Wallis Simpson: A Typical Cinderella Story?

Abstract

Mrs. Wallis Simpson led an entertaining, adventurous, and scandalous life. This girl from Baltimore traveled the world, fell in love over and over again, and climbed to the top of one of the most prestigious social circles possible, into the arms of the Edward VIII, King of England. I will explore how Wallis Simpson was categorized through class and socioeconomic status in her early life, how she broke many preconceived gender roles of the era including reversal in relationship dominance, and other ways that her divorcee marital status affected public perception of her. I will explore these issues through the lens of newspapers from England and the United States, with a focus on how the views in the newspapers differ between the countries.