Page 40 - All About History - Issue 34-16

The women before Wallis

of Leicester. “How can I express to you all I feel gramophone, “particularly as I’m madly in love with The prince professed himself much disappointed,
about it or thank you for everything?” he wrote her! Oh, if only…” If only what? One wonders. but quickly transferred his attentions to
after one particularly rapturous period of leave It would have been a striking breakthrough Rosemary Leveson-Gower, daughter of the Duke
in London. “C’est impossible, tho’ you know how for the heir to marry someone not of royal blood, of Sutherland. The queen took alarm. “I agree
much I long to and do in my thoughts. You have but eligible princesses were in short supply in Rosemary is attractive,” she wrote, “but pray don’t
been too angelically kind to me for words and Europe at that time and it would not have taken think of her. There is a taint in the blood of her
have absolutely changed my mother’s family.” He had no serious
life…” But Lady Coke was far too intentions in that direction, the
sensible to let the relationship “On the whole, the prince prince reassured his mother, but
get out of hand or cause any Rosemary Leveson-Gower remained
serious embarrassment to her preferred women who were the focus of his attentions until, in
complaisant husband. February 1919, he met the first of his
More serious, in that it could older than he was” two great loves, Freda Dudley Ward.
theoretically have ended in Freda, from the point of view
marriage, was his affair with of the king and queen, was less
Portia Cadogan. Portia was the daughter of a rich much argument to persuade King George V that threatening than Rosemary Leveson-Gower in that
and landed earl – handsome rather than pretty Portia might one day make a satisfactory queen. she was safely married to a rich liberal member
– with a powerful personality and with a good For some reason, however – perhaps because of parliament. Her husband, 16 years older than
game of golf. “It was divine!” the prince confided the prince seemed reluctant to commit himself her, had his own fish to fry and, if anything, was
to his diary after an evening with her at the Gaiety – Portia wearied of the affair and announced her gratified that his wife should attract the attentions
Theatre followed by two hours dancing to the engagement to another man. of the heir to the throne. Certainly he made no

Edward and Wallis talk
with reporters in Baltimore
in February 1944

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