Sussexes warned to avoid Windsors’ fate
THE Duke and Duchess of Sussex risk being “frozen out” completely by the Royal Family for making the same mistakes as Edward and Mrs Simpson 50 years ago, experts say.
Biographer Andrew Lownie says Prince Harry and Meghan should “seriously study” the Duke and Duchess ofwindsor, as there are “uncanny” parallels between the two couples.
He highlights how, just like Edward and Mrs Simpson, the Sussexes fell out with the Firm over titles, finances, security, media comments and even the way they treat household staff.
Mr Lownie – author oftraitor King:the Scandalous Exile of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor – notes that Edward and his wife were ultimately “frozen out by the Royal Family”.
Similarities between the men abound, such as
From the fact abdicant Edward – like Harry – claimed to be “cut off financially,” despite his inherited wealth from the Duchy of Cornwall estates.
As Edward did, Harry went to war with the British Government over security, but the Duke of Windsor won his squabble and enjoyed police protection until his death in the US in 1972.
The Sussexes have voiced concerns that their children will not have titles – just as Edward complained to his dying day that his wifewallis was wrongly denied the title HRH.
Harry and Meghan’s explosivetv chat with Oprah was preceded in the 1930s by tell-all magazine articles bywallis about the Royals.
Just as Harry and Meghan launched legal actions against media firms, thewindsors sued a writer for suggesting they slept together before marriage – which was true – and won their case.
Claims about Meghan’s alleged treatment of staff are nothing new either, as Edward and Mrs Simpson were an “entitled...unforgiving” pair.
Mr Lownie added: “Their ghost writer, Charles Murphy, remembered, ‘A dropped plate, a careless intrusion, a slip of attentiveness could be counted upon to bring a swift dressingdown, followed by peremptory sacking’. ”
Like Wallis, American divorcee Meghan is seen as “ambitious, clever and manipulative”, Mr Lownie says – adding: “Wallis was shaping the views of her weak, stupid and vulnerable husband, a similar accusation being made with regard to Harry’s newly adopted woke views.”