Wallis Simpson, the American divorcée whose marriage to King Edward VIII led to his abdication, spent her final years in what a report describes as a state of "squalid exile" marked by a lack of pleasure and happiness.
According to the Daily Mail, in the years leading up to her death, the Duchess of Windsor lived a life that was a stark contrast to the glamour associated with her former royal status. The report suggests she felt betrayed by those closest to her during this period.
Simpson, who was married to her third husband, Ernest Simpson, when she met Edward, became the focus of a constitutional crisis in 1936. Edward, then King of the United Kingdom, chose to abdicate the throne to marry the twice-divorced American socialite. The abdication created significant political upheaval and ultimately led to his brother, George VI, ascending the throne.
After their marriage, Edward and Wallis became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. They lived abroad for much of their lives, including periods in France. However, reports from her later years paint a picture of a secluded and unhappy existence, far removed from the public's perception of a glamorous couple.
The circumstances of her final years and the alleged betrayal by her inner circle have been a subject of historical interest, highlighting the personal cost of a union that reshaped the British monarchy.