Never before seen letter from Wallis Simpson hints at her unhappiness while married to Edward VIII

A never seen before letter by Wallis Simpson hinting at unhappiness in her marriage with Edward VIII after a decade has emerged for sale 70 years later.

The eight-page letter reveals the Duchess of Windsor was not impressed at having to move from the sunny south of France to a ‘gloomy dark house’ in Paris where the Duke wanted to live.

She writes about money problems the couple have, which was behind the move to the ‘tiny box’ of a house.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor arriving at Victoria Station in London

The eight-page letter (left) reveals the Duchess of Windsor (pictured with her husband the Duke, in 1963) was not impressed at having to move from the sunny south of France to a ‘gloomy dark house’ in Paris where the Duke wanted to live

The letter may also give weight to biographer Andrew Morton’s claims the American divorcee was actually in love with her close friend Herman Rogers.

She mentions her husband only once in the letter but spends several pages talking about Herman.

The letter has been kept by a private collector for the last 20 years and is now being sold at auction for the first time by Chiswick Auctions of west London with an estimate of £7,000.

It was written on December 1, 1948, 12 years after Edward abdicated the throne so he could marry Wallis, sparking a constitutional crisis in the process.

Chiswick Auctions said: 'It's quite unusual to find such a long letter from the Duchess, stretching to eight pages'

Chiswick Auctions said: ‘It’s quite unusual to find such a long letter from the Duchess, stretching to eight pages’

Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

Edward VIII & Wallis Simpson in 1937

The never-seen-before letter by Wallis Simpson hints at unhappiness in her marriage with Edward VIII after a decade

At the time the couple were living a property called La Croe in Antibes on the French Riviera.

She writes about signing the lease on a property in Paris which she said was ‘a gloomy dark house in the narrowest part of that street and a garage opposite!’

And she laments that they didn’t buy a previous house they lived in ‘when I had spent a ‘bit’ and all was installed’ as the price had risen to three times as high.

She writes: ‘Here it is lovely – very ideal of a winter climate as opposed to Nassau and Palm Beach, but what have we – not a soul outside of the Rogers one wants to see and no golf – so perhaps we are for once making the right decision in giving up La Croe but it hurts – but with capital blocked when can we move anything?’

She writes: 'He thinks it would make K [Katherine] very happy and would of course be a god send to Herman, who really never has a moment... it is too tragic but they are determined to 'lick this thing'

She writes: ‘He thinks it would make K [Katherine] very happy and would of course be a god send to Herman, who really never has a moment… it is too tragic but they are determined to ‘lick this thing’

The wedding of Duke of Windsor (Edward VIII) and Wallis Simpson (Duchess of Windsor) in a private ceremony on 3 June 1937, at Château de Candé, near Tours, France, with best man Major Edward Dudley  Metcalfe on the right

The wedding of Duke of Windsor (Edward VIII) and Wallis Simpson (Duchess of Windsor) in a private ceremony on 3 June 1937, at Château de Candé, near Tours, France, with best man Major Edward Dudley Metcalfe on the right

The Duchess spends the rest of the letter talking about Herman and Katherine Rogers, her long-standing close friends.

She stayed with the couple during the abdication crisis and Herman gave her away on her wedding day to Edward.

But Andrew Morton’s biography, published earlier this year, which relied on notes written by a ghost-writer hired to pen Simpson’s autobiography in 1955, suggested Herman was the real love of Wallis’ life.

In this letter she talks about Katherine’s battle with throat cancer, which eventually killed her six months later, and which, according to Morton, was the point the Duchess hoped to make her move on her Herman.

Although she does not say anything obvious, it is clear in the letter that she has a great affection for Herman and seemingly concern for his wife too.

She writes: 'Here it is lovely - very ideal of a winter climate as opposed to Nassau and Palm Beach, but what have we - not a soul outside of the Rogers one wants to see and no golf - so perhaps we are for once making the right decision in giving up La Croe but it hurts - but with capital blocked when can we move anything?'

She writes: ‘Here it is lovely – very ideal of a winter climate as opposed to Nassau and Palm Beach, but what have we – not a soul outside of the Rogers one wants to see and no golf – so perhaps we are for once making the right decision in giving up La Croe but it hurts – but with capital blocked when can we move anything?’

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor arrive at Southampton from New York in this photograph on June 5 1967

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor arrive at Southampton from New York in this photograph on June 5 1967

She writes: ‘He thinks it would make K [Katherine] very happy and would of course be a god send to Herman, who really never has a moment… it is too tragic but they are determined to ‘lick this thing’.

‘The tube should come out in another month – I pray it does – I have not seen H alone – so do not really know how hopeful he is.’

The letter is signed ‘Wallis Windsor’ and addressed to ‘Dear Gray’, which is believed to be Grace, the Countess of Dudley, who was a close friend of the Duchess.

Valentina Borghi, from Chiswick Auctions, said: ‘It’s quite unusual to find such a long letter from the Duchess, stretching to eight pages.

‘It gives a fascinating glimpse of what her mood was at the time, 11 years after they married and after the war.

‘It’s written in 1948 and she talks about making the arrangements to leave the southern part of France, but she doesn’t seem pleased with the decision.

‘She was enjoying the life there and La Croe was quite important for the international jetset crowd, but the Duke was very fond of Paris and living in a big city.

The letter is signed 'Wallis Windsor' and addressed to the Countess of Dudley, who was a close friend of the Duchess

The letter is signed ‘Wallis Windsor’ and addressed to the Countess of Dudley, who was a close friend of the Duchess

Wallis Simpson, later known as the Duchess of Windsor, was an American socialite whose marriage to the British king Edward VIII caused a constitutional crisis that led to Edward's abdication

Wallis Simpson, later known as the Duchess of Windsor, was an American socialite whose marriage to the British king Edward VIII caused a constitutional crisis that led to Edward’s abdication

‘They didn’t have a huge amount of money to live in the style they were used to and had to lower their expectations quite a lot.

‘Andrew Morton’s biography said that Herman Rogers was the only man Wallis ever really loved. They were certainly very close friends.

‘I think she was really trying to make the most of the situation but had probably lost enthusiasm for her marriage.

‘She doesn’t sound too happy and mentioned the Duke only once.

‘She spent a few pages talking about Herman and his wife Katherine, he’s clearly a very important figure in her life. But whether he was something more than a friend we can’t really tell from this letter.

‘You certainly look at this letter with different eyes having read Morton’s biography.

‘Wallis is still such an iconic figure in history and it is very rare to find such a lengthy letter where she writes about her lifestyle and plans for the future.’

The letter will be sold at Chiswick Auctions on October 10. 

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