For decades, history has painted Wallis Simpson as the American divorcee who brought a king to his knees. But a quiet claim from a picturesque Devon fishing town challenges this long-held narrative, suggesting the Duchess of Windsor's heart and passport remained steadfastly British until the very end.
Fresh analysis of historical records and personal correspondence indicates that Simpson, born Bessie Wallis Warfield in Pennsylvania, never formally relinquished her British citizenship. This status was granted through her first marriage to a British citizen, US Navy pilot Earl Winfield Spencer Jr., in 1916.
A Life Lived Under a British Passport
Despite her marriage to the former King Edward VIII and their subsequent exile to France, it is believed Simpson conducted all her official affairs using a British passport. This crucial detail, often overlooked, forms the cornerstone of the argument that she never truly ceased to be a British subject.
Her strong connections to the West Country, and specifically to the town of Brixham in Devon, further bolster this claim. It was here that her first husband, Earl Winfield Spencer Jr., hailed from, creating a lifelong link to the region.
Brixham's Unexpected Royal Link
The people of Brixham have long maintained that the Duchess, one of the 20th century's most controversial figures, was one of their own. This local lore is now gaining traction with historians who are re-examining the complexities of her legal and national status amidst the constitutional crisis she inadvertently caused.
This revised perspective adds a profound layer of irony to the abdication saga. The woman at the centre of a storm that reshaped the British monarchy, and who was perceived as a foreign influence, may have legally been a British citizen throughout the entire ordeal.
The debate continues to fascinate historians and royal watchers, offering a new lens through which to view one of the most dramatic chapters in modern British history.
