Suffolk's role in Edward VIII's Royal marriage scandal
Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 13 Oct, 12:32 · Archive
Wallis Simpson's 1936 divorce hearing in Ipswich preceded her marriage to King Edward VIII in 1937.
Wallis Simpson, an American woman, obtained a decree nisi at the Suffolk Assizes in Ipswich in 1936, divorcing her husband Ernest Aldrich Simpson. The proceedings lasted 25 minutes. No mention was made during the hearing of her relationship with King Edward VIII. She married the King in 1937, one of the most controversial Royal marriages of the 20th century.
Whilst waiting for her divorce to be finalised, Simpson stayed at Beach House in Felixstowe, a five-bedroom seafront property where she established a residence for six weeks before the case was heard. The house no longer stands, but the spot where it was located on Undercliff Road East has been marked with a plaque by the Felixstowe Society as part of a heritage trail.
Few people in Suffolk today are aware of the county's connection to one of the most significant Royal scandals of the modern era. Simpson's divorce hearing and her stay in Felixstowe set in motion the events that would lead to the King's announcement in 1936 that he intended to marry her, despite establishment outcry.
How it is being reported
- How Suffolk was at the heart of the biggest Royal scandal of the 20th centuryFew know of Wallis Simpson's connections to Ipswich and Felixstowe, both of which played a big part in her divorce that saw her marry King Edward VIII.Ipswich Star · 13 Oct, 12:00
- How Suffolk was at the heart of the biggest Royal scandal of the 20th centuryFew know of Wallis Simpson's connections to Ipswich and Felixstowe, both of which played a big part in her divorce that saw her marry King Edward VIII.East Anglian Daily Times · 13 Oct, 12:00
In this story: Wallis Simpson · King Edward VIII · Ernest Aldrich Simpson · Ipswich · Felixstowe · Suffolk
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