Duke was upset by pamphlet

London - Upset by a pamphlet describing Wallis Simpson as "the American harlot", the Duke of Windsor urged Scotland Yard in 1937…

London - Upset by a pamphlet describing Wallis Simpson as "the American harlot", the Duke of Windsor urged Scotland Yard in 1937 to investigate the attack on the woman he gave up the British throne to marry, according to documents released by the Public Records Office in London yesterday, reports Rachel Donnelly

According to the documents, however, Scotland Yard took no action and described the offending pamphlet as "surprisingly accurate". The pamphlet accused Mrs Simpson of promoting her German-American friends at the expense of the British monarchy and described the duke as a man with a "kindly, simple nature" who was unable to recognise the "spider's web" she had caught him in.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter