Timeline of the Duchess’ Life

Early Life and First Marriages (1896–1934)

  • June 19, 1896 – Bessie Wallis Warfield is born in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, USA.

  • 1896–1910 – Raised primarily in Baltimore, Maryland, after the early death of her father.

  • 1916 – Marries Earl Winfield Spencer Jr., a U.S. Navy aviator.

  • 1924–1925 – Accompanies her husband on a military assignment to Hong Kong, immersing herself in expatriate social circles.

  • 1927 – Divorces Spencer and moves to England.

  • 1928 – Marries Ernest Aldrich Simpson, a British-American shipping executive.

Introduction to the British Royal Family (1931–1936)

  • 1931 – Meets Edward, Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne, at a party hosted by Thelma Furness.

  • 1934 – Begins an affair with Edward, who is still the Prince of Wales.

  • January 20, 1936 – King George V dies; Edward VIII ascends the throne.

  • November 1936 – Wallis files for divorce from Ernest Simpson.

  • December 11, 1936 – Edward VIII abdicates the British throne in order to marry Wallis. His brother, George VI, becomes king.

Marriage and Exile (1937–1950s)

  • June 3, 1937 – Marries Edward, now Duke of Windsor, at Château de Candé in France. The British royal family does not attend.

  • October 1937 – The couple visits Nazi Germany and meets Adolf Hitler, a controversial event that taints their reputation and fuels rumors about their political sympathies.

  • May 1940 – The Duke and Duchess flee France ahead of the Nazi invasion, traveling through Spain and Portugal before reaching neutral Lisbon.

  • July 1940 – The Duke is appointed Governor of the Bahamas during World War II, in part to distance him from Nazi sympathizers. The couple moves to Nassau.

  • 1941 – Wallis finds life in the Bahamas dull and isolating, while Edward grows frustrated with his limited political role.

  • March 1945 – The Duke resigns as Governor of the Bahamas; the couple returns to Europe and settles in France.

Later Life and Legacy (1950s–1986)

  • 1950s–1970s – Wallis and the Duke of Windsor live a lavish lifestyle in Paris, socializing with celebrities, aristocrats, and exiled royals.

  • 1967 – The couple is invited back to England for the first time since the abdication, attending the funeral of the Duke’s sister, Princess Marina.

  • 1972 – Edward, Duke of Windsor, dies on May 28. Wallis is invited to his funeral at Windsor Castle but is largely ostracized by the royal family.

  • 1980 – Wallis, in declining health, becomes reclusive in her Paris home, suffering from dementia.

  • April 24, 1986 – Wallis Simpson dies in Paris at the age of 89.

  • April 29, 1986 – She is buried next to the Duke of Windsor at the Royal Burial Ground at Frogmore, near Windsor Castle.