle and dispute with his government, married the love of his life Wallis Simpson, (an exile American divorcee) whilst retaining his throne and his position (Wallis as his Consort). However, when he publicly backed Petain upon the latter's coup and expressed support for the BUF following their attempted coup, he was forced to abdicate, settling on being Governor-General of the Bahamas.
However, very few tell what happens afterwards, particularly during Edward and Wallis' twilight years, which they spent as fixtures of the cafe society in Monte Carlo, where Edward invested in several new casinos under construction, and could live in relative peace, especially with their exile from the FBU. Andrew MacGregor's
Once Upon a Time in Monaco: Edward and Wallis after the Abdication provides details into this period of Edward's life.
After Edward and Wallis lives are described, with a bit on their widely covered marriage and the circumstances of Edward's downfall and his tenure as Bahamian Governor-General, the book opens in 1957, when the two, after several years living in West Germany, move to Monaco, in part to take advantage of new economic opportunities (namely the lack of income taxes) and in part to be closer to the Royal Family, without needing to live in the FBU itself.
Monaco became notorious in the post-war years for its status as a tax haven, where wealthy businessmen could flee to avoid Franco-British tax laws, and could invest in a variety of commercial ventures. This spurred its economic growth, and made it the premier destination for the European elite. The Duke and Duchess quickly became fixtures amongst these new exiles, hold large extravagant parties attended by some of the ECF's biggest celebrities. Monaco's own sovereign Prince Rainier regularly attended these parties, as did Greco-British magnate Aristotle Onassis. Rainier himself commented later on, "Their [Edward and Wallis] conversations were exceptionally dull and light in content. They would usually talk about the Duke's business interests or their wealth or their dogs."[2]
Edward would later become an investor, buying a stake in the "Algiers Casino" and several real estate ventures, which provided his income during the 60's.
However, beneath this seeming success, the Duke's past would occasionally rear its head, especially with his reputation for partying and drinking. In a conversation with Onassis, he stated, with regards to the civil unrest in the Bahamas, "the Reds were behind it. American organizers secretly caused chaos.", and claimed that they spied on him, by the request of the Atlee government. Of Atlee, he described him as a "Red in Sheep's Clothing", and blamed him, among other officials, including Leon Blum, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, and Phillip LeClerc, for entering the war-them and the Red Americans. He once praised Petain as a "patriot", (prompting several French businessmen at his party to leave in offense), and even admitted that he "never thought Hitler was a such a bad chap"[3] Wallis also got in some lines on occasion, praising Cuban dictator Douglas MacArthur after his death in 1964 and (alleged) sympathy for General Sanjurjo whilst speaking to a Spanish royal.
Further, his business interests faltered, with some of his real estate ventures going bankrupt, and the Algiers Casino becoming a target of investigation by Interpol due to rumors of criminal activity and extensive cheating, ultimately leading to him selling his stake in the Algiers in 1965.
Ultimately, though, the Duke and Duchess would eventually visit the Royal Family in London, though in secret, and the Royal Family still refused to accept the Duchess. They would have an informal relationship, even as the Duke's health failed, with some visits in Monte Carlo. Edward died in 1972 at his Monte Carlo estate, and his body was returned for burial in London. Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, would join him there in 1986.
Once Upon a Time in Monaco is a revelatory work, which shows the most controversial couple in the world at one point in their last moments, and what it showed about them throughout their lives.
[1] Special Thanks to
@Nevermore for the title
[2] How some had described their conversations OTL
[3]
His actual words
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