Read The Duchess Of Windsor Online
Authors: Greg King
The Duchess Of Windsor (58 page)
The difficult climate in Nassau was an element which neither Wallis nor David had anticipated. The intense heat and humidity bred all manner of unwelcome intruders: Sitting in the garden, Wallis might be startled to suddenly gaze down and find a lizard crawling over her legs. In the evening, when the heat from the sunset was at its worst in the house, they could not open the windows; if they did, the rooms would quickly fill with thousands of mosquitoes. At night—despite the thousands of dollars spent on renovations—cockroaches scurried across the floors. Even for Wallis, who had grown up accustomed to the temperatures and insects of Baltimore, the combination was nearly too much to bear. “All my life I’ve disliked hot weather,” she told a reporter, “and coming to Nassau has been like taking a permanent slimming cure.”
18
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Inevitably, disillusion and frustration over the situation spilled onto the pages of Wallis’s letters to Aunt Bessie. “The heat is
awful.
I long for some air that isn’t caused by electric fans.... I hate this place more each day....” On one occasion, she referred to Nassau as “this dump.” And again she wrote: “We both hate it and the locals are petty-minded, the visitors common and uninteresting. . . .”
19
Although they made no secret of their feelings in private or in personal letters, neither Wallis nor David ever publicly complained of the Nassau appointment; no matter how disgruntled they might have been, they were always careful to put a good face on the situation for the public.
awful.
I long for some air that isn’t caused by electric fans.... I hate this place more each day....” On one occasion, she referred to Nassau as “this dump.” And again she wrote: “We both hate it and the locals are petty-minded, the visitors common and uninteresting. . . .”
19
Although they made no secret of their feelings in private or in personal letters, neither Wallis nor David ever publicly complained of the Nassau appointment; no matter how disgruntled they might have been, they were always careful to put a good face on the situation for the public.
The Windsors had few friends in Nassau. One, Alastair Mackintosh, happened to have been a friend of the Duke for many years. He had retired to Nassau while his two children attended boarding school in Canada. Shortly after arriving in the Bahamas, Wallis dispatched a note to Mackintosh: “The Duke and I know how much you will be missing the children, so please come and stay with us at once.”
20
20
Such a direct approach was typical for the Duchess; she had many acquaintances but few longtime friends and consequently valued those relationships which had managed to survive not only the passage of time but also the trials of her somewhat peculiar life. Another of her friends in Nassau, Cora Mallory Munson, was the widow of the president of the Munson Steamship Line. One day she happened to be at home, finishing her daily cleaning, when Wallis arrived unexpectedly. “When she called on me in Nassau and found me finishing my housework,” Munson recalled, “she just snatched up a duster and began working away alongside me like any other American housewife.”
21
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But for the most part the Windsors kept largely to themselves. The struggles both had undergone had drawn Wallis closer to David. Her devotion was witnessed by many, including Hearst newspaper reporter Adela Rogers St. John. Once, when St. John was interviewing Wallis, the Duchess telephoned for the Duke to join them. “Then I saw an expression I liked best of anything about her,” St. John later wrote. “Her face was simply a little brighter, her mouth was amused, but in her eyes there was a light, an expectation of happiness.”
22
At a party, St. John noticed how the Duchess was careful to watch after her husband, making sure that he remained comfortable and the center of attention. “David, darling, tell your wonderful story,” she might say, launching the Duke into a lengthy memory which would hold his audience spellbound.
23
22
At a party, St. John noticed how the Duchess was careful to watch after her husband, making sure that he remained comfortable and the center of attention. “David, darling, tell your wonderful story,” she might say, launching the Duke into a lengthy memory which would hold his audience spellbound.
23
Nassau was a far cry from the Europe left behind by the Duke and Duchess. Here there was no sign of the devastating war. The streets were filled with American tourists, enjoying the warm sunshine and sandy beaches. In an effort to temper some of this misplaced gaiety, the Duchess announced that she and the Duke would give small dinner parties but not the regular balls and receptions which had been standard before the war.
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The Duke found that he had inherited a politically volatile situation in the Bahamas. Agriculturally, the country was decades behind its North American neighbors; to improve the commercial situation, the Duke formed an economic committee, designed to import modern ideas and technology along with Western investment. Unfortunately, nearly all his efforts to reform the antiquated laws governing his new home met with considerable resistance. Hugo Vickers noted insight-fully: “A Royal Prince, whose first rule of behaviour had previously been to stand outside politics, now had to carry out government policy, however unwelcome to sections of the local population, and to take public criticism for it.”
25
Never was this more true than with his attempts at race reconciliation.
25
Never was this more true than with his attempts at race reconciliation.
The Duke and Duchess, like many people of their social backgrounds, harbored certain color prejudices from birth. David had never been exposed to such intimate relations with blacks before; all of his previous dealings with them had been merely social. Their attitudes were no different from those of the rest of the Royal Family; Queen Elizabeth, the present Queen Mother, is known to still possess color prejudices, and in an overwhelmingly diverse commonwealth, only the Prince of Wales has seen fit to appoint a black member to his household.
David was confronted with a majority population which was largely poor, ill educated, and none too willing to believe the word of the latest occupant of Government House. Wallis, having been raised in Baltimore, where color barriers ran deep, and with more exposure to blacks in her childhood, was a bit more tolerant, but certainly neither could be considered free of prejudice. But the attitudes of the Duke and Duchess, as Michael Bloch points out, were “considerably more enlightened” in their dealings with the native blacks “than the majority of Bahamian whites, or either of his predecessors.”
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Unfortunately, in trying to institute economic and limited social reform to benefit the black population, David faced the nearly impenetrable barriers erected by the Bay Street Boys. As a result, the Duke was roundly denounced as inefficient; his most vocal critic was Etienne Dupuch, the mixed-race proprietor and editor of the
Tribune
, one of two daily newspapers in Nassau. As a pious Catholic, Dupuch believed that both the Duke and Duchess were living in open adultery. At the same time, he was violently opposed to the social and economic establishment, both in the Bahamas and in England, which he considered corrupt and immoral. In consequence, he disliked the Windsors on both counts. Dupuch did all he could to present the Duke and Duchess in the worst possible light, and their time in Nassau often found them at the center of a storm directly created by Dupuch’s overly earnest agenda.
Tribune
, one of two daily newspapers in Nassau. As a pious Catholic, Dupuch believed that both the Duke and Duchess were living in open adultery. At the same time, he was violently opposed to the social and economic establishment, both in the Bahamas and in England, which he considered corrupt and immoral. In consequence, he disliked the Windsors on both counts. Dupuch did all he could to present the Duke and Duchess in the worst possible light, and their time in Nassau often found them at the center of a storm directly created by Dupuch’s overly earnest agenda.
The Duke’s first, tentative steps toward reform were welcomed with much enthusiasm, at least by the Americans. In October 1940, David opened the Bahamian legislature with his first throne speech. He promised to improve agricultural developments, lower unemployment, and raise wages. Many of his specific reforms were aimed at the primarily black population of the out islands surrounding New Providence.
27
The American consul in Nassau, John Dye, reported to the State Department: “The speech is one of the most sensible and business-like that has been delivered by a Governor for many years.... It may be true that he and his Duchess were sent out here to get rid of them, so to speak, but he is taking his job seriously and is showing a keen interest in the welfare of the Bahamas.”
28
A short time later, Dye wrote: “The Duke accompanied by the Duchess every day visits some place of Government activity. The Duchess is active in Red Cross work and both are becoming popular with all classes of the population with the exception of a few die-hard English.”
29
27
The American consul in Nassau, John Dye, reported to the State Department: “The speech is one of the most sensible and business-like that has been delivered by a Governor for many years.... It may be true that he and his Duchess were sent out here to get rid of them, so to speak, but he is taking his job seriously and is showing a keen interest in the welfare of the Bahamas.”
28
A short time later, Dye wrote: “The Duke accompanied by the Duchess every day visits some place of Government activity. The Duchess is active in Red Cross work and both are becoming popular with all classes of the population with the exception of a few die-hard English.”
29
Since arriving in Nassau, the Duke had expressed his wish, as had all his predecessors, to call upon the president of the United States as a courtesy. Franklin Roosevelt was willing enough to receive the Duke, but the Foreign Office, to whom David had to formally apply for permission to leave the Bahamas, refused to grant him the necessary leave. Their explanation was that with the presidential elections in the fall of 1940, the visit of the Duke might be interpreted as partisan support and interference in American politics. David realized that this was an excuse but for the moment did nothing. But after the reelection of Roosevelt there was no longer any reason for the Foreign Office to prevent the visit. Yet when the Duke tried to arrange it, he was told there were difficulties and was refused permission once again.
In December 1940, President Roosevelt set off on a Caribbean visit aboard the presidential cruiser
Tuscaloosa.
He asked Lord Lothian, the British ambassador to the United States, to inquire whether the Duke and Duchess would like to meet with him during his trip. But Lothian, alarmed at the idea, immediately contacted the Foreign Office in London, which wished that no such meeting should take place and ordered the ambassador not to mention the prospect to the Duke of Windsor. Thus, the wish of the American president was deliberately ignored by those who feared that the Duke of Windsor might once again appear in the public spotlight.
Tuscaloosa.
He asked Lord Lothian, the British ambassador to the United States, to inquire whether the Duke and Duchess would like to meet with him during his trip. But Lothian, alarmed at the idea, immediately contacted the Foreign Office in London, which wished that no such meeting should take place and ordered the ambassador not to mention the prospect to the Duke of Windsor. Thus, the wish of the American president was deliberately ignored by those who feared that the Duke of Windsor might once again appear in the public spotlight.
There the matter might have rested but for an unexpected illness on Wallis’s part. That December she fell violently ill with an impacted wisdom tooth; the dentist she consulted in Nassau advised immediate surgery but recommended that she go to Miami to have the operation.
30
This time, David’s request to travel to the United States was immediately approved: The Foreign Office, alerted that the president was on his way to the Caribbean, had been worried that despite Lothian’s failure to deliver Roosevelt’s direct request, somehow a meeting with the Duke would be arranged during his cruise. The Duchess’s illness fortuitously offered a resolution: With the Windsors out of the country and occupied in Miami, there would be no opportunity for them to meet with the president.
30
This time, David’s request to travel to the United States was immediately approved: The Foreign Office, alerted that the president was on his way to the Caribbean, had been worried that despite Lothian’s failure to deliver Roosevelt’s direct request, somehow a meeting with the Duke would be arranged during his cruise. The Duchess’s illness fortuitously offered a resolution: With the Windsors out of the country and occupied in Miami, there would be no opportunity for them to meet with the president.
Arrangements were quickly made. Regular passenger service had been canceled between Nassau and Miami, and the Windsors instead traveled as guests of Swedish industrialist Axel Wenner-Gren aboard his yacht the
Southern Cross
. This later proved to be something of an inopportune choice, as Wenner-Gren was widely suspected of harboring Nazi sympathies. At the time, however, the Windsors knew very little about Wenner-Gren or his connections in Europe, and the seriousness of Wallis’s illness dictated an immediate departure.
Southern Cross
. This later proved to be something of an inopportune choice, as Wenner-Gren was widely suspected of harboring Nazi sympathies. At the time, however, the Windsors knew very little about Wenner-Gren or his connections in Europe, and the seriousness of Wallis’s illness dictated an immediate departure.
They arrived in Miami on the morning of December 10; some twelve thousand people lined the docks, waiting to welcome the world’s most famous husband and wife. Wallis was in terrible pain, but she smiled and waved to those who had gathered to greet her and David. Another ten thousand curious spectators stood along the route from the dock to St. Francis Hospital, cheering and applauding loudly as the Windsors’ motorcade passed. Upon arriving at the hospital, Wallis was quickly examined; Dr. Horace Cartee discovered that the impacted molar was abscessed and had infected the entire lower right jaw. At one that afternoon, he operated and removed the molar, but the accompanying infection meant that Wallis had to remain in the hospital for several days.
On December 12, while Wallis was still in the hospital, David received two pieces of news: Lord Lothian, the British ambassador to the United States, had died suddenly; and President Roosevelt, hearing that the Duke was in Miami, asked if he would be willing to fly to Eleuthera for the day to join him aboard the
Tuscaloosa.
The two ideas mingled in David’s mind, and he briefly entertained the thought that he might somehow manage to overcome the intense prejudice of Buckingham Palace and the Foreign Office against both him and Wallis and win an appointment as Lothian’s replacement. The position was promising: Not only would it remove the Duke and Duchess from Nassau, but it was politically more important and offered David a larger scope for meaningful work. He also realized that Wallis, an American, would be a natural asset in the post. In the end, the meeting with Roosevelt was a success, but the Duke’s aspirations toward a post in Washington were not to be: Lord Halifax was soon appointed as the new ambassador.
Tuscaloosa.
The two ideas mingled in David’s mind, and he briefly entertained the thought that he might somehow manage to overcome the intense prejudice of Buckingham Palace and the Foreign Office against both him and Wallis and win an appointment as Lothian’s replacement. The position was promising: Not only would it remove the Duke and Duchess from Nassau, but it was politically more important and offered David a larger scope for meaningful work. He also realized that Wallis, an American, would be a natural asset in the post. In the end, the meeting with Roosevelt was a success, but the Duke’s aspirations toward a post in Washington were not to be: Lord Halifax was soon appointed as the new ambassador.
Wallis was finally discharged from the hospital on December 17, and the Windsors returned to Nassau in time for their first Christmas. Although still recovering, Wallis threw herself wholeheartedly into the preparations. She had decided to devote their celebrations to the underprivileged children of Nassau. Christmas trees were erected for several schools in Government House. At the celebratory luncheon, Wallis made the rounds, shaking hands and congratulating the mothers whose children had been evacuated during the war for their bravery. As they would do each year during the Duke’s governor-generalship in the Bahamas, the Windsors purchased presents for hundreds of children from their private fortune and delighted in their distribution. David happily got down on his hands and knees, playing with the boys and their train sets, while Wallis played tea with the girls and spoke with their new dolls, just as her own mother had once done when she was young.
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31
34
The Visit to America
I
N APRIL
1941, the Windsors again went to Miami, this time to meet with Sir Edward Peacock, the Duke’s financial adviser. They left Nassau on April 16, passengers aboard the liner SS
Berkshire,
and arrived two days later in Miami, where the mayor and a crowd of two thousand waited to welcome them. From Miami they drove to Palm Beach, where they stayed at the Everglades Club. The following afternoon, David met privately with Peacock, while Wallis shopped along fashionable Worth Avenue for summer clothes. On April 20, the Windsors hosted a cocktail party for three hundred; the next afternoon, they visited the British War Relief Headquarters. They could not arrange for any regular transport back to Nassau; in desperation, Wallis agreed to accept the offer of a private plane made by their friend Harold Vanderbilt. She was loath to do so. On April 22, tightly clutching David’s hand, she settled into her seat on the small plane for her first air trip. She kept her eyes closed for almost the entire hour, only opening them when David told her that she should look out the window at the view.
1
N APRIL
1941, the Windsors again went to Miami, this time to meet with Sir Edward Peacock, the Duke’s financial adviser. They left Nassau on April 16, passengers aboard the liner SS
Berkshire,
and arrived two days later in Miami, where the mayor and a crowd of two thousand waited to welcome them. From Miami they drove to Palm Beach, where they stayed at the Everglades Club. The following afternoon, David met privately with Peacock, while Wallis shopped along fashionable Worth Avenue for summer clothes. On April 20, the Windsors hosted a cocktail party for three hundred; the next afternoon, they visited the British War Relief Headquarters. They could not arrange for any regular transport back to Nassau; in desperation, Wallis agreed to accept the offer of a private plane made by their friend Harold Vanderbilt. She was loath to do so. On April 22, tightly clutching David’s hand, she settled into her seat on the small plane for her first air trip. She kept her eyes closed for almost the entire hour, only opening them when David told her that she should look out the window at the view.
1
They returned to America for a much longer tour that fall. This was to be Wallis’s triumphant homecoming, and plans were made to visit not only the president at the White House but Baltimore, New York City, Chicago, and the Duke’s E. P. Ranch in Alberta, Canada. They arrived in Miami on September 23; as was typical with nearly all of their American visits, they were greeted by a large crowd, this time some five thousand people who lined the roads to cheer them on.
2
David inspected the university RAF cadets, who were then undergoing flight training with American and British instructors; the following day, the Duke and Duchess boarded a private train provided for their use by their friend Robert Young, president of the New York Central Railroad. Their private Pullman car had adjoining bedrooms, a private dining room, a sitting room, and a bathroom. Other cars were coupled to the train, including a baggage compartment to hold their 146 pieces of luggage. Also on board were their three cairn terriers.
2
David inspected the university RAF cadets, who were then undergoing flight training with American and British instructors; the following day, the Duke and Duchess boarded a private train provided for their use by their friend Robert Young, president of the New York Central Railroad. Their private Pullman car had adjoining bedrooms, a private dining room, a sitting room, and a bathroom. Other cars were coupled to the train, including a baggage compartment to hold their 146 pieces of luggage. Also on board were their three cairn terriers.
The Windsors first visited Washington, D.C., where a crowd of over ten thousand well-wishers waited to greet their arrival at Union Station. This stood in stark contrast to the small group of minor officials from the British embassy that had come to receive them. The British ambassador, Lord Halifax, was nowhere to be seen; he was, in fact, away from the city, having absented himself, as he often would when the Windsors visited the American capital. However, Charles Peake, Halifax’s secretary, recalled that even the ambassador found many of the harsh directives against the Windsors too much to accept: “It is a pity that the Royal Family cannot behave with common decency to him. Distance, frigidity one expects, and is no more than he deserved. But civility (which costs nothing) might certainly be given and if given would deprive him of one well merited grievance.”
3
3
A planned luncheon at the White House was canceled due to the serious illness of Eleanor Roosevelt’s brother; instead, the Duke met with the president privately for several hours. That evening, the Windsors attended a dinner party at the British embassy, and, the following day, Wallis accompanied David to the National Press Club, where the Duke gave a speech to a joint meeting of the National Press Club and the National Women’s Press Club. The Associated Press reported: “Washingtonians received the famous pair with enthusiasm. Everywhere they went, peering, cheering, crowds gathered. Government clerks hung precariously from the windows and building ledges to see them; pretty girls showered the Duke with confetti; police battled crowds in corridors when the Duke entered Government buildings.”
4
4
From Washington, D.C., the Windsors journeyed by rail across America, stopping for a few hours in Chicago. Thousands of people crowded the railway station, hoping for a glimpse of the couple. David duly appeared, smiling and waving, but Wallis, who was suffering from a painful eye infection, remained hidden away. Finally, however, the repeated chants of her name won her over, and she walked out onto the rear platform of the train, smiling while the audience erupted in cheers.
5
5
The route taken by the Windsors from Washington, D.C., to Alberta, Canada, had been dictated by the Foreign Office, which wished at all costs to avoid their presence in any large Canadian city where they might elicit precisely the sorts of favorable demonstrations taking place in America. As a result, the trip took a few days longer than necessary. David was particularly keen on showing Wallis his E. P. Ranch, nestled near the Pekisko Hills town of High River in Alberta. He had purchased the ranch in 1919; over the years, he had sunk a considerable fortune into the ranch, practicing stockbreeding and other agricultural endeavors. He always lost money, but David was loath to sell the property. Wallis found the setting—with its distant, snow-capped mountains, fields, and forests—attractive, but she had little liking for either the ranch itself or her time there. The ranch house, a long, low building with rooms tacked on over the years as needed, was too rustic for her tastes; nor did she have any interest in riding or hiking.
6
6
While the Windsors were in Canada, they learned that a powerful storm had swept through the out islands of the Bahamas, leaving hundreds of families homeless. Wallis immediately sent cables to the Red Cross and the Daughters of the British Empire, saying that she was confident of their ability to deal effectively with the crisis. “I only wish I was there to help you in your work,” she added. “Let me know if there is anything I can do or that you need.”
7
There was indeed little Wallis could do from Canada, and any return trip to the Bahamas would take nearly two weeks; if relief was needed, she and the Duke would undoubtedly have been more effective securing foreign aid in Washington, D.C., than in Nassau.
7
There was indeed little Wallis could do from Canada, and any return trip to the Bahamas would take nearly two weeks; if relief was needed, she and the Duke would undoubtedly have been more effective securing foreign aid in Washington, D.C., than in Nassau.
The emotional highlight of the trip was Wallis’s return to Baltimore. She herself was very nervous at the idea, declaring, “That’s going to be quite an experience for me.”
8
The Windsors spent two private days with her uncle Henry M. Warfield and his wife Rebecca, at Salona Farms, north of the city, where Wallis had often gone for summers as a child. They arrived at the quiet country siding of Timonium aboard their private train on October 11. Wallis rushed from the train to embrace her uncle, whom she had not seen for eight years, and kissed her cousin Anita Lewis, who stood by her father’s side.
9
Although it was a private visit, five thousand people had gathered around the tracks, hoping to catch a glimpse of the historic moment. “With a gesture that spoke more loudly than her words,” wrote Inez Robb of the meeting between uncle and niece, “drowned out by huzzahs of the crowd, she presented to her uncle and her cousin the man who gave up his heritage to be her husband. The Duke seemed almost boyishly eager that the general like him. ...”
10
Having been rejected by his own family, David now looked to that of his wife for support and companionship.
8
The Windsors spent two private days with her uncle Henry M. Warfield and his wife Rebecca, at Salona Farms, north of the city, where Wallis had often gone for summers as a child. They arrived at the quiet country siding of Timonium aboard their private train on October 11. Wallis rushed from the train to embrace her uncle, whom she had not seen for eight years, and kissed her cousin Anita Lewis, who stood by her father’s side.
9
Although it was a private visit, five thousand people had gathered around the tracks, hoping to catch a glimpse of the historic moment. “With a gesture that spoke more loudly than her words,” wrote Inez Robb of the meeting between uncle and niece, “drowned out by huzzahs of the crowd, she presented to her uncle and her cousin the man who gave up his heritage to be her husband. The Duke seemed almost boyishly eager that the general like him. ...”
10
Having been rejected by his own family, David now looked to that of his wife for support and companionship.
October 13 was the day of the public welcome. After lunch the Duke and Duchess and General and Mrs. Warfield left Salona Farms by car; at the city limits they were met by a police escort on motorcycles and were taken to city hall. Wallis wore a simple white dress, edged in black, with a sable wrap. Offices and shops were practically deserted. A crowd estimated at 200,000 lined the city streets, applauding and waving American flags and Union Jacks.
11
“The crowds cheered like fans at a football game to greet its most famous daughter,” the Associated Press reported.
12
“This is
her
party,” one woman remarked. “It must be wonderful to have this many people waiting to take a look at you.”
13
There had been nothing quite like it before in Baltimore.
11
“The crowds cheered like fans at a football game to greet its most famous daughter,” the Associated Press reported.
12
“This is
her
party,” one woman remarked. “It must be wonderful to have this many people waiting to take a look at you.”
13
There had been nothing quite like it before in Baltimore.
The Duke and Duchess rode in an open car with the mayor, Howard W. Jackson. At city hall, Jackson declared: “Until the day of victory comes, and come it must, and always after that, we hope both of you will continue to regard Baltimore as another home, where you will always find peace and happiness.”
14
There was a reception at the Baltimore Country Club for eight hundred specially invited guests that afternoon. When one of her former teachers, Miss Ada O’Donnell, appeared, Wallis recognized her at once and ran from the receiving line to embrace her.
15
14
There was a reception at the Baltimore Country Club for eight hundred specially invited guests that afternoon. When one of her former teachers, Miss Ada O’Donnell, appeared, Wallis recognized her at once and ran from the receiving line to embrace her.
15
The next few days were divided between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., between public duties and private recreation. The Duke met with Lord Halifax, who by this time had returned to the capital and who, three days later, hosted a luncheon for the Windsors at the British embassy. Wallis spent much of her time at Salona Farms with Aunt Bessie. There were joint visits to the American Red Cross, the British War Relief Society; and the British Seaman’s Institute. In the midst of the visit, she was taken ill with a recurrence of her old stomach trouble. Doctors found a perforated duodenal ulcer, which they advised required an immediate operation, but Wallis refused to interrupt the schedule.
16
16
From Baltimore, the Windsors traveled to New York City, where, at the Waldorf Towers, they booked a twenty-eighth-floor suite overlooking Park Avenue. During their stay, Wallis had arranged for Mainbocher to come to the suite and fit her for some new clothes. Unfortunately, he also spoke with the press, and rumor magnified the amount of Wallis’s simple order. She was angry enough to grant a rare interview: “I haven’t been in a shop since May 1940, before I left Paris. I’m trying to collect money for a third clinic, but I hope you don’t mind if I buy one or two dresses.” According to one press report, she had purchased thirty-four new hats during the visit to America; Wallis quickly corrected this, saying the actual number was five. “Since I am actually shopping for a year, I don’t think anyone could consider this outrageous.” She did enjoy shopping in New York, but she also worked hard at persuading the city’s department stores to purchase Bahamian coral jewelry, usually handcrafted by the poorer residents of the out islands, to sell to their customers.
17
17
The Windsors, like other famous visitors to New York, received a ticker-tape parade through lower Manhattan. But most of their time was spent on serious pursuits. Wallis visited Inwood House on West Fifteenth Street, a home for unmarried mothers. She toured the wards, spoke to the expectant mothers about birth control and its advantages, and played with the babies “like a social worker rather than a socialite,” in the words of Michael Pye.
18
Together with David, she inspected fifteen mobile army hospital units. The pair later visited Bundles for Britain’s main office, where the Duke purchased a lapel pin for five dollars despite protests that he was being too generous.
19
There was a tour of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund offices, followed by a luncheon, after which the Windsors visited the Seaman’s Church Institute. As Wallis walked past a group of sailors playing darts, one of them called out, “Have a shot, Duchess!” With a laugh, Wallis protested that she had never played before, but she agreed to try. Her first shot landed near the bull’s-eye, but her next two missed the board altogether. Nonetheless, she was loudly cheered by the delighted sailors.
20
18
Together with David, she inspected fifteen mobile army hospital units. The pair later visited Bundles for Britain’s main office, where the Duke purchased a lapel pin for five dollars despite protests that he was being too generous.
19
There was a tour of the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund offices, followed by a luncheon, after which the Windsors visited the Seaman’s Church Institute. As Wallis walked past a group of sailors playing darts, one of them called out, “Have a shot, Duchess!” With a laugh, Wallis protested that she had never played before, but she agreed to try. Her first shot landed near the bull’s-eye, but her next two missed the board altogether. Nonetheless, she was loudly cheered by the delighted sailors.
20
Together the Windsors toured the Brooklyn Naval Yard and visited several housing projects for the poor on the East Side of the city. On Halloween, Wallis organized a party for underprivileged children. They also returned to Washington, D.C., where they met again with the president. After talking with the first lady, Wallis decided to write a cookbook,
Some Favorite Southern Recipes of the Duchess of Windsor,
whose proceeds would all be donated to war-relief agencies; Mrs. Roosevelt was to provide the introduction. All the while, Wallis tried to do what she could for those charities most desperately in need of assistance. “I’m not nearly so interested in clothes as people think,” she said. “I’d rather talk about Red Cross work and infant welfare.”
21
Some Favorite Southern Recipes of the Duchess of Windsor,
whose proceeds would all be donated to war-relief agencies; Mrs. Roosevelt was to provide the introduction. All the while, Wallis tried to do what she could for those charities most desperately in need of assistance. “I’m not nearly so interested in clothes as people think,” she said. “I’d rather talk about Red Cross work and infant welfare.”
21
On the whole, the visit was a great success. There was a certain limited amount of criticism of the trip for what some writers took as frivolous expenditure on the part of the Duke and Duchess, but as Michael Bloch points out, a press survey found that the unfavorable reaction represented no more than 4 percent of the actual coverage. The vast majority of their time, and the concentration of their energies, had been focused on visiting hospitals, touring war-relief facilities, and raising funds for Bahamian charities. Nevertheless, the British Press Service report on the visit inaccurately declared: “The general impression created was that of a rich and carefree couple, travelling with all the pre-war accoutrement of royalty, and with no thought either of the sufferings of their own people or of the fact that the world is at war.”
22
22
As much as Wallis had not wanted the war, she was genuinely moved when, following the Japanese attack on American forces at Pearl Harbor, the country of her birth finally entered into the hostilities. But America’s entry into the war also brought with it new worries. Early in 1942 there were rumors of German U-boats in the Caribbean; several shipwrecked crews did indeed wash ashore or were rescued and brought to Nassau, where Wallis supervised their care.
23
The concerns for the Windsors’ safety—with unwelcome memories of the German kidnapping plot—were such that a company of Cameron Highlanders was dispatched to build a barbed-wire fence around Government House and to post sentries.
24
23
The concerns for the Windsors’ safety—with unwelcome memories of the German kidnapping plot—were such that a company of Cameron Highlanders was dispatched to build a barbed-wire fence around Government House and to post sentries.
24
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Unsympathetic Magic by Resnick, Laura
Alien Rights by Nicole Austin
Letter to Belinda by Tim Tingle
My Chance (Chance #2) by Schwehm, Joanne