Edward & Mrs. Simpson

I have long wanted to see this series, having only read Royal Feud so far as background. I watched the first half, then as there was a delay in obtaining the second half, I read the book written by the Duchess of Windsor, The Heart has its reasons. Now I have just finished the second half and feel that I have had a well-rounded view of what went on. I did feel (contrary to what previous reviewers have said) that maybe it missed a few things and could perhaps have been longer!

I have always felt instinctively that Wallis Simpson had a raw deal. She has been cast by history as a manipulator, a gold-digger and a not-very-nice kind of woman. Well history is always written by the victors as we have long known - Richard III's story is evidence of that - and there is nothing to really support that. I feel sad that so much power has been wielded by churches over the centuries, (I'm not the first as Henry VIII shows) because without the censure from the Archbishop of Canterbury maybe some other way could have been found. However, this man loved this woman and made a grand gesture, and we hope, lived happily ever after. It was a huge burden to put on one woman's shoulders but she bore it with dignity to the end of her days.

The series was extremely well-done, the acting faultless and the writing most likely very accurate to historical fact. (I did think that some of the furnishings looked a bit shabby). I am British and I remember being told by older family members what a shocking and awful thing Edward/David had done. I don't agree - sometimes you have to do what for you is right, and he did. I admire him for that. Ironically, the late Queen Mother was rumoured to have fancied Edward/David first unsuccessfully; well if she wanted to be queen, then she got her wish. Just shows you should never wish for anything! With the perspective of the 21st century, it's good to see that society has slowly become more accepting and less judgemental. Thoroughly enjoyable to all who enjoy history being brought to life.

Highly recommended for lovers of history and/or biography. The actors were carefully chosen to resemble the real characters, same goes for the locations. I've read many books regarding the love story between Edward and Mrs. Simpson - this comes very close to what really happened. I do believe Edward fell madly, totally in love with Mrs. Simpson. She returned his love but in a lesser degree. Regardless, theirs was the wedding of the century because how often does a monarch give up his throne for the woman he loves? It's ironic how Prince Charles has followed in the footsteps of his great-uncle, but it looks like he will get to reign with the woman he loves by his side. That's life.

If you watch this TV movie you will get a slow, gentle insight into the pre-World War II period. It is beautifully done: the sets, the costuming, the acting all blend to be the late 1930's. It is a touching story, but some of the actual meaning has been left out, leaving us with a one-sided, positive feeling about the lead characters. It was a noble thing for a king to abdicate for his love, no? Well, perhaps, but the truth is that he was forced out without his fighting for the crown. (Lots of anguish, yes, but no fight.) The character of Wallis Simpson was overly simplified to make her appear to be more blameless than she was in reality, less manipulating, and attractive. I don't recall any of the rumors of her German leanings being mentioned, which may be just as well since they have been heavily discounted and are probably not true. Barring this one flaw of not presenting Mrs. Simpson as she has become known to be (and was rumored to be at the time), the movie is excellent. Schedule several days to watch it and don't try to cram it into one session. It takes a little settling time between episodes. (The documentary accompanying the movie must be seen after watching the movie. Don't watch it first!)

While we enjoy watching this interesting and historical movie, our enjoyment is somewhat tempered by our relationship to the film. My wife and I were extras in the Kenya segment of the film and had the opportunity and misfortune to see Edward Fox, a second-rate actor who should get down on his knees every morning to thank whatever powers that be that his brother gave him his breakout chance in film, behave as the spoiled and undeserving brat he is. He treated everyone around him as though he was the only true human in the area. At one point he reduced one young woman to tears when she was a (very) few seconds late running to hold a mirror for him to check that his face and makeup were up to his high standards. This young woman was making a tiny fraction of Mr. Fox's salary but she was worth twenty of him. In contrast, the fine actress Cherie Lunghi, who was not on camera at the time, asked the extras if they would like some tea. It was only when she stood up for her section of the shoot that we realized that she was ,in fact, a cast member, and hundreds of times more gracious than Mr. Fox.

Thames Television held the weekday independent TV franchise for the London region between 1968 and 1992. During this time, they created an incredible body of quality work, encompassing comedy, drama and factual programming.

Edward and Mrs Simpson is an example of Thames drama at its very best, and I would think as close as you could get to visiting the 1930s without a time machine. Exceptional casting, production design, costumes, script and performance all come together to create a fascinating historical document, about a turbulent time in 20th century Britain.

The Duke of Windsor died in 1972, but the Duchess of Windsor was still alive when the programme was broadcast. (She died in 1986). She was not best pleased, citing invasion of privacy, and reportedly lobbied to have the production stopped.

As with many period dramas of the time, great care was taken with casting, and accuracy in speech and language. All the protagonists are treated generally sympathetically, although perhaps less so in the case of Wallis Simpson. Checking other sources reveals that historically, it all seems to be very accurate, including verbatim statements and conversations.

History has not been as kind to the Duke as the programme was, but the narrative of Edward and Mrs Simpson ends at their marriage, thus avoiding having to deal with the unpalatable aftermath; clumsy attempts to interfere with Britain's pre-war foreign policy, pro-Nazi attitudes, highly questionable behaviour during the war, and alleged subsequent financial shenanigans.