Read The Duchess Of Windsor Online
Authors: Greg King
The Duchess Of Windsor (53 page)
As afternoon turned to evening, the kitchen, situated on the ground floor, was a hive of activity. The Windsors had two chefs during their time at boulevard Suchet: Monsieur Dyot, who had originally worked for the Duke of Alba; and Monsieur Pinaudier, who replaced him when Dyot went to work at the Spanish embassy.
In these years, Wallis favored simple menus when she entertained. Her requirement was that the food be interesting, not exotic. Game was preferred, with woodcock and partridge special favorites. Seafood was also featured prominently on their regular menus: oysters, trout, salmon, and lobster. Occasionally, Wallis would ask for fried chicken, but beef and pork were usually absent from their table. Wallis had a more cultivated palate than her husband; she preferred experimentation and liked to take fresh, simple items and combine or cook them in new ways. David, having been raised on essentially English nursery food, still had a taste for rice pudding, baked apples, and stewed fruits. Neither Wallis nor David drank much, although they maintained well-stocked cellars at both La Croë and the house on boulevard Suchet. With dinner, David enjoyed white Alsatian wines, especially Gewürztraminer and Riesling.
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This attention to detail—in decoration, in floral arrangements, in staff, in food—all came together on the nights when the Duke and Duchess entertained. Anne Morrow Lindbergh recalled one such evening she and her husband, Col. Charles Lindbergh, spent at boulevard Suchet, a telling memory of a splendid setting, perfect entertainment, and genial hosts mingled with a sense of forced gaiety and contrived contentment: “The house is rather formal and French: lots of footmen in uniform. We go up the stairs. The Duke and Duchess are in a little room panelled in gold and white, with yellow tulips and dusty black iris arranged beautifully. They come forward very cordially. She looks very thin and rather tired (though incredibly young—smooth skin, lovely complexion, hair beautifully done in waves away from her face) and dressed in a black dress with a gay striped paillette bolero.” Anne found the dining room “lovely,” with “red and gold curtains and mirrors.” After dinner, the ladies retired to “a tiny sitting room . . . enchanting . . . panelled in a pale blue-grey and white with gay chintz and white lilacs and white calla lilies in vases and a pale pink and pale blue spray of orchids on the mantel.” She found time to speak with Wallis for a few minutes alone: “It is a curious thing that one feels with her: that she is building up a face that she thinks is appropriate.... And yet though this baffles me, it does not make me dislike her. I like her through it, for some reason, partly I think because she is doing it out of defense and because I feel a real person underneath, a person who looks to me (in spite of that lacquered surface) almost tortured underneath in a terrific and rather heroic struggle. But it is such an unnecessary struggle. If they are happy together, as they decidedly seem to be, why make this struggle for a brilliant front? Why try to keep up in this utterly futile world of show?”
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31
War
A
S THE SUMMER OF
1939 wore on, everyone’s thoughts turned to the increasing international tensions which seemed to threaten the peace of the world. Both Wallis and David abhorred the very idea of war. As Prince of Wales, the Duke had witnessed firsthand the terrible bloodshed, destruction, and great loss of life the First World War had visited upon his generation. He had also seen how it had torn his family apart over their German relations. Wallis, too, had been seared through experience: Her uncertainties during Win’s missions and his brother’s tragic death in the First World War had impacted her deeply. She had witnessed the devastation during the conflicts in China; she knew the terrible price which would have to be paid if a war erupted.
S THE SUMMER OF
1939 wore on, everyone’s thoughts turned to the increasing international tensions which seemed to threaten the peace of the world. Both Wallis and David abhorred the very idea of war. As Prince of Wales, the Duke had witnessed firsthand the terrible bloodshed, destruction, and great loss of life the First World War had visited upon his generation. He had also seen how it had torn his family apart over their German relations. Wallis, too, had been seared through experience: Her uncertainties during Win’s missions and his brother’s tragic death in the First World War had impacted her deeply. She had witnessed the devastation during the conflicts in China; she knew the terrible price which would have to be paid if a war erupted.
On September 1, 1939 the Nazis attacked Poland. Hitler was confident that Great Britain would not challenge his move. Then, after a thirty-six-hour delay, the British government issued an ultimatum, demanding the withdrawal of German troops within two hours. Until the last, David tried to use whatever influence he had left, sending a cable to Hitler, pleading that he not embark on a war. Hitler replied that he had no desire for war, and if one came it would not be his fault.
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On September 3 the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were staying at La Croë; while hosting a small party at the swimming pool, David was summoned to the telephone. When he reappeared, he informed his wife and guests that the unthinkable had occurred: England had declared war on Germany.
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1
On September 3 the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were staying at La Croë; while hosting a small party at the swimming pool, David was summoned to the telephone. When he reappeared, he informed his wife and guests that the unthinkable had occurred: England had declared war on Germany.
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David immediately rang Walter Monckton in London. He offered to return to England at once and place himself fully at the disposal of the King for the duration of the war. Although he hated the thought of war, once it had come, the Duke was determined to utilize his talents to help the British effort. He had a natural ability to sympathize with the common soldier and undoubtedly felt a great sense of loyalty to the country he had left behind.
These talents could have been put to good use in the war. Bryan and Murphy wrote: “Never did the Duke of Windsor have a brighter chance of escaping from the wasteland of his self-centered life, and recovering an honored, useful position, than was offered him by the outbreak of World War II. But through a succession of gaffes and myopic judgments, the chance was repeatedly thrown away. . . .”
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Monckton arrived at La Croë on September 7, saying that George VI wished the Duke and Duchess to return to London as soon as possible and that he would dispatch a plane for their trip. He also brought with him news that the Duke was to have his choice of two different posts: regional commissioner of Wales, a civil-defense post; or a member of the British Military Mission attached to the French General Headquarters at . He was to inform the King of his decision when he arrived in England.
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Fruity Metcalfe happened to be staying with the Windsors at La Croë. David was startled by Monckton’s suggestions that Metcalfe accompany the Duke and Duchess on their return to England and that they could stay with him and his wife while in the country. The Duke was not a stupid man: from this, he immediately gathered that George VI had asked Monckton to convey the fact that the Windsors would not be put up in any of the royal residences. Feeling certain that this was only the first of many humiliations he and Wallis would suffer, David refused to return to England. When he confessed his decision to Metcalfe, however, he was surprised at the strength of his friend’s objection: “You
only
think of yourselves,” Metcalfe told the Duke. “You don’t realize that there is at this moment a war going on, that women and children are being bombed and killed while you talk of your PRIDE.”
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only
think of yourselves,” Metcalfe told the Duke. “You don’t realize that there is at this moment a war going on, that women and children are being bombed and killed while you talk of your PRIDE.”
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Duly chastised, the Duke and Duchess quickly changed their minds and agreed to return to England. Wallis packed up a few of her most important belongings and, together with David, left La Croë on September 8, accompanied by Fruity Metcalfe and their three cairn terriers. Wallis, however, still refused to fly, and so arrangements were made for the Windsors to sail to England. It took them two days to cross France and arrive at Vichy, where they were to wait for further instruction. After a day had passed, however, with no news from Buckingham Palace, David motored to Paris to consult with the ambassador. After some hurried telephone calls, the Duke was told to proceed to Cherbourg.
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On the evening of September 12, the Windsors arrived in the port city, where the British destroyer HMS Kelly stood at a dock to convey them across the Channel. Lord Louis Mountbatten and Randolph Churchill both waited aboard. At ten that evening, HMS
Kelly
slowly steamed out of the harbor, following a careful zigzag pattern to avoid potential German submarine fire.
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They sailed into the unknown; it had been nearly three years since either Wallis or David had set foot in England. Both were uncertain as to the reception they would receive, from the public in general and the Royal Family in particular.
Kelly
slowly steamed out of the harbor, following a careful zigzag pattern to avoid potential German submarine fire.
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They sailed into the unknown; it had been nearly three years since either Wallis or David had set foot in England. Both were uncertain as to the reception they would receive, from the public in general and the Royal Family in particular.
The Royal Family was just as worried about the arrival of the Windsors, especially the Duchess. “What are we going to do about Mrs. S.?” Queen Elizabeth asked Queen Mary.
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It is possible to gather something of the continuing animosity that the two Queens harbored against Wallis from their reference, two years after she had married David, to her as “Mrs. S.” Even in private, they refused to relent and acknowledge between themselves that Wallis had become a member of their family. The Duchess was soon to discover how far this hatred of both her and her husband was to be carried.
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It is possible to gather something of the continuing animosity that the two Queens harbored against Wallis from their reference, two years after she had married David, to her as “Mrs. S.” Even in private, they refused to relent and acknowledge between themselves that Wallis had become a member of their family. The Duchess was soon to discover how far this hatred of both her and her husband was to be carried.
Winston Churchill had by this time been returned to the post of First Lord of the Admiralty, a position he had previously held during the last war. A great friend of the Duke’s, he was embarrassed that the Royal Family had refused to make any arrangements for the Windsors. To lend the return of the former King some kind of dignity, Churchill arranged for a naval guard of honor to greet the Windsors when they landed at Portsmouth. As they descended the gangway, Wallis and David were saluted by the Royal Marine Band, which played the first six bars of the national anthem. The Duke, who had been accustomed to receiving the entire salute as king, was startled by this abbreviated version and turned to the Duchess to remark on the contrast.
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No arrangements of any kind had been made for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor; when they arrived in Portsmouth, they did not even have a place to stay. Wallis, particularly, was angry at this treatment of her husband. She had absolutely no doubt that the Royal Family had decided intentionally to ignore their presence as far as was possible even though they had come at the King’s request. On their first night back in England, therefore, the Duke and Duchess stayed at Admiralty House, the guests of Adm. Sir William James, commander in chief at Portsmouth, and his wife, who, although they were gracious, could not conceal their curiosity about the Duchess.
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The next day, the Duke and Duchess moved on to South Hatfield House in Ashdown Forest to stay with the Metcalfes. Two days before, Lady Alexandra Metcalfe had phoned Buckingham Palace and asked if the Windsors would be accommodated by the Royal Family either in London or in the country. She was told they would not. She then asked if the palace would at least dispatch a car for the couple’s use while in the country; this was also refused.
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“I do think the family might have done something,” Lady Alexandra wrote with some anger in her diary. “He might not even exist. . . .”
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“I do think the family might have done something,” Lady Alexandra wrote with some anger in her diary. “He might not even exist. . . .”
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Lady Alexandra herself went to pick up the Duke and Duchess, while her chauffeur followed with a Ford van to carry their luggage. Her daughter, Linda Mortimer, recalls that their house “was suddenly surrounded by lots of police. We had heard stories that people were waiting to throw acid in the Duchess’s face, and I was quite worried that my mother would be mixed up with her and have it chucked at her instead. So I was quite relieved when they all returned safely”
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The Metcalfe children—David, the Duke’s godson, and the twin girls, Linda and Davina—were in a privileged position to observe the Duke and Duchess away from the glare of the cameras. David Metcalfe was struck by “how extraordinarily nice they both were, how they both took lots of trouble to be nice to us.”
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And his sister Linda recalls “games of croquet on the lawns, lots of laughs and lots of fun. The Duchess was always very relaxed, and very sweet to us children.”
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During the time they stayed, the Windsors and the Metcalfes would sit down to cards, and the sound of their games could be heard throughout the house. “The Duchess always dominated the room,” Metcalfe says. “She made a tremendous din, but she was always very exciting, very amusing, full of noise and fun. Everyone always thinks, Oh my God, what a horrible decision he made, but if he ever regretted it, I don’t know when it would have been. She was everything to him, everything, and you could see that from the way they acted together.”
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And his sister Linda recalls “games of croquet on the lawns, lots of laughs and lots of fun. The Duchess was always very relaxed, and very sweet to us children.”
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During the time they stayed, the Windsors and the Metcalfes would sit down to cards, and the sound of their games could be heard throughout the house. “The Duchess always dominated the room,” Metcalfe says. “She made a tremendous din, but she was always very exciting, very amusing, full of noise and fun. Everyone always thinks, Oh my God, what a horrible decision he made, but if he ever regretted it, I don’t know when it would have been. She was everything to him, everything, and you could see that from the way they acted together.”
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The next day, September 14, the Duke went to Buckingham Palace to meet with his brother. This was a rather strained meeting, and both men carefully avoided the main subjects of contention between them. David declared that he had decided to take the job of regional commissioner of Wales, as he wished to remain in England, and thought that his talents would prove more useful in that sphere.
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He also knew that the post in Wales might keep Wallis near, while the job in France would involve long separations. Bertie seemed to suggest that the job in France would involve more excitement but said little else, and the Duke left the palace believing that he would receive the post in Wales.
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He also knew that the post in Wales might keep Wallis near, while the job in France would involve long separations. Bertie seemed to suggest that the job in France would involve more excitement but said little else, and the Duke left the palace believing that he would receive the post in Wales.
By that evening, however, Bertie had changed his mind about the Welsh appointment. The return of the former King had received a great deal of coverage in the national press, and he was loudly cheered on several occasions when he was recognized. David had little doubt that word of this had reached the King, who, both jealous of his brother’s popularity and insecure about his own position, wished to avoid the chance of setting a rival up in Wales.
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Without bothering to inform his brother that the choice had been taken away from him, the King had Alexander Hardinge write a letter to the secretary of state for war, Leslie Hore-Belisha: “The conclusion reached by His Majesty is that His Royal Highness would be most suitably employed as a member of the Military Mission to France, of which General Howard-Vyse is the head.”
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Hore-Belisha was also told, untruthfully, that the Duke knew of this decision.
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Hore-Belisha was also told, untruthfully, that the Duke knew of this decision.
On the morning of September 15, David arrived at the War Office to meet with Hore-Belisha and Field Marshal Sir Edmund Ironside, then chief of the Imperial General Staff. When Hore-Belisha began to speak to the Duke about his new post in France, David was startled; his brother had given him no indication that his request to assume the position in Wales would be denied. But rather than object, according to Hore-Belisha, David listened patiently as his new job was explained to him: He was to be assigned to the British Military Mission in France and was to report to Vincennes as soon as possible. There was another problem, however: as former King, he still retained his former military ranks of admiral of the fleet, field marshal of the army, and marshal of the Royal Air Force. David agreed to waive his ranks and accepted the lower rank of major general to avoid a conflict. As a small concession, Fruity Metcalfe was allowed to be posted to the Duke as his personal aide-de-camp.
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The Duke declared that the Duchess had decided to turn over and finance La Croë as a convalescent home for British officers.
21
His last request was that he be able to visit his former military commands and take the Duchess with him. All of this was done with a far better spirit of reconciliation and selflessness than his brother had shown. The Duke even expressed his appreciation to Hore-Belisha for his understanding.
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The Duke declared that the Duchess had decided to turn over and finance La Croë as a convalescent home for British officers.
21
His last request was that he be able to visit his former military commands and take the Duchess with him. All of this was done with a far better spirit of reconciliation and selflessness than his brother had shown. The Duke even expressed his appreciation to Hore-Belisha for his understanding.
22
On the morning of September 16, Hore-Belisha was summoned to Buckingham Palace. The King expressed grave doubts about allowing the Duchess to accompany her husband on the tour of commands. He was determined that the former King should not remain anywhere in England and paced up and down the room during this interview, quite agitated. Hore-Belisha had to leave for a midday cabinet meeting but was again unexpectedly summoned to the palace that afternoon to listen while the King continued to express his uncertainties. Bertie declared that all his predecessors had succeeded to the throne on the death of its previous occupant. “Mine is not only alive, but very much so,” he declared. He ended by saying he thought it best for the Duke to leave the country and go to Paris at once.
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One afternoon during their stay in England, the Duke and Duchess returned to Fort Belvedere. They found the lawns overgrown and choked with weeds and the gardens fallen into decay. The swimming pool below the battlements was filled with debris, while the house itself stood silent, shuttered and wrapped in a veil of solitude, slowly falling into disrepair from being abandoned. They left filled with sad memories of what had once been.
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