Royal Style - Leti loves a linear look, but Maxima's mantra is more!

[Maireas]

With tiaras galore! Thanks for the title, @Eaumyword.
Looking for @TracyBeakerSoYeah for the link!

Love these threads, so interesting
I too am fascinated by Wallis. Agree that she wore clothes beautifully and was effortlessly stylish. Helps that she was angular and thin, as I think her favoured severe couture looks more chic.
Obviously just musings, but I imagined her to be a social climber who was very pleased to be a royal mistress and enjoy that fabulous society life.
However, she wouldn't have anticipated the social shunning by the royal women and what I'd guess to be an incredibly spoilt and needy man.
She may well have left it at mistress, but Edward pushed the dominoes over.
He looks quite capable of the whole I can't/won't live without you rhetoric, keeping her tied to him, but in time, surely you'd resent a spoilt man-child?
I think they struggled, him in particular, from not having purpose in life.
Just thoughts.
But oh my, her emerald ring was 🥰

What was it she said
"It's hard living out a love story"

Quite!

Andrew Morton has written a fairly recent bio of her. If you have Prime membership then the kindle version is free. Think I'll download!

My mother in law used to play bridge with the Duchess of Windsor in Nassau during WWII when they were both there . My MIL was deemed “acceptable company “ ( she was a brilliant bridge player and delightful person ). Wish I had asked her more about Wallis!

Really?! That's incredible! I'd have loved to hear more about that!
Did MIL ever mention whether she thought they were a happy/pleasant couple?

She noted that the Duke was constantly fussing around Wallis making sure she had everything she wanted , definitely thought the relationship was a bit strange. Wallis for her part was sharp at times, not normal when speaking with royalty !
She of course admired Wallis’ wardrobe ( my MIL was herself as stylish as was possible with very limited resources and wartime restrictions).

I bet your MIL was indeed a stylish dresser if she was mixing with 'society'!
Sharp rude or sharp clever?
Sorry, this is just so interesting!

I think she meant sharp as in clever/bit impatient…
The relationship between the two women was never more than that of accomplished bridge players who found themselves together in very unusual circumstances. No confidences shared .

My love affair with jewellery started with a book about Wallis Simpson’s jewellery that I borrowed from my local library aged about 10. I loved the original emerald setting of her engagement ring.

That's interesting, @Gonegrey31- from what I've read Wallis would be very sharp with David, even in company. He didn't seem to mind.
I remember seeing the catalogue from the auction of some of her jewellery. Stunning pieces, commissioned from Cartier and other top jewellers.

From what I've read, David wasn't into mistresses in the traditional sense. Apparently Wallis spoke to him like she was a strict nanny and he loved it!

Three of my books on Edward and Wallis.
I'd recommend them all!

Sorry, the 3rd one's on it's side.

Which is the most informative @Maireas ?

They're all different, and very good. Philip Ziegler's is a comprehensive biography. The Hugo Vickers one is really fascinating. It describes her life after David as well. The all have good sources of information, and are well written.

Thank you

Those books look tempting. I am quite intrigued by WS too. I'm fascinated by the bridge playing in Nassau @Gonegrey31! Sounds marvellously glamorous to me.

@KillingMeDeftly

Andrew Morton has written a fairly recent bio of her. If you have Prime membership then the kindle version is free. Think I'll download!

Started this book this morning, 12 hours reading time apparently!

I do enjoy the royal book recommendations on here! Might give those a try, Maireas.
I enjoyed the Lady Glenconner one very much.
I also recently read Finding Freedom, although that I found was completely from M's perspective and too sycophantic from her co-writer to take too seriously.
I woke this morning to thoughts of bridge playing in sunny Nassau!

I've heard that about FF from other people, Eaumyword, so that's a shame. It could be a very interesting story in the hands of a good biographer, eg Hugo Vickers or Philip Ziegler. I'm not interested in anything sycophantic or a hagiography.

Youngest Swedish Prince was baptised today, and it’s an event with some dresses to look at www.instagram.com/p/CSjriV3KRPJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Sofia’s choice is interesting, she didn’t go for folk costume this time but the patterns on her Etro dress still feel quite Dalecarlia.

Aww, the baby!
Sofia's dress is nice, quite folksy. I'm not sure about the white headband.

Thanks for the wonderful photos of dresses from the exhibition, I especially like the Queen Mother's black velvet gown, it must have looked super worn with diamonds.

The snippets about Wallis are fascinating too. I think the couple lost a lot of popular support with their tour of Germany, and their enthusiastic meeting with Hitler, the photos from that are very revealing.
I read a while ago that David believed that if Hitler won the war, Hitler would restore him to the throne, which if true, shows David to have been politically naïve.

They seem to have had a sad life together, especially towards the end in Paris.

No these fecking headbands, I’m not sure about them at all.