A King's Story: The Memoirs of the Duke of Windsor

A King's Story: The Memoirs of the Duke of Windsor has been on my reading list for some time, probably since reading Elizabeth the Queen almost 18 months ago. I finally got around to ordering it from MeLCat and, if it couldn't entirely live up to my expectations, I still enjoyed reading the Duke's memoirs.

They begin, as any proper memoir should, with his earliest childhood, in HRH's case, both on and at the knee of his great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. Born in 1894, the Duke's childhood and adolescence were lived entirely in the pre-World War I era and his descriptions of that time are full of nostalgic longing. Early in the pages of the books, Prince Edward - later King Edward VIII and then the Duke of Windsor, but whose family always called him David - shows himself as a sympathetic prince. In reading of his longings for "normalcy" and proving himself against other boys of his generation, one cannot but remark that the same sentiments have been expressed by Britain's current crop of young princes. Strong-willed and independent, David succeeds in earning a commission in France during World War I where the sights and sounds of battle will mark him as they did so many of his generation.

Perhaps the most interesting passages of the book describe his post-war visits to the U.S., the affinity he begins to feel with a people whom he feels resemble him somewhat in temperament, and the awe with which he views the conveniences of modern life. He takes pains to note that the untold luxury which has surrounded him since birth still does not include such amenities as centralized heating, which he finds regularly in America.

As he ages, the reader cannot help but notice the myriad ways in which he seems to be a rather reluctant King-in-waiting. It is hard to tell whether this is the result of hindsight - "well, I never wanted to be King anyway," - or if the sentiments are true. They do seem to be borne out by journal entries and correspondence, though, so I will generally give him the benefit of the doubt.

Once David becomes King Edward VIII, the memoirs are zapped of some of their earlier energy. He describes the Abdication crisis in painstaking detail, understandable at a personal level, but a bit of a bore for the average reader. The last chapters are mired in an almost hourly account of who the King met, what he thought, what he said, what they said, and how it was reported in the papers to such a degree that I could not help but feel a degree of relief upon finishing the book.

For the modern reader, of course, a great deal of the interest lies in how the Royal Family has changed in the past 75 years. King Edward VIII, it must be remembered, was forced from his throne for wanting to marry a divorcee. The next King will himself be one. 

Although I enjoyed A King's Story, it must be said that for a reader interested in any of the periods of British history described therein, better reading exists. (For example, Juliet Nicolson's The Perfect Summer and The Great Silence are excellent for understanding England in the years immediately before and after World War I, for example, and The Beauty and the Sorrow remains the best World War I book I've read. All incorporate many more perspectives than the Duke of Windsor is obviously able to do.) For understanding the monarchy, the aforementioned Elizabeth the Queen would be my choice. It is also, not surprisingly, too dignified to contain any of the salacious details of the Wallis Simpson affair. In truth, it is a book best suited for only the most devoted Edward VIII enthusiast.