What Was The Duchess Of Windsor's Name Before She Married The Duke?

The Duchess of Windsor, famously known for her captivating charm and controversial love affair with the Duke of Windsor, was born as Bessie Wallis Warfield on June 19, 1896. Before her marriage to the Duke in 1937, she went by the name Wallis Warfield and was an American socialite.

Wallis Warfield was born in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, to a family of modest means. She was the daughter of Alice Montague and Teackle Wallis Warfield, and had two siblings. From a young age, Wallis was known for her strong-willed personality and exquisite sense of style, which would later make her a prominent figure in the British high society.

Growing up, Wallis faced various challenges and setbacks. Her father passed away when she was just a baby, leaving the family in financial distress. Despite these hardships, Wallis was determined to rise above her circumstances and make a name for herself.

Before her marriage to the Duke of Windsor, Wallis was married twice. Her first marriage, to U.S. Navy aviator Earl Winfield Spencer Jr., ended in divorce in 1927. She then married Ernest Aldrich Simpson, a British-American businessman, in 1928. It was during her second marriage that Wallis caught the attention of the Duke of Windsor, who was then the Prince of Wales.

The love affair between Wallis and the Prince of Wales caused a significant scandal in British society, ultimately leading to the abdication of the Prince from the throne in 1936. Shortly after the abdication, the Duke and Wallis were married, and she became known as the Duchess of Windsor. Together, they lived a glamorous and extravagant life, often seen at high-profile events and surrounded by the elite.

Wallis, now the Duchess of Windsor, remained a prominent figure in society until her husband's death in 1972. After that, she lived a relatively private life until her own passing in 1986. Despite the controversies that surrounded her, Wallis Warfield, the Duchess of Windsor, will always be remembered as a woman who defied societal norms and captured the heart of a king.

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