Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Is the Duchess of Windsor expecting an heir?

Embed from Getty Images 

 February 7, 1938

The French newspaper, Paris Soir, is reporting that the Duke and Duchess of Windsor have moved into the Chateau de la Maye at Versailles for six months and "that the Duchess is expecting a child."

"The Duchess is awaiting the happy event, but it is still some time off," the newspaper stated, according to United Press.

However, the Chicago Tribune's reporter believes the report of a pregnancy is doubtful.   A false alarm, in fact,.

The Tribune reports that the "rumor is apparently based on the fact" that the couple moved earlier today from the Hotel Meurice to the Chateau de la Maye and it has been suggested that that the reason for the move is due to the Duchess of Windsor's alleged pregnancy.

The Duke of Windsor's entourage has flatly denied the rumor, which does not
"prove anything one way or another."

The Tribune's correspondent did check a few of his sources, while not conclusive, suggest that the duchess is not pregnant.  It has been "reliably reported" that the duchess' "dressmakers and masseuse, who massage her twice a week, " dispute the rumor.

Crowds have "loitered" all day outside the chateau, which is heavily guarded by the police.

3 comments:

Diane Brown said...

Interesting to ponder the "what ifs" had this happened. As in how would the family have treated that child?
I suspect Wallis was not even capable of bearing children given her history.

The Blessed Virgin said...

I know it was an odd chance for Wallis to have a child, since her terrible experiences of a botch abortion which left her infertile. But if that was not the case, and she had children, I cannot remember if the title of Dukedom of Windsor had any junior titles and if the offsprings were to carry the style of HRH, Prince's of Windsor.. or just Lords and Ladies Windsor..

It would have been interesting if descendants were left.

My reference to her botched abortion comes from here: (last paragraph in her first marriage).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallis_Simpson

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

The 1937 Letters Patent that restored David's HRH excluded his wife and descendants to have the HRH

Whitehall, May 28, 1937.The KING has been pleased by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the Realm bearing date the 27th day of May, 1937, to declare that the Duke of Windsor shall, notwithstanding his Instrument of Abdication executed on the loth day of December, 1936, and His Majesty's Declaration of Abdication Act, 1936, whereby effect was given to the said Instrument, be entitled to hold and enjoy for himself only the title style or attribute of Royal Highness so however that his wife and descendants if any shall not hold the said title style or attribute.

Shortly after the abdication, George VI announced his intention to name his brother as Duke of Windsor - and the letters patent was dated on March 8, 1937 creating Edward was duke of Windsor.

The letters patent was not published but George did not create any subsidiary titles - and it many believe that the title was for the Duke only and not male heirs so the kids would have been styled as younger sons and daughters of a duke.