The real reason the queen mother despised Wallis Simpson? Being forced to be queen or jealousy?

Question

I watched this programme yesterday about the queen mother, and how Bertie was forced to be king.

According to certain people, it was this reason why the queen mother despised wallis, or was it?

I think her main gripe was to do with jealousy, because she was really in love in Edward.

Of course i realize that noone knows the truth, but id like to hear what you make of it?

Answer 1

I think the answer is quite simple.  Wallis Simpson was not "marriage material" for the royal family.  If I thought that Wallis Simpson was about to become my sister-in-law, I don't think I would be pleased either.

Answer 2

Try reading biographies of all involved,especially,Hugo Vickers' Queen Elizabeth:The Queen Mother,to get a better understanding of the subject.

Elizabeth entered into a marriage with The Duke of York,expecting a quieter existence,less filled with ceremonies,duties and responsibilities,than David's,who was to be King.The then Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon knew what the Royal life was like and wasn't so sure she wanted any part of it;she knew that Bertie stuttered, was frail in health,had a temper,wasn't as confident as his golden brother,but was a good man none-the-less.She helped him overcome his issues and they were leading a good life when all of the responsibilites of the monarchy were thrust upon them.Bertie wasn't prepared to be the reigning king;he wasn't sure that he could do the job,but he worked and worked and worked at it.He also had to be King during World War II;he and his family stayed in England,often giving refuge to exiled royals from Europe as well.Bertie was of a nervous  disposition,constanly chain-smoked throughout the days,months and years of the War,stayed up late into the night,working with his generals,his military.He became ill,with terminal lung cancer. Elizabeth blamed Wallis Simpson for causing the illness.If it weren't for her,David would have been king,not her husband. David would have been the one to bear the resposibilities,the worries,the decisions...

A friend once told the then Queen Consort how well David,then Duke of Windsor,was looking,commenting that the dark bags under his eyes had disappeared. Elizabeth angrily retorted,"Yes,but look who has bags under his eyes,NOW!"

I've heard the jealousy rumour before,but don't buy them.

Answer 3

I think that mediocre people nowadays are too ready to re-interpret the events of the Queen Mother's life as if she had also been mediocre, and therefore understandable to them.

It was natural for her to despise Wallis Simpson, because Wallis had brought out the WORST side of the Prince of Wales' character, namely his selfishness. Whereas the Queen Mother, or Queen as she then became, proceeded to bring out the BEST in the Duke of York's much less promising character.

So it was neither jealousy, nor resentment at being forced to be Queen, nor resentment at the Duke being forced to become King; it was just the natural follow-on to the thought of "look what you made of your man, look what I made of mine".

Answer 4

I tend not to speculate about things I will never know the truth of. Apart from that, all parties involved are now dead so what is the point.

Answer 5

Well Wallis didn't do herself much good by calling the Queen Mother "the fat cook".  But I know the Queen Mother had a spine made of steel, ok she may have had a crush on David , but she loved her husband and blamed his gad about brother for his early death.  And yes she did blame Wallis for the abdication but by God what a job she made of it and him.  And she loved booze so good on her.  Wallis was as common as muck, not as lower class, but she was a bit of a lady and some of her past is to say the least murky.

Answer 6

I do believe that the Queen Mother definitely was jealous of Wallis Simpson. I have heard in a few different books that before she married the then Duke of York, the Queen Mum was quite sure that SHE was going to marry the Prince of Wales. A rumor started that the palace was going to announce the engagement of the heir and the daughter of a well known Scottish peer (the Queen Mum's dad) and this was flatly denied by the palace. The Duke of York had to propose to her several times before she finally accepted marrying the "runt of the litter". And only after the palace denied the Prince of Wales was marrying anyone.  The Prince was more interested in married women who were uber skinny. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was a plump girl her whole life. Then after marriage to the Duke of York, she settled into life at court and of course carrying out royal engagements. When King Edward decided to abdicate so he could marry the woman he loved, and the Duke of York was called upon to become King, the new Queen was a major factor in making sure that the future Duchess of Windsor was denied royal rank. And made sure this was the action of the court for the rest of their lives. It is opinion that since the new King so looked up to the Duke of Windsor he would have given his brother this.

Answer 7

Being fiercely supportive of the Monarchy and all it stood for the Queen Mum despised Wallis Simpson for "rocking the boat" as well as the fact that Bertie was very shy and having the top job thrust upon him worried her.

It is believed that his time as King George VI contributed to his early death.

Answer 8

Somebody said The Runt of the litter ,what a terrible slur on the late king ,And anybody reading this who has a speech impediment,he had a stammer for goodness sake,,I must admit I have never heard this before , How does anybody know what was in the Queen Mums mind ,Wallis and Edward  changed history ,and landed George and Elizabeth with the responsibility of the throne a job they dident expect ,no wonder she dident like her

Answer 9

I think the Queen mother loved being Queen.  She loved the attention.  Usually when a monarch dies the surviving spouse is pushed aside and basically forgotten about.  The Queen mother didn't want to be pushed aside.  she was enjoying the attention far too much.  I think she was definitely jealous of Wallis Simpson

Answer 10

As you say, no-one will ever really know. Personally I think she did love her husband although she may have had a crush on David (Duke of Windsor) in earlier years. She was obviously very bitter toward Wallis though...and the fact that Wallis was so derogatory about the Queen Mothers appearance no doubt didn't help.

It is common knowledge she blamed them for the early death of her husband when the reality was that smoking 50 cigarettes a day and the consequent lung cancer was the reason he died. I think the Queen Mother had a core of steel, a bitter personality and was a consumate actress where the public were concerned....I don't believe she was the 'sweet little grandmother' that the papers tried to portray.

Answer 11

She was keener on Edward that Albert.  She chucked over a nice guy to go 'royal' but she only landed second prize.  She would have resented any woman that got first prize, didn't have to be Wallis.  Wallis just happened to be an easy target.

Answer 12

I believe many people didn't like Wallis Simpson because she was seen as unfit to marry into the royal family and also because she appeared to be a gold digging, opportunist who...well took advantage of her situation if that makes sense.

Answer 13

I sincerely doubt she was jealous of Wallis -- she was very hesitant about marrying into the royal family at all, and it took Bertie quite a while to talk her into it -- almost two years.  

Elizabeth despised Wallis because she felt that Wallis lured Edward, who was a weak man, into becoming less than he could have been.  Wallis thought nothing of the monarchy or the kingdom and how it would be affected by her relationship with David (Edward) -- she was dazzled by the fact that the Prince of Wales -- and later, the King -- was in love with her.  Edward was obsessed with her, and she could have stepped away -- and didn't.

Edward had been trained for his role since birth.  Bertie was a much more retiring person, not to mention shy because of his stammering/stuttering problem.  Elizabeth was fiercely protective of him and, later, her daughters, in trying to keep their private life private.   When Edward basically decided, "Oh, well, I don't wanna be king, I'd rather marry this conniving, twice-divorced b***h from the Americas", he basically thrust the entire responsibility for Britain upon Bertie's shoulders on the eve of what most felt was another World War, then danced off to France to marry and canoodle with Wallis.

Bertie rose to the challenge, but Elizabeth had to stand by his side and see the stress of the war wear him down, knowing that he was not born to this responsibility and that he was, basically, giving his life to his country. She also had to help prepare her daughter, Elizabeth, to become Queen. His health, which was never robust, was compromised and he died at the relatively young age of 56 of a heart attack.

Instead of the lifetime of service that are expected from those born to the throne, Edward and Wallis basically became a permanent fixture on the clubbing scene, and a staple of second-class society, thus earning Elizabeth's scorn.

Answer 14

.I believe it was a problem with Bertie not being in the best of health, however, he also stammered badly, and it was not helpful, Edward being week and selfish, he, Edward, had been trained to be King, unlike Bertie, and that is where the gripe came in.

Answer 15

She realised her husband was a weak man who was unsuited for such a high profile position.

As Duke of York he had spent most of his time playing with Boy Scouts and he had a very bad stammer which made public speaking difficult.

The strain of being King made him smoke heavily and this contributed to his death from lung cancer in 1952.