Description:

Edward VIII of England King


Edward, Duke of Windsor TLS Mentioning the Duchess' Recently Published Memoirs The Heart has its Reasons

 

1p TLS signed by Edward, Duke of Windsor (1894-1972) as "Edward" in blue ball-point pen at lower right. Written aboard the S.S. United States on September 24, 1956. On cream stationery with an embossed dark blue crowned "E" cypher at upper left. In near fine condition with light paper folds. Handsomely presented to the right of a photograph of Edward wearing a morning suit, striped bow tie, and top hat. Framed behind beveled mauve matting and glass. Not examined out of frame. Sight size of document is 6" x 7.875"; the frame size overall is 17.375" x 14" x 1". Catalog description from Kenneth W. Rendell Gallery, Inc. (New York, NY and Beverly Hills, CA) found verso.

 

The Duke of Windsor wrote this breezy thank you note to friend Milton W. Holden (ca. 1890-1974). With uncorrected spelling and grammar.

 

"[typed] Dear Doc,

 

Thanks a lot for your note and for your complimentary remarks over my article in Life magazine, which I received just before we sailed.

 

The Duchess and I had a wonderful trip thru Mittel Europa with Edith and Cushing. We came aboard somewhat exhausted but are more or less recovered by now.

 

We will only be in New York two weeks this time having come over in connection with the publication of the Duchess' Memoirs. However we look forward to seeing you again soon.

 

Hoping you have had a gay and pleasanr summer at Southampton and that your golf game isn't too good.

 

[signed] Edward."

 

The Duke of Windsor, formerly Edward VIII, ruled for 11 months before abdicating in mid-December 1936 in order to marry divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson (1896-1986). The two spent the rest of their lives living abroad as British expatriates.

 

1956 was a busy time for the Windsors. Edward had written an article called "My Garden" that appeared in the July 16, 1956 issue of Life Magazine. It was one of three articles featured on the magazine's front cover, with the tagline "Duke of Windsor as Gardener: His Story Plus Color Photos." In the article, Edward gave a brief history of his love of gardening, and described how he maintained the flower garden of his weekend home outside Paris. Most of the 16pp story is comprised of color photos of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor wandering about flower beds trailed by their inevitable pug dogs.

 

Also in 1956, the Duchess of Windsor had released her 372pp autobiography The Heart has its Reasons: The Memoirs of the Duchess of Windsor (D. McKay Co., New York, 1956). While most modern biographers agree that the autobiography is biased and inaccurate, it found an eager contemporary audience. The Duchess exploited the public's unflagging interest in her scandalous royal love affair.

 

American financier Milton W. Holden was in the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's transatlantic aristocratic social set. Holden was a founding member and partner of the Wall Street brokerage firm Bull, Holden & Co. This letter was mailed to Holden's Park Avenue address, although he also had summer homes in Southampton, Long Island (referenced in the letter's last paragraph) and also in Palm Beach, Florida.

 

United States Lines launched its luxury cruise ship S.S. United States in 1951, in the waning days of "floating palace" passenger liners like the H.M.S. Queen Mary. S.S. United States was 12 storeys high, 990 feet long, weighed 53,000 tons, and could accommodate almost 2000 passengers and 900 crew. Despite its enormous size, the steamship still holds the speed record for the fastest average transatlantic crossing. The S.S. United States was retired in 1969.

 


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