The life of Wallis Simpson, the controversial Duchess of Windsor, is getting a big screen adaptation. She was the American divorcee who prompted King Edward VIII, Queen Elizabeth's uncle, to abdicate his crown in 1936.
According to Deadline, Gotham Group has taken the rights to adapt the book, "The American Duchess: The Real Wallis Simpson" from author Anna Pasternak, for the big screen. The story charts the life of the American socialite and his relationship with Queen Elizabeth's uncle, who was roughly the King of England for less than a year.
Simpson was "one of the most vilified women of the 20th century" because a king chose her over his duties towards his country. According to Daily Mail, Cate Blanchett is being eyed to play the Duchess of Windsor on the big screen while the author thinks Damian Lewis could make be the ideal choice for King Edward, who became the Duke of Windsor after his abdication.
Netflix's The Crown has taken bits and pieces of the story of King Edward's abdication and his relationship with Simpson in its first three seasons. Lia Williams and Geraldine Chaplin played Simpson in the royal drama series, while King Edward was played by Alex Jennings and Derek Jacobi.
The news comes as the choice of King Edward and Wallis to give up their royal life has been compared to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Meghan is also an American divorcee whom some British royal fans have blamed for Prince Harry's decision to step back and leave his royal duties behind as well.
In the 1930s, the relationship of King Edward, then known as Prince David, with Wallis was frowned upon because she was twice-divorced. At that time, the Church of England and British laws didn't allow for marriage with someone who was divorced.
When Prince David assumed the throne following the death of his father, King George V, he carried on with his relationship with Wallis amid a growing scandal. In the end, he decided to give up his crown so he could be with the woman he loves, which disappointed a lot of British people, including the Queen Mother.
Queen Elizabeth's father, Prince Albert, hesitantly assumed the throne when his older brother abdicated. As King George VI, the Queen Mother believed that her husband was thrusted a massive responsibility that caused his early death and forced Queen Elizabeth to take on the crown in her late '20s.
